Virus: why Russia is breaking new records for the incidence of COVID-19
For four days in a row, records for the incidence of coronavirus have been updated in Russia. As of Sunday morning, 34 303 people were infected over the last day, 997 died. Most of the cases are in Moscow and the region, in St. Petersburg, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions. The incidence will decline with the achievement of a sufficient level of herd immunity, doctors say, loading to be vaccinated.
According to the latest available data (October 15), over 47.5 million Russians have been fully vaccinated, and this is about a third of the population. Herd immunity is still estimated at 45%.
Red Zone Diaries
The number of cases in Russia per day again broke the record since the beginning of the pandemic: on Sunday, the headquarters for combating COVID-19 announced 34,303 new coronaviruses. Compared to Saturday, the figure has increased by more than 1 thousand rubles. At the same time, mortality decreased, but not significantly: 997 deaths against 1002 the day before. Most of the COVID-19 infections were registered in Moscow – 6740, in St. Petersburg – 3323, in the Moscow region – 2759. The next in the anti-rating are the Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions, where 896 and 711 new cases were recorded, respectively. In Crimea, popular with tourists, the daily maximum of infections has been updated – 586 new patients have been identified.
Elena Kaledina, the head of the resuscitation department of the covid hospital at ATC “Moscow”, does not need official reports and figures: she sees that every day there are more and more:
It is an illusion that elderly patients with concomitant diseases are also ill. This is not the case, young people do the same.
In Irkutsk, the regional hospital will be redesigned to treat people with coronavirus. There are also children among the patients. According to the chief physician of the hospital, Petr Dudin, people of all ages – from newborns to old people – are ill.
55-year-old Yekaterinburg resident Innokenty Sheremet kept a video diary from the red zone.
– I lost consciousness twice, eventually woke up in a hospital toilet with a broken head. I feel crushed, even getting out of bed is a feat, – he said.
In the Tula minibus, there are half of those skeptical about the observance of antiquated security measures. Requests are deafened.
– I’m 84, I’m tired of living, so I don’t wear a mask. Everyone doesn’t wear it, and I don’t wear it, ”said one of the passengers.
The situation is similar in the metropolitan subway, as well as in other transport facilities, the Izvestia correspondent noted.
Incentive for vaccination
Portal “Stopkoronavirus.rf” posted a heatmap of incidence. It shows in which regions of the Russian Federation the situation with coronavirus is most tense. Also added a vaccination counter and information about the level of herd immunity. According to the latest available data (as of October 15), over 47.5 million Russians – about a third of the population – have been fully vaccinated. Collective immunity against COVID-19 has not been developed: so far 45% are protected.
Doctors unanimously say that the vaccination rate is solid. But vaccine districts, where queues lined up in the summer, are now empty in many cities. There is a sufficient amount of vaccine, there are enough doctors, there are no queues anywhere, but people show some completely incomprehensible fatalism, the doctor of medical sciences, infectious disease doctor Nikolai Malyshev, is perplexed.
– What if smallpox suddenly appeared again? It rushes like a hurricane and kills 35% of the population, cripples and disfigures others – important aspects of vaccination are important aspects of vaccination, senior researcher at the Institute of Clinical Immunology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Alexander Chepurnov.
According to the virologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences Anatoly Altstein, the incidence rate in Russia under conditions of slow vaccination may continue:
It is unlikely that the number of new cases of COVID-19 will increase all the time. Most likely, we will stabilize at some point. But the incidence will remain at a high level for a long time. The reason is the lack of compliance with sanitary rules and slow vaccination.
Anatoly Altstein predicts that in winter the incidence will show high values and will lead to large casualties if Russians do not become more actively vaccinated. The virus recalled that the Delta strain, which is the most widespread in Russia, is considered more infectious and associated with high mortality.
Against the background of the growing number of infected regional authorities, QR codes and other restrictions are being returned. This mainly concerns the operation of food courts, shopping centers, cinemas, and public events.
Among the measures introduced by the Sverdlovsk region, where from October 25, you will need a QR code to visit museums, libraries, exhibition centers, physical education and sports facilities. From November 8, you cannot do without a code when visiting theaters and philharmonic societies, concert venues, cinemas and cinemas, palaces and houses of culture, beauty salons, sanatoriums and recreation. The Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory also begins QR codes for visiting cultural and leisure facilities and sports events from November 1.
Anastasia Platonova
