Experts assess the risks of a new strain of COVID-19
A new strain of coronavirus PJ.2.1, which differs from other options by greater resistance to certain drugs, can come to Russia in the winter, said RBC head of the Laboratory of Bionanotechnology, Microbiology and Virology of Novosibirsk State University, Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Netesov.
A new strain of coronavirus PJ.2.1, which differs from other options by greater resistance to certain drugs, can come to Russia in the winter, said RBC head of the Laboratory of Bionanotechnology, Microbiology and Virology of Novosibirsk State University, Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Netesov.
In Russia, according to preliminary data, has not yet come. But like all other options, he will certainly come. Surely he will come in the winter, as it always happens, said Netesov.
He noted the difference PJ. 2.1 from other variants: "It is less affected by some available drugs, in particular antibodies that close adenazine.".
In addition, Netesov said, people at risk of COVID-19 are more susceptible to infection with the strain: citizens over 65 years old, people with chronic serious diseases of the heart, lungs and kidneys, with immunodeficiency or taking drugs that suppress immunity.
There are now test systems based on polymerase chain reaction. Specifically, they will recognize this strain in the same way as others, but differential diagnosis will be difficult to do, because existing screening methods do not provide for this.
To describe the symptoms of coronavirus PJ.2.1 is not enough information, told RBC chief researcher of the Institute of molecular biology named after V.A. Engelhardt, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Peter Chumakov. He noted that the symptoms depend not only on the type of strain, but also on the immune reactivity of the body.
“The covid has turned into a common cold, and some small variations of symptoms should not worry anyone,” Chumakov said.
The PJ.2.1 variant was first identified in May 2026. Cases of infection were registered in Canada, the United States and Spain. The main feature of the new variant is the increased ability of the S-protein of the virus to bind to the ACE2 receptor on the surface of human cells, which theoretically can contribute to more intensive transmission of infection. At the end of October, the agency did not record cases of PJ.2.1 infection in Russia.
