Russian experts have put forward two versions of contactless infection with coronavirus. This was reported by the Izvestia newspaper.
According to the first version, patients with coronavirus who have never been to China and have not come into contact with sick people may appear in different countries due to latent infection. According to infectious disease specialists, the pathogen can pass from people who arrived from China without pronounced symptoms.
In addition, the main measure to prevent the spread of the pathogen - screening at airports - was called ineffective. Virologists believe that after it more than half of the infected go unnoticed, since the disease has a long incubation period. The virus may not manifest itself clinically for about two to three weeks after infection.
Experts recalled that people have been familiar with coronaviruses since 1965. In the structure of annual outbreaks of SARS, coronavirus infection accounts for about 10 percent, and 80 percent of the population has antibodies to other strains of coronaviruses. According to the second version, such a diversity could lead to the fact that the tests used in the diagnosis reacted not to COVID-19, but to another genetically related strain.
According to experts, all the actions that are now being taken by the government can no longer be considered excessive. The focus on practice-oriented research on respiratory infections needs to be dramatically increased, the experts added.
Earlier, the plenipotentiary of the Russian President in the Far Eastern Federal District, Yuri Trutnev, said that unprecedented measures have been taken to protect against the penetration of coronavirus into Russia. In particular, we are talking about a temporary ban on the entry of Chinese into Russia. It applies to tourists, as well as to those who come to Russia for work or business. The suspension of the entry of Chinese citizens into the Russian Federation will not affect transit passengers.
An outbreak of coronavirus was first recorded in Wuhan, China at the end of December 2019. In addition to China, cases have been identified in more than 20 countries. The first two people infected with coronavirus in Russia became known on January 31. Both are citizens of the PRC.