As the press service of the Health Ministry reports, Nurmat Otabekov, deputy head of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance and Public Health Service, provided information on the possible entry of a new “omicron” strain of the coronavirus into Uzbekistan.
“Viruses are simple, cell-free organisms. It is natural for them to change. For example, the causative agent of the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has so far identified more than 7,000 mutated strains. “Omicron” is one of them.
Although we have not established direct aviation contacts with South African countries, where the new strain is spreading, it is likely that the disease will enter the territory of Uzbekistan through the second and third countries,” Otabekov said.
He noted that the issue of developing a separate protocol for this new strain of SARS-CoV-2 will definitely take some time. Nevertheless, effective use of available diagnostic, treatment, and prophylaxis options is also effective against this type of virus.
“The most important thing is to maintain the epidemiological situation by building herd immunity, that is, by increasing the rate of mass vaccination. Because vaccines are effective in any mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2. Even when infected with a new strain, the disease passes mildly and without serious complications when one is vaccinated at all doses.
Given that different strains of the coronavirus enter our country each time through our citizens who have returned from abroad, we recommend not to visit the countries where the disease is spreading, unless necessary,” the deputy head of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance and Public Health Service Nurmat Otabekov said.
