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Some people don’t get infected contacting COVID-19 patients, expert says

It remains unclear which resistance biomarkers to the virus they possess, according to the expert

ST. PETERSBURG, October 27. /TASS/. Scientists have discovered that there are people who do not contract the coronavirus even after multiple contacts with the infected. At the same time, it remains unclear which resistance biomarkers to the virus they possess, Director of the Saint Petersburg Pasteur Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Areg Totolian said on Tuesday at a forum on healthy society.

"We cannot formulate yet what are the biomarkers of this resistance, but the fact remains indeed that there is a certain group of people who do not get infected after multiple contacts with patients, not simply with patients at that, but with patients who emit the virus," he said.

The expert added that this effect cannot yet be explained only by adherence to all rules introduced because of the pandemic and the use of individual protective gear.

According to the latest statistics, over 43,825,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 1,165,200 deaths have been reported. To date, 1,547,774 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 1,158,940 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 26,589 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.