Russia records isolated cases of AY.4.2 Covid-19 variantOctober 21, 2021 - 14:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia registered some isolated cases of the AY.4.2 Covid-19 variant, a subtype of the Delta strain, Kamil Khafizov, Head of the Scientific Group for the Development of New Diagnostic Methods of the Russian Central Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology, said, according to TASS. The AY.4.2 COVID-19 variant was discovered in the UK. According to British scientists, it is one of the 45 subspecies of Delta. Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London Francois Balloux suggested that the new variant could spread 10-15% faster than the previous ones. "Yes, some isolated cases of the AY.4.2 COVID-19 variant are already being recorded in Russia . [It is] one of the many subtypes of the Delta variant, which probably has a number of advantages over the original and other versions of the pathogen," the expert said. The Russian expert noted that the emergence of a new variant was likely to aggravate the epidemiological situation in the country. "The Delta variant has already caused a serious increase in the incidence, and AY.4.2 is likely to give another impetus to the surge in the COVID-19 cases," Khafizov warned. The specialist explained that AY.4.2 "would perhaps steadily supplant Delta, however, it was unlikely to happen soon ." "This is potentially just a slightly more infectious variant," he pointed out. At the same time, Khafizov emphasized that the Russian vaccines were effective against the AY.4.2 variant. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Pasadena to host Armenian Genocide commemoration event The Pasadena Armenian Coalition will host its community-wide Armenian Genocide Commemorative Event. Armenia: Opposition activist transferred to Investigative Committee Activist Samvel Vardanyan has been accused of insulting the lawmaker Hakob Aslanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party. Former Pashinyan envoy urges end to Genocide speculation Marukyan has urged authorities in Armenia stop discussions about verifying the names of 1.5 million victims. Azerbaijan, Jordan sign deal on defense cooperation Azerbaijan and Jordan have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of defense, according to an official statement. |