The new coronavirus variant, dubbed "Frankenstein" in the media, is already losing activity in Ukraine – the surge in incidence passed back in August. In addition, all modern subvariants belong to the Omicron strain, and COVID-19 currently has a seasonal character and does not pose a serious threat. Virologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences Alla Myronenko told UNN correspondent about this.
Spread of the "Frankenstein" strain
I'll tell you this, in Ukraine, it was already here by the end of July... Most likely it was brought in, because it's vacation season, people are traveling. And this surge in incidence, which was caused by it, is already declining. We have far fewer samples and far fewer sick people than, for example, in August.
At the same time, she noted that the conventional names of the strains do not play a significant role, because, according to Myronenko, "it's all Omicron."
As it (Omicron – ed.) appeared in December 2021 and actively circulated in 2022 before the war, it then virtually displaced all other variants in the world. They are all in the past. Now there is only Omicron. And there are already many subvariants of Omicron, various ones: one replaces another, or, for example, several different subvariants circulate periodically.
The professor noted that this particular variant of the virus strain is characterized by a much milder clinical course of the disease, which in turn indicates the virus's adaptation to the human body's immune system.
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We recover because the immune system works. The immune system of someone who has recovered also affects, can cause mutations in viruses. And therefore, the more people are infected, the more altered variants can form and they are already transmitted from person to person.
This largely explains the large number of different virus strains. At the same time, new forms, according to Myronenko, can be oligosymptomatic or asymptomatic.
Symptoms of "Frankenstein"
They write, but this is information not personally verified by me, that it is: hoarseness of voice, sore throat, but it also passes quite quickly. But one must understand that until we have done a genetic analysis and linked it to the clinical picture of the patient, all this looks a bit like speculation.
In addition, as the professor emphasized, for a person, information about a specific virus strain they are sick with does not carry practical benefit. This information is mostly needed by scientists to monitor the disease based on a sample and analysis of rare and complex cases of its course.
Is the creation of a new vaccine being considered?
When asked whether the creation of a new vaccine, taking into account new subspecies of strains, is being considered, Myronenko replied that this issue requires study.
The thing is that the genetic material of the virus is constantly changing - numerous mutations occur in it, especially in those areas responsible for contact with human cells. Because of this, the question arises: does the pharmaceutical industry manage to adapt vaccines to new strains? For example, in 2023, almost two dozen subvariants of the coronavirus circulated simultaneously. Creating an effective vaccine against all of them at once is practically impossible.
When a very large number of new subvariants are formed and they circulate simultaneously, it is probably unrealistic to make one vaccine for all cases of life.
For comparison, the flu virus also changes, but much slower. Therefore, every year scientists track 2-3 main flu strains and include them in the seasonal vaccine, which effectively protects against the disease.
According to the virologist, vaccination against COVID-19 is currently not mandatory. It is primarily recommended for people at risk - older people and patients with chronic diseases. At the same time, Myronenko says, it is worth understanding that vaccine manufacturers are commercial companies, and even if the need for vaccination decreases, they are not in a hurry to abandon profitable products.
According to Myronenko, in five years the pandemic has turned into a regular seasonal infection, so there is no cause for serious concern.
The fact that some new, unknown virus may appear and cause a pandemic... this cannot be ruled out and humanity is preparing, but regarding COVID, there is no reason to worry.
Earlier, UNN wrote that in Kyiv, for the 40th week of 2025, 9,480 new cases of flu and ARVI were registered, including 398 cases of COVID-19. The incidence of COVID-19 decreased by 29.8%, but the number of hospitalizations increased to 113 people.