Environmental, biological and social factors contributing to new rises in COVID-19 morbidity in Russia.

Morbidity surveys in certain regions during the COVID-19 pandemic have established that the infection spreads in a wave-like manner characterised with peaks and troughs in incidence. According to the analysis of COVID-19 epidemic development in Russia, surges in COVID-19 infections are mainly driven by seasonal factors, insufficient herd immunity, and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants with increased transmissibility. The aim of the study was to analyse environmental, biological and social factors contributing to new rises in COVID-19 cases in Russia. The study covers the global epidemiological situation as of mid-2022 and the role of environmental, biological, and social factors in the spread of COVID-19 in the Russian Federation. The results suggest that new highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 variants and seasonality are the principal factors driving new rises in morbidity. The authors assume that the sixth and the seventh COVID-19 waves in Russia will be in line with the best case scenario, which predicts the spread of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with increased transmissibility and reduced virulence.Copyright © 2023 Safety and Risk of Pharmacotherapy. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 outbreak, herd immunity formation, and future public health strategies.

In Korea, where the successful control of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic have been implemented by the follow-up survey management (containment) of COVID-19-infected persons, the number of infected persons has increased rapidly, and a re-epidemic trend is emerging. The Korean government is strengthening epidemic prevention activities, such as increasing the social distance in the metropolitan area to four levels and increasing the vaccination rate. The public has been complaining of dissatisfaction with the atrophy of socioeconomic activities and of distrust of epidemic prevention policies. Australia started with an incidence similar to that of Korea, but its social activities are more flexible than those of Korea, where the incidence is maintained at approximately 0.1 per 100,000 people. In comparing the differences between both countries in terms of the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker Stringency Index, it was found that Australia effectively regulates the number of infected cases by high-intensity intermittent mitigation and the subsequent allowance of social activities. Korea has also recommended a high-intensity intermittent mitigation policy as in Australia until community herd immunity via vaccination is formed.