7 days. 7 consecutive days that Russia registers more than 10,000 additional cases of new coronavirus bringing the total to almost 200,000. The largest country in the world now has 198,676 detected cases, including 10,817 identified in 24 hours, according to the authorities.
Among the positive cases, there is one that makes the headlines in the newspapers in Russia. That of Prime Minister Mikhail Michoustin, who was hospitalized after announcing April 30 that he is positive for the coronavirus. He appeared for the first time on television since this announcement.
Low mortality rate questions
Russia is now the fifth most affected country in terms of contamination, behind the United States, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. However, for weeks, Russia has hardly communicated on the covid-19. But in recent days, due to the disturbing increase in positive cases, attention has been focused on the nation of Vladimir Putin.
Attention and a question: how does a country so big with so many infected “only” 1,827 dead, more than half of whom in Moscow which extended its confinement until May 31? This corresponds to a mortality rate of 0.9%. “Incredible “,” Unreliable“say some specialists. For comparison, Germany, with the health system often praised for its effective response to the crisis, has a mortality rate of 4.2%.
Free home tests
The Ministry of Health and the health agency Rospotrebnadzor have justified these results in quick succession this week, highlighting the rapidity of the Russian response to the epidemic. In a press release, Rospotrebnadzor noted in particular that “Russia is in 2nd place in the world in number of tests: more than 4.46 million”. – 5.2 million according to the count on Saturday -. For the agency, they “have made it possible to detect and isolate patients with mild forms as well as asymptomatic carriers in a timely manner, which considerably reduces the circulation of the virus among the population and certain groups at risk”.
If doubts have been expressed about their reliability, the tests are accessible to all, via private laboratories. Since the end of April, the giant of new technologies Yandex has even offered to make them for free at home. However, carrying out more tests makes it possible to count more patients and automatically lowers the mortality statistics.
In addition to its screening policy, Russia explains the low mortality by health measures taken very early, such as the closing of borders and the confinement of the populations deemed to be most at risk.
Covid-19 deaths not counted?
The case of Anastasia Petrova, a 36-year-old journalist who died on March 31 in Perm (Urals), is not isolated. Just over five weeks ago, his death was called “double pneumonia”. A relative, aware of Anastasia’s coronavirus contamination, is forcing authorities to review the cause of death. In the Russian press in recent days, these testimonies are multiplying. Would Russia hide its coronavirus deaths? The opacity of the means of counting worries even if the country is doing everything to keep face, despite the criticisms.
“A mortality rate three times lower than in Europe”
Michael Ryan, the executive director of health emergencies at the World Health Organization, says “the Russia is probably experiencing a delayed epidemic. “Moscow, the main focus of the epidemic in Russia with 104,189 cases and 1,010 dead, extended the containment of the population until May 31. “Russia has done its best to get the epidemic started later: we closed the borders and started following the infected people immediately”, estimates doctor Evguéni Timakov, specialist in the infectious diseases and adviser of the ministry for Health. According to him, the death rate at the end of the epidemic will be around 3%, “three times less than in Europe”.
The real indicator will be the publication of demographic statistics. They will make it possible to objectify – or not – a significant excess mortality. “It’s not until the end of May, when April’s statistics arrive, that we’ll see the real Covid-19 mortality figures in Russia”, predicts Sergei Timonin, deputy director of the International Population and Health Research Laboratory. On this date, the controversy over the reliability of the figures put forward by the government may end.
–
