29 subvariants of COVID-19, subtypes of the Omicron strain, are circulating in Ukraine.
As Ukrinform reports, the press service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reports this.
“Currently 29 subvariants of the Omicron strain are circulating in the country. . Since the beginning of 2022, it was this strain that actually supplanted other COVID strains, in particular “Delta” and “Alpha”, distributed during the previous epidemic season,” the message says.
The Ministry of Health notes that it was possible to identify subvariants thanks to sequencing at the National Reference Laboratory of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine — a special laboratory study that allows you to genetically decipher the virus and identify what mutations have occurred in its genome.
As Deputy Minister of Health, Chief State Sanitary Doctor Igor Kuzin noted, the global trend for COVID-19 is that the virus is finally moving into the category of seasonal diseases, like the flu. According to him, every year people will encounter a coronavirus that will continue to mutate.
“The currently known and studied nature of COVID-19 mutations does not indicate that the virus has become more aggressive for the body. Increasingly, COVID-19 occurs as an acute respiratory viral infection and evades the immune response — that is, it rather affects weakened immunity. Therefore, even those vaccinated earlier can get sick, but acquired immunity after vaccination reduces the risk of complications during illness. Therefore, people who have not completed the course of vaccination against COVID-19, and people at risk of severe disease, especially those over 60 years of age and with chronic diseases, need to consult with their family doctor and get vaccinated, — noted Kuzin.
It is reported that in the course of the disease the strain “Omicron” predominantly occurs as a normal respiratory disease and does not cause severe oxygen dependence. However, it remains dangerous for risk groups: people with pathologies, chronic diseases and weakened immunity over 60 years of age. Vaccination is recommended for people at risk. It is free of charge, and you can get vaccinated from your family doctor or at a hospital-based vaccination point.
The Ministry of Health reminds that the general recommended course of vaccination against COVID-19 — 3 vaccinations (or 2, if the first one is a single-dose vaccine). This is a primary vaccination course; all subsequent vaccinations are carried out after consultation with a doctor and are called booster vaccinations.
Vaccination against COVID-19 is also allowed in Ukraine from the age of five. You can also get the first vaccination with the “Omicron-specific vaccine” — This is an updated version of the Comirnaty vaccine from the American company Pfizer, adapted specifically for protection against the Omicron strain. coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Previously, it was used only for booster vaccinations.
