OREANDA-NEWS “On the territory of the Russian Federation, the 'delta' variant is widespread, isolated cases of the 'gamma' variant have been identified”, - as it was noted in The Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing.

The organization clarified that both strains of coronavirus are classified as "of concern" due to increased transmissibility and virulence, as well as the ability to reduce the effectiveness of antibodies.

Experts from "Vector" note that at present the "Indian" variant of the virus is becoming dominant in many countries of the world.

“In Russia, there is also a tendency of substitution other options with the delta option. Given the competitive advantages it has in comparison with the known options, there is no reason to expect that the delta option will be displaced by the already studied varieties of SARS-CoV-2”, - Vektor explained.

The experts also noted that they received a number of samples of varieties of the new coronavirus from research organizations in Australia, Thailand and Italy. New strains are studied according to a given algorithm, their viability on a variety of surfaces, pathogenicity for laboratory animals, and a number of other properties, including the effectiveness of neutralization, are determined. Scientists will need about two months to complete a comprehensive research cycle.