WHO expert Maria van Kerkhove noted that currently COVID-19 continues to infect and reinfect millions of people, and it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of patients are in hospitals because of this virus. The increase in the number of cases may be due to the holiday season and the weakening of immune protection.

In addition, a new subspecies of coronavirus has appeared, known as VA.2.86., which was named "pirola". This sub-strain originated from the "omicron" variant and contains more than 30 mutations.

American epidemiologist Denis Nash said that a new version of the coronavirus can bypass the already formed immunity. All this will eventually lead to an increase in the number of cases.

He also stressed that "pirola" can cause a more severe course of the disease compared to earlier versions of the coronavirus that have been identified recently.

"What is already known suggests that this new variant may bypass existing immunity, which increases the likelihood of infections. In addition, "pirola" can cause a more severe course of the disease than the variants that we have seen recently. Covid returns - the world is covered by a new strain, more ferocious than its predecessors," the expert noted.