Now the epidemiological situation in our country is in a calm phase, as virologist Sergei Netesov said. But covid continues to spread among the population and could provoke a new outbreak.
Netesov noted that experts do not know how long this calm can last as the circulation of the coronavirus continues. Now the infection rate is much lower, it has already fallen to the lows noted in April 2020. But nothing prevents the coronavirus from continuing to mutate further, which could lead to the emergence of new, more contagious variants.
Also, scientists do not yet know how long the immunity that appears in a person after being infected with the Omicron strain is. Under these conditions, it is imperative to continue vaccination, especially for representatives of risk groups, which include elderly citizens and victims of various kinds of chronic diseases. Vaccination is mandatory for patients with diabetes and people with obesity.
Netesov is convinced that people need a vaccine specifically against the Omicron strain, since the drugs created on the basis of the Wuhan strain provide protection against infection against this strain at a level of no more than 25%. Thus, our “Sputnik” is no longer suitable for this, and a completely new drug is required. Moreover, the Wuhan strain has practically disappeared from the face of the earth – it has not been observed for more than a year. (READ MORE) 
Sergey Netesov Medicine member Correspondent of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Virology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University