Increase in COVID-19 Cases in Ukraine: New Variants and Recommendations

In the past week, Ukraine recorded 3,540 COVID-19 cases, which is three times higher than the previous week. However, these figures are significantly lower compared to last year, when weekly cases reached up to 15,000.

This was stated by Oleksiy Danilenko, Deputy Director of the Public Health Center, during a television broadcast.

"We registered 3,540 new COVID-19 cases last week. Compared to the previous week, this is a threefold increase, but if we look at last year, we were recording over 10,000 cases per week, sometimes even up to 15,000. This year, we have much lower incidence rates of COVID-19," Danilenko pointed out.

Among the main reasons for the rise in cases among Ukrainians are: a decrease in immunity (both post-vaccination and after previous illness), migration, increased travel, non-compliance with individual protection measures, and the emergence of new virus variants.

"We have identified new virus strains in Ukraine - Stratus and two cases of Nimbus," he added.

Danilenko emphasized that the new strains are characterized by a higher ability to spread among the population but do not cause more severe illness.

"Complications can occur, especially among at-risk groups, but overall, the new strains do not lead to more severe disease. In most cases, the clinical picture is limited to symptoms of the upper respiratory tract, which is similar to classic COVID-19. In some cases, symptoms like hoarseness and sore throat may be observed, but in general, the clinical picture remains similar," Danilenko assured.

He added that the new virus variants tend to spread more easily among children and youth, often manifesting as mild or asymptomatic forms, which contributes to faster transmission within the population.

Danilenko urged the public to follow these recommendations if symptoms appear.

"If you experience the first symptoms of illness, do not go to work. Stay at home, do not endanger others, and of course, seek medical assistance without self-medicating. We also recommend using individual protective measures in crowded places, especially when there are individuals with symptoms. Of course, these are the simplest hygiene measures - disinfecting surfaces and vaccination," Danilenko concluded.