Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited

Moscow, October 31, 2026, 9:54 PM — Regnum News Agency. The risk of the new PJ.2.1 coronavirus strain spreading globally is growing. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported this on October 31.

"Since its first detection in May 2026, this variant has spread across several continents," representatives of the Russian WHO office said in a comment to RIA Novosti.

The organization's experts note that there is a high probability of this strain spreading to new countries. The main risk factor, according to WHO experts, is the increase in international travel and the movement of people across borders.

However, current clinical studies do not prove that infection with the PJ.2.1 variant causes more severe disease compared to other recently identified strains.

In September, Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova stated that a new coronavirus pandemic was entirely possible if a different strain emerged. Agency staff are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared for any scenario, she added.

On May 11, Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society reported that a new strain of coronavirus had been detected in bats in the kingdom. The threat of a human outbreak of the new COVID-19 variant was assessed as low.

Gennady Onishchenko, Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Education and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, clarified that it is necessary to monitor the new coronavirus strain discovered in bats in Thailand. He stated that the virus was isolated not by medical professionals, but presumably by Thai biologists. The discovery of a new strain is not a surprise. Onishchenko noted that science knows of 40 strains, but the actual number is significantly higher. Now, another one has been added.