"The new mutated coronavirus in the UK is not a specific virus." The statement came from Alexander Shestopalov, head of the department of experimental modeling and pathogenesis of infectious diseases at the Center for Fundamental and Translational Medical Research of the Russian Federation, Interfax reported. The expert noted that the virus continues to mutate, but its pathogenicity does not change significantly. "The virus always mutates at a high rate," he said.
"Now the English version has been discovered, before that the Danish version was discovered, but in general, the number of deaths caused by the disease does not change, it remains in the range of 1-3 percent," Shestopalov said. According to the expert, it is too early to say whether a new variant of the virus may be dominant, however, the study of SARS-CoV-2 should be continued. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson said that the new mutated coronavirus observed in the United Kingdom is up to 70 percent more contagious.