Rospotrebnadzor answered the main questions about Kraken strain

Rospotrebnadzor posted on its website answers to common questions about the Kraken strain of coronavirus infection.

Recall that at the beginning of the year, the supervisory authority assured that the Kraken was not registered in Russia. As reported by the Bashinform News Agency, the strain is actively spreading in the United States and is expected to dominate in Europe. In Russia, the share of diseases with Omicron Stealth and South African strains is growing. At the same time, Rospotrebnadzor warns that the Kraken is more contagious.

The agency has collected seven top questions about the Kraken strain and answered them.

The Kraken strain is a variant of XBB.1.5 and is a "recombinant" line of Omicron.

The XBB.1.5 strain differs from other variants of Omicron in that, due to the mutation of the virus, its spread rate is significantly higher than that of all previous strains.

The danger of the Kraken is that this coronavirus variant does not have an increased lethality and is not more difficult to carry than others. Still, it is more contagious and spreads rapidly.

The Kraken, like other SARS, is transmitted by airborne droplets.

At risk, as in the case of other strains, are children, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases.

There is a possibility of a Kraken appearing in Russia since the country’s borders are open, planes are flying, and people are actively moving and “exchanging” viruses.

How to protect yourself? Almost every person currently has some immune protection against the coronavirus. Therefore, Rospotrebnadzor urges not to be afraid of new strains, but it is important to observe the personal sanitary safety measures that everyone has known since the pandemic’s beginning.

We add that while the Kraken has been identified in 25 countries, the number of infections caused by it is growing. The WHO expects new waves of disease worldwide but believes this will not lead to recent deaths.

Author: Eduard Kuskarbekov