OREANDA-NEWS. At the Chumakov Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, they are checking how the KoviVac vaccine they have developed copes with new mutations of the coronavirus, in particular with the Indian strain (the delta strain according to the WHO classification). So far, the vaccine is being tested on animals.

"So far, there are no fatal changes in the phenotype that would prevent the vaccine from being used," said Konstantin Chernov, deputy general director of the Center for Project Activities and Innovations.

At the same time, he expressed the opinion that in connection with the emergence of new strains, the vaccination scheme will have to be changed in order to provide "more powerful protection" against the virus.

The scientist also stated that CoviVac can be used to revaccinate those who were first vaccinated with Sputnik V. "There are no fundamental contradictions here, even potential ones," Interfax quotes Chernov as saying.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the day before that most of the newly infected with COVID-19 in the city picked up the Indian strain, which is more infectious than the "regular" SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019.

Over the past day, 8,598 new cases of infection were detected in the capital (the day before that - 6,534), 4,057 people recovered, 92 patients died. This is the maximum number of deaths in Moscow during a pandemic.

Meanwhile, the vaccine "KoviVac" in the capital has ended, the registration for vaccination with this drug has been suspended. Additional shipments of KoviVac to Moscow are expected soon.