Features of the spread of a new coronavirus infection in the territory of municipalities of the Rostov region

Introduction. Since the registration of the first cases of COVID-19 in the PRC, due to the high migration activity of the population, the new coronavirus infection has spread throughout the world, including the Russian Federation. Aim. To establish the features of the spread of a new coronavirus infection in the Rostov Region. Materials and methods.The analysis of 81 cases of the importation of a new coronavirus infection by persons who arrived in the Rostov Region from abroad or other regions of the Russian Federation was carried out based on the data of the Rostov Region office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Human Welfare. The dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 in the administrative territories of the Rostov Region has been analyzed. The data of viral genome-wide sequencing (n = 155) carried out in the Rostov-on-Don Research Anti-Plague Institute were used in this study. Results. In the period from 03/21/2020 to 03/28/2020, cases imported both from abroad and from other regions of the Russian Federation were registered in the Rostov Region, , mainly on the territory of the Rostov urban agglomeration. The vector of the spread of the disease was directed from the administrative center of the region to the periphery. The emergence of a new genetic line B.617.2 (Delta) probably led to a significant increase in the incidence in the Rostov Region. Conclusions. The spread of a new coronavirus infection in the Rostov Region was facilitated by the one of the main social factors of epidemiological risk, the population migration, which led to the importation of the infection to the administrative center of the subject, Rostov-on-Don city. Taking into account peculiarities of the Rostov region, the largest proportion of COVID-19 cases was recorded in the Rostov urban agglomeration. Against the background of the dominance of the Delta variant of the virus on the territory of the Rostov region, there was a tendency towards an increase in the number of cases.