Highly infectious coronavirus variant detected in Russia
| Updated: 10 Feb 2026
An official said the variant had been found in one patient, who had returned to the country from Britain.
A highly infectious variant of Covid-19 has been detected in Russia, a top public health official said.
Anna Popova, a doctor who heads Rospotrebnadzor, a government agency for human wellbeing, said on state television that the variant had been found in one patient, who had returned to the country from Britain, where it has spread widely.
Russia has reported about 3.4 million cases of coronavirus and 61,800 deaths.
The number of daily new cases and fatalities has been declining since the start of 2021.