Coronavirus in Russia: the first animal vaccine and the BBC third wave

controversy

25.03.21
The world's first vaccine against coronavirus for animals has been registered in
Russia, The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance 
reported. Russia was the first country to register a vaccine for humans, but this rate
has caused wariness in the world. In Moscow, criticism of Russian drugs against
Covid-19 was considered a manifestation of unfair competition.
Clinical trials of the carnivorous animal vaccine "Karnivak-Kov" have been
conducted since October on dogs, cats, arctic foxes, minks, foxes and other
animals. "All tested vaccinated animals in 100% of cases developed antibodies to
the coronavirus," - said the deputy head of the Rosselkhoznadzor Konstantin
Savenkov. The vaccine was developed by the Federal Center for Animal Health
Protection, subordinate to the Rosselkhoznadzor.
"It is the first and, to date, the only preventive drug in the world against Covid-19
for animals," Savenkov stressed. His department is still studying how long the
antibodies to the coronavirus are produced after vaccination. "To date, this figure is
at least six months," he explained.
Mass production of the vaccine for animals, according to Savenkov, can start in
April.

Two cases less

In Russia, 8,275 new cases of Covid-19 were registered during the day, the
operational headquarters for the fight against coronavirus reported. This is two
cases less than the day before, and a new minimum since the end of September (on
September 29, 8,232 infections were recorded, on September 30 - 8,481).
The incidence rate decreases for the third day in a row. In March, the daily increase
of Covid-19 fluctuated at the level of 8-9 thousand. The incidence began to decline
in January, after reaching almost 30,000 infections a day in December.
In Moscow, over the past day, 1,286 people fell ill (the day before it was 1,291), 53
patients died (the day before 56).
The mortality rate of patients with Covid-19 remains high. Over the past day, 408
people died in Russia, and a day earlier, one more death was registered. On
Monday, the lowest number since November was recorded - then 256 patients
died.
During the year of the pandemic, according to the headquarters, 98,850 patients
died. Rosstat has different data due to the difference in the calculation method:
according to the department's calculations, 200,432 patients with Covid-19 died
before February. 4,166,172 people recovered, and 4,545 people fell ill. According
to this indicator, Russia remains in fourth place in the world.

Should Russia wait for the third wave

On Wednesday, the discussion that began the day before about whether Russia is
facing a third wave of the pandemic continued. Deputy Director of the Central
Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor Alexander Gorelov
believes that it is inappropriate to talk even about the second wave-the first one
continues.
"The first wave is still going on in Russia, because the wave is zero - peak - zero,"
he told Interfax.
In the spring, the expert does not expect an increase in the incidence. "Now there is
a phase of stabilization, there is a downward trend," Gorelov stated. But to zero
values, according to his forecast, the incidence will not fall.

"I think that we will not reach [zero] for one simple reason: children in the total
number of cases last year amounted to 11%, we do not vaccinate children and the
whole world does not vaccinate, because a vaccine has not yet been created, there
are still pregnant and breastfeeding women," Gorelov said. 8-9 thousand new cases
per day, according to him, are "serious figures".
On the eve of the Deputy Minister of Health of Russia Tatyana Semenova
provoked a dispute about the third wave of the pandemic, saying at the conference
"Week of Medical Education": "Now, unfortunately, the incidence rates and the
course of diseases allow us to talk about the third wave of coronavirus infection."