Russian Officials Deny Claims Of Mystery Virus Amid Reports Of Persistent Illnesses
Russian health authorities have firmly denied the presence of a mysterious virus in the country, following reports of unusual illnesses across multiple cities.
On March 29, Russian breaking news channel SHOT claimed that some patients exhibited symptoms such as high fever, severe coughing and body aches lasting several weeks.
Tests reportedly ruled out influenza A, influenza B, and SARS-CoV-2, raising speculation about an unidentified virus.
Adding to the speculation, reports have described concerning symptoms such as coughing up blood in severe cases. The severity of these symptoms has heightened public concern and prompted questions about the nature of the illness.
Medical records described the cases as “acute upper respiratory tract infection of unspecified origin.” This classification has led to speculation about potential new pathogens, though Rospotrebnadzor, the federal health agency, insists the epidemiological situation is stable and fully controlled.
The agency emphasized that ongoing genomic surveillance had detected no new viruses or significant mutations.
Gennady Onishchenko of the Russian Academy of Sciences urged caution in drawing premature conclusions. “We must avoid hype and focus on study findings. It’s crucial to identify where these cases occurred before making assumptions,” he was quoted as saying by Russian news outlet TASS.
Rospotrebnadzor noted a decline in the overall incidence of respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, reaffirming the stability of the situation.
According to News18, officials also confirmed that Moscow remains unaffected by any unusual spikes in infections, reinforcing their confidence in the monitoring systems in place.
