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Russia still not through with first wave of COVID-19, watchdog says

The epidemic process is developing as a continuation of the first wave, according to the expert

MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. Russia today is witnessing a continuation of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. A second wave is not the point at issue, the deputy director for science at the Central Institute of Epidemiology under the consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, Alexander Gorelov, told the media on Friday.

"The pandemic is still there. No second wave is on the agenda. The epidemic curve, the epidemic process is developing as a continuation of the first wave," he said.

What makes the current situation very unusual is that the epidemics of ordinary flu and the novel coronavirus infection may overlap.

"The real scenario is still anyone’s guess. It remains to be seen, if the flu and coronavirus reinforce each other, have no effect on each other, or weaken each other. Time will tell," he said, adding that vaccination against flu remained as important as ever.