Omicron Variant, Russia: Sputnik V Vaccine Quickly Adapts Against Types Of New Coronavirus

Ilustrasu vaksin Sputnik V. (Wikimedia Commons / Mos.ru / М. Мишина)

JAKARTA - Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, if necessary, can be quickly adapted to deal with the new strain of Coronavirus discovered in South Africa, said the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, in an interview with the RT TV channel.

"We can quickly adapt the vaccine to the new variant of the Coronavirus if needed", he explained, citing TASS November 27.

"We believe Sputnik V is currently the most effective vaccine against the coronavirus mutation", he added.

Dmitriev stressed the importance of cooperation in vaccine development, in particular the possibility of combining them.

He recalled earlier on Friday he had held a meeting with his Chinese counterparts to work together on developing a vaccine combination.

"We are open to partnerships and believe that a combination vaccine is a good idea for humanity", said Dmitriev.

The first person infected with the coronavirus strain B.1.1.529 was detected recently in Botswana. According to a local radio station, he is a South African citizen.

Most of those carrying this variant of the coronavirus have so far been identified in South Africa. There are 77 of them.

According to preliminary findings by local scientists, the B.1.1.529 strain is capable of infecting fully vaccinated people. However, this is only an assumption so far.

As previously reported, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday classified the variant B.1.1529 detected in South Africa as a "variant of concern" of SARS-CoV-2, saying it may be spreading more rapidly than other forms.

Preliminary evidence suggests there is an increased risk of reinfection and there has been an "adverse change in the epidemiology of COVID-19", it said in a statement after a closed-door meeting of independent experts who reviewed the data.

Infections in South Africa have risen sharply in recent weeks, coinciding with the detection of the variant now designated as omicron, the WHO said.

"This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are worrisome. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, compared to the others (variants of concern)", WHO explained, citing The Jerusalem Post on November 27.

The Omicron is the fifth variant to carry such a designation.

"This variant has been detected at a faster rate than the previous spike in infections, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage", the WHO said.