Sputnik V vaccine effective against British strain

The Sputnik V vaccine is effective against the British coronavirus strain, Alexander Gunzburg, the Director of the Gamaleya Research Center, the maker of Sputnik V vaccine said.

"To date, it has been experimentally verified, including in the laboratories of our institute, that Sputnik V, the serum obtained from those vaccinated with Sputnik V, perfectly neutralizes the British version of COVID-19," he said.

South African coronavirus strain found in Russia

In the meantime, it was reported that the coronavirus strain, which was first detected in South Africa, has been identified in Russia.

"Twenty-eight isolates belonging to the British strain and two belonging to the South African strain have been identified. No isolates belonging to the Brazilian strain have been identified. In 16 cases, other mutations have been identified," the message posted on the website of the Russian consumer and health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor said.

In total, specialists have examined more than 8,000 samples of clinical material from individuals  subject to medical examination given epidemiological risks, primarily from those who arrived from abroad.

The South African authorities announced the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus late last year. The new mutation turned out to be about 50 percent more infectious than the previous ones, South African scientists found. The new strain can also be dangerous with the risk of re-infection, and the vaccines that have been developed so far are ineffective against it, scientists from the Johannesburg National Health Laboratory said. In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the increased infectivity of the South African coronavirus strain.