In Northern Italy, scientists have identified two different strains of coronavirus

Italian virologists have discovered two different strains of the novel coronavirus in the North of Italy, in Lombardy, which became the epicenter of local outbreaks of diseases caused by it. According to the Agency ANSA, the strains isolated in the area of Bergamo, one of the most affected by the pandemic cities, different “genetic sequence and a number of characteristics” from the strain that caused the outbreak in the district between Lodi and Cremona.

As said Director of the Department of Virology of the hospital “San Matteo” in Pavia Professor Fausto Baldanti, in the district of Codogno, the first city declared a “red zone” after the detection of the so-called first patient with a coronavirus in a local hospital February 21, studies indicate that the virus was already in circulation in mid-January. “It is found out by detecting antibodies in some people, which arose at the beginning of the year”, — said the expert.

Head of the Department of infectious diseases of the same hospital, Professor Raffaele Bruno pointed out that after the receipt of the first patients, it became clear that the therapy offered in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak COVID-19 was registered at the end of last year, did not have the necessary treatment. “We use more antiviral drugs. Whereas thanks to the use of plasma of cured patients, the mortality rate has been reduced from 15 to 6%,” — said the doctor.

Another interesting fact that Codogno antibodies to coronavirus was identified in 23% of the population, past serological analysis in accordance with the sample. Whereas in the province of Bergamo, this figure reaches 57%. As experts explain, this difference can be explained by the fact that Codogno and Lodi around 10 settlements was taken in the “red zone”, and in Bergamo the quarantine was introduced at the same time with nationwide almost two weeks later.