Circulating strains of the coronavirus change more rapidly than the flu, occurring about once every eight months.

APA reports that the Soviet and Russian microbiologist Aleksander Gintsburg said this in an interview with TASS.

"We have been living in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic for 2.5 years, during which time the tension has changed three times," the scientist says.

According to him, the change will be about once every eight months.

According to the microbiologist, the changes in the circulating strains of the coronavirus occur a little faster than with the flu.

The expert also said that the currently prevailing omicron-strain types (BA.4 and BA.5) are significantly different from the first version of the strain.

"First of all, the consistency, the characteristics," Gintsburg said, adding that the symptoms were not very different.

Earlier, neuroscientist Pavel Khoroshev warned that people can become more stupid because of COVID-19.