The Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (CSP of FMBA) has developed a set of reagents “AmpliTest SARS-CoV-2 VOC v.2” to identify the RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus genetic lines “Alpha,” “Beta”/”Gamma,” and “Delta,” based on the detection of characteristic mutations in the S-protein of the virus by polymerase chain reaction, the press service of the Agency reports.
“The AmpliTest SARS-CoV-2 VOC v.2 is a test system that allows for identification of the most significant genetic lines of the novel coronavirus in just two hours, which is currently very important for epidemiological practice in order to understand the characteristics of the pathogen and to predict the clinical course of the disease,” Veronika Skvortsova, the head of the FMBA of Russia, said.
The FMBA notes that the share of the Delta variant in Moscow and the Moscow region has already exceeded 99%.
“This line is included by WHO in the group of the most epidemiologically significant due to the high contagiousness of the strain and a significant decrease of the incubation period. Other genetic lines continue to be identified: “Alpha” (the “British” variant, B.1.1.7), “Beta” (“South African” B.1.351), and “Gamma” (“Brazilian” P. 1),” the report says.
On July 9, it was reported that the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA) of Russia is ready to conduct clinical trials of a vaccine against COVID-19, which are planned for the nearest future.
