Coronavirus again: what to do and how to protect yourself?

Not long ago, the world breathed a sigh of relief as COVID-19 ceased to be a global emergency threat. But doctors and scientists believe that the virus should not be underestimated. During the summer holidays, Covid “presented” its new variety to the world called “Pirola”.

Is Pirola dangerous?

By the beginning of October, not a single case of infection with the new strain had yet been recorded in Russia, which, according to experts, is only a matter of time, reports aif.ru. At the moment, the number of cases of infection with already well-known varieties of covid has sharply increased in the country.

Coronavirus infection can only be detected using PCR tests, since its symptoms are practically indistinguishable from those of a regular ARVI. In this sense, “Pirola” did not come as a surprise and causes a rise in temperature with a runny nose and dry cough, chills, headache, and body aches. In this case, the sense of smell, as a rule, does not disappear.

To treat the new strain, doctors use the same drugs — antipyretics, antivirals and cough medications, with the addition of immunomodulators and vitamins as needed.

If a person has been in contact with a sick person, doctors advise not to delay and start taking antiviral drugs that directly affect various viruses and are well tolerated. These include Amiksin, Interferon, Arbidol.

Scientists from around the world are researching Arbidol

The domestic drug Arbidol or umifenovir (the international name of its active substance) has attracted scientists from different countries with its great ability to fight the virus. It has been studied in different countries of the world, especially in China, where the pandemic began. Chinese scientists have proven that the drug has enormous potential in the fight against ARVI pathogens, influenza groups A and B, and also helps cope with various strains of the new coronavirus infection.

In the course of numerous studies, it has proven its safety and good tolerability. A summary of the scientific data on the drug was recently published by the international peer-reviewed journal Immunity Inflammation and Diseases. To date, over 450 published scientific papers have been devoted to this antiviral agent, only a quarter of which were done by Russian scientists.

Vaccination remains an effective means of protecting against coronavirus attacks. In addition, simple sanitation practices should be followed, including washing hands, rinsing noses and wearing masks. Some Russian regions are already introducing some preventive restrictions. In particular, wearing masks when visiting medical and other institutions and measuring body temperature at the entrance.