ROME, Aug 11 — RIA Novosti, Sergei Elders. Recent scientific studies show that the coronavirus is weakened, it allows us to hope that the second wave of the pandemic COVID-19 in autumn, told RIA Novosti prominent Italian virologist, Vice-rector of the University of Milan Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Massimo Clementi (Massimo Clementi).
“back in may, our doctors have noted progressive decline in the severity of the disease, which hospitalized infected with coronavirus patients. It was not only about reducing the number of cases, but the reduction in the number of patients who required treatment in the ICU, in particular, in connection with pneumonia. At the same time increased the number of infected, which can be treated at home,” — said the Professor.
According to Clementi, such a major change in the clinical picture demanded scientific explanation, a search which took up the staff he headed the laboratory of Microbiology and Virology of the largest private hospitals Italian hospital San Raffaele.
“We did some research, which compared 100 patients admitted to the hospital 1 through March 15, and 100 patients hospitalized in the second half of may. It turned out that the viral load (measure of the severity of a viral infection, calculated by estimating the amount of viral particles in a certain volume of biological fluid — ed.) in the initial stage of the epidemic was significantly ten times higher than at the end of may. This result is very important,” — said the scientist.
“Until we can say this with full confidence, but most likely it is true”, he said.
As said the scientist, the conclusion about the weakening of the virus is confirmed by the data coming to it from a number of countries at different stages of the epidemic. He also spoke about a recent study of a group of scientists from London, who has studied the different sequences of the virus genome, previously identified in China, Europe, USA, conducted their analysis at different stages of the pandemic.
“In the end the British colleagues found that there are certain areas of the virus genome where mutations occur. We are talking about the phenomenon called homoplasy. This means that the virus is very plastic and adapts to human body by different mutations,” said the microbiologist.
Clementi’s called these figures as great news, having in mind prospects of development of the pandemic. “The fact that the process described above happens in all countries regardless of their geographical location and stage of the epidemic where they are. Everywhere the evolution of the virus goes in one and one direction somewhere faster somewhere slowher. It is highly likely that this process will reduce the pathogenic potential of the virus, reduce its virulence, as it happened many times before. Gradually the virus becomes less aggressive, it adapts and weakens”, — concluded the Professor.
Asked about the likelihood of the arrival in autumn of the second wave of the pandemic, Clementi expressed the hope that this will not happen. “If the virus, we believe, will gradually become less virulent, the recurrence of a situation that occurred this winter will not be”, — said the source RIA Novosti.
the world health organization on 11 March announced the outbreak of a new coronavirus infection COVID-19 pandemic. According to the latest who data, the world is already identified more than seven million infections, more than 404 thousand people died.
