MINSK, 10 June (BelTA) – Scientists would like to study the susceptibility of Belarusians and Russians to the coronavirus, BelTA learned from Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Aleksandr Kilchevsky on 10 June.
The official said: “We have plans for at least two serious projects concerning genetics. The first one provides for studying the virus itself, its mutations in Belarus.”
Apart from that, Belarusian scientists intend to team up with Russian colleagues. “We have already made arrangements for the sake of comparing the susceptibility of Belarusians and Russians to the coronavirus. Because there are some differences. You may have read about it online that the Chinese, Italians, and so on suffer from the disease differently. We would like to study the differences together with Russian colleagues,” Aleksandr Kilchevsky said.
The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Russian Academy of Sciences arranged a videoconference on 10 June to discuss fundamental, clinical, and epidemiological aspects of the coronavirus infection. The social and economic challenges the healthcare system faces were also on the agenda.
Participants of the videoconference considered fundamental aspects of coronavirus infection research, the development of new technologies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, modern approaches to working out comprehensive strategic solutions for work in unfavorable conditions, new avenues of research of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Russian Academy of Sciences in the course of fighting COVID-19.
The scientists discussed the emergence, evolution, and epidemiology of the coronaviruses, clinical case management, immune system indicators, and the development of potential inhibitors using virtual screening methods, molecular modelling, and chemical synthesis.
