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Putin’s Bleak Covid-19 Admission: ‘We Don’t Have Much to Brag About’ Putin’s Bleak Covid-19 Admission: ‘We Don’t Have Much to Brag About’
(about 1 month later)
MOSCOW — The head of Russia’s coronavirus task force, Tatyana Golikova, assured President Vladimir V. Putin in mid-March that the country was ready to take on the pandemic. From masks to ventilators, she said, Russia’s hospitals had everything they needed to weather the crisis.MOSCOW — The head of Russia’s coronavirus task force, Tatyana Golikova, assured President Vladimir V. Putin in mid-March that the country was ready to take on the pandemic. From masks to ventilators, she said, Russia’s hospitals had everything they needed to weather the crisis.
“There is no reason at all to panic,” she said.“There is no reason at all to panic,” she said.
A week later, the head doctor of one of Moscow’s top hospitals caring for coronavirus patients quietly wrote to a medical charity asking for help. The hospital, he wrote, was in need of “disposable materials and equipment” to continue to serve the critically ill.A week later, the head doctor of one of Moscow’s top hospitals caring for coronavirus patients quietly wrote to a medical charity asking for help. The hospital, he wrote, was in need of “disposable materials and equipment” to continue to serve the critically ill.
“We’re used to always living, somehow, in the unspoken, looking through rose-colored glasses,” said Elena Smirnova, the head of the charity, Sozidaniye. “They can’t hide this anymore.”“We’re used to always living, somehow, in the unspoken, looking through rose-colored glasses,” said Elena Smirnova, the head of the charity, Sozidaniye. “They can’t hide this anymore.”
[Analysis: Putin, Russia’s man of action, lets others act against the coronavirus][Analysis: Putin, Russia’s man of action, lets others act against the coronavirus]
For weeks, the coronavirus pandemic had the makings of a Kremlin propaganda coup; even as Western countries succumbed one by one, Russia appeared invincible, recording fewer than 100 new cases a day through late March despite its tightly packed cities, global travel connections and 2,600-mile land border with China.For weeks, the coronavirus pandemic had the makings of a Kremlin propaganda coup; even as Western countries succumbed one by one, Russia appeared invincible, recording fewer than 100 new cases a day through late March despite its tightly packed cities, global travel connections and 2,600-mile land border with China.
There was talk that Mr. Putin’s early move to shut down most travel from China, along with an extensive testing and contact-tracing effort rooted in the Soviet Union’s disease-fighting legacy, was succeeding where Italy, Spain and the United States all had failed.There was talk that Mr. Putin’s early move to shut down most travel from China, along with an extensive testing and contact-tracing effort rooted in the Soviet Union’s disease-fighting legacy, was succeeding where Italy, Spain and the United States all had failed.
So confident was the Kremlin that it dispatched planeloads of aid to Italy, Serbia and even Kennedy Airport in New York, signaling that Russia had stockpiled so many masks and ventilators that it was able to share some of them with less fortunate countries.So confident was the Kremlin that it dispatched planeloads of aid to Italy, Serbia and even Kennedy Airport in New York, signaling that Russia had stockpiled so many masks and ventilators that it was able to share some of them with less fortunate countries.
But it has become clear in recent days that Russia is unlikely to escape a severe hit by the pandemic, presenting an existential test to the country’s teetering health system and a new challenge to the aura of rising confidence and competence projected by Mr. Putin’s Kremlin.But it has become clear in recent days that Russia is unlikely to escape a severe hit by the pandemic, presenting an existential test to the country’s teetering health system and a new challenge to the aura of rising confidence and competence projected by Mr. Putin’s Kremlin.
“We have a lot of problems, and we don’t have much to brag about, nor reason to, and we certainly can’t relax,” Mr. Putin told senior officials Monday in a televised video conference. “We are not past the peak of the epidemic, not even in Moscow.”“We have a lot of problems, and we don’t have much to brag about, nor reason to, and we certainly can’t relax,” Mr. Putin told senior officials Monday in a televised video conference. “We are not past the peak of the epidemic, not even in Moscow.”
Mr. Putin warned of overworked medical staff and shortages of protective equipment, acknowledging what critics said was long clear: that Russia’s health system could be strained beyond its breaking point by the pandemic, and that the government needed to do more to get ready.Mr. Putin warned of overworked medical staff and shortages of protective equipment, acknowledging what critics said was long clear: that Russia’s health system could be strained beyond its breaking point by the pandemic, and that the government needed to do more to get ready.
There were also worrying signs of the pandemic spreading outside Moscow.There were also worrying signs of the pandemic spreading outside Moscow.
The government airlifted a field hospital to an Arctic town near the border with Norway, where hundreds of workers at a construction site were feared infected. The town of Vyazma, 130 miles west of Moscow, was closed off because of an outbreak at a nursing home, and 1,000 people were reported to be under quarantine in a hospital in the south-central city of Ufa.The government airlifted a field hospital to an Arctic town near the border with Norway, where hundreds of workers at a construction site were feared infected. The town of Vyazma, 130 miles west of Moscow, was closed off because of an outbreak at a nursing home, and 1,000 people were reported to be under quarantine in a hospital in the south-central city of Ufa.
As footage of hourslong lines of ambulances outside Moscow emergency rooms ricocheted through Russian social networks over the weekend, health officials went on state television and confirmed that the images were real.As footage of hourslong lines of ambulances outside Moscow emergency rooms ricocheted through Russian social networks over the weekend, health officials went on state television and confirmed that the images were real.
“We objectively did not pay very much attention,” Ms. Golikova, the task force head, admitted in an interview aired Sunday night, “to how effectively the infectious disease service needs to be prepared.”“We objectively did not pay very much attention,” Ms. Golikova, the task force head, admitted in an interview aired Sunday night, “to how effectively the infectious disease service needs to be prepared.”
By Monday, Russia’s total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 had reached 18,328, double the level of five days earlier. The number of deaths stood at 148, a number widely seen as an undercount amid reports of other causes of death being declared for people who were ill with Covid-like symptoms.By Monday, Russia’s total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 had reached 18,328, double the level of five days earlier. The number of deaths stood at 148, a number widely seen as an undercount amid reports of other causes of death being declared for people who were ill with Covid-like symptoms.
The epicenter of the pandemic in Russia is Moscow, the biggest city in Europe, with a population of some 13 million and about two-thirds of the country’s coronavirus cases.The epicenter of the pandemic in Russia is Moscow, the biggest city in Europe, with a population of some 13 million and about two-thirds of the country’s coronavirus cases.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Mr. Putin’s former chief of staff, has won praise, even from some Kremlin critics, for leveling with the public about the threat of the disease and taking aggressive measures to try to slow its spread.Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Mr. Putin’s former chief of staff, has won praise, even from some Kremlin critics, for leveling with the public about the threat of the disease and taking aggressive measures to try to slow its spread.
On March 24, Mr. Sobyanin told Mr. Putin that the number of infected Russians was significantly higher than the official data. Days later, he ordered all Muscovites to stay home.On March 24, Mr. Sobyanin told Mr. Putin that the number of infected Russians was significantly higher than the official data. Days later, he ordered all Muscovites to stay home.
But the Kremlin continued to play down the seriousness of the threat.But the Kremlin continued to play down the seriousness of the threat.
“There is de facto no epidemic” in Russia, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov told reporters on March 26.“There is de facto no epidemic” in Russia, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov told reporters on March 26.
Under the surface, however, Russian hospitals were scrambling to prepare, with limited resources.Under the surface, however, Russian hospitals were scrambling to prepare, with limited resources.
Ms. Smirnova, of the Sozidaniye charity, launched a drive in late March to help hospitals fighting the coronavirus buy equipment and supplies.Ms. Smirnova, of the Sozidaniye charity, launched a drive in late March to help hospitals fighting the coronavirus buy equipment and supplies.
The 19-year-old organization has supported hospitals in the past, but typically in relatively poor, far-flung parts of the country. Never in her two decades of charity work, Ms. Smirnova said, had she seen so many senior big-city hospital officials put their jobs on the line by asking for help.The 19-year-old organization has supported hospitals in the past, but typically in relatively poor, far-flung parts of the country. Never in her two decades of charity work, Ms. Smirnova said, had she seen so many senior big-city hospital officials put their jobs on the line by asking for help.
“You must understand, a head doctor who says all is well is a ‘good' doctor,” she said. “If he says, ‘Things aren’t good at all, I’ve reached out to a charity,’ he is taking a risk.”“You must understand, a head doctor who says all is well is a ‘good' doctor,” she said. “If he says, ‘Things aren’t good at all, I’ve reached out to a charity,’ he is taking a risk.”
Working with Russia’s biggest state-owned bank, Sberbank, Sozidaniye raised more than $120,000 for hospitals across Russia, including nine in and around Moscow.Working with Russia’s biggest state-owned bank, Sberbank, Sozidaniye raised more than $120,000 for hospitals across Russia, including nine in and around Moscow.
One of them, City Clinical Hospital No. 52 in northwestern Moscow, has been relying on close to 100 volunteers to distribute food for medical workers and care packages for patients and even for help in setting up a new call center.One of them, City Clinical Hospital No. 52 in northwestern Moscow, has been relying on close to 100 volunteers to distribute food for medical workers and care packages for patients and even for help in setting up a new call center.
Inside, with the hospital flooded with virus patients, conditions resemble those of military field medicine more than typical hospital care, a surgeon, Dr. Aleksandr Vanyukov, said in a phone interview.Inside, with the hospital flooded with virus patients, conditions resemble those of military field medicine more than typical hospital care, a surgeon, Dr. Aleksandr Vanyukov, said in a phone interview.
Updated June 5, 2020
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications.
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested.
For now, he said, supplies of protective gear were sufficient. But he said he was increasingly losing hope that Moscow would be spared the fate of hard-hit Western cities, in part because residents last week seemed to be relaxing their adherence to stay-at-home orders.For now, he said, supplies of protective gear were sufficient. But he said he was increasingly losing hope that Moscow would be spared the fate of hard-hit Western cities, in part because residents last week seemed to be relaxing their adherence to stay-at-home orders.
“When everyone was sitting at home and carefully observing the quarantine, it seemed like we were managing,” Dr. Vanyukov said.“When everyone was sitting at home and carefully observing the quarantine, it seemed like we were managing,” Dr. Vanyukov said.
But if the current pace of growth continues, he said, “we’ll be in a New York-type situation rather soon, probably.”But if the current pace of growth continues, he said, “we’ll be in a New York-type situation rather soon, probably.”
“We’ll just drown,” he said.“We’ll just drown,” he said.
With the epidemic bearing down, Russia’s state news media — which is adept at playing down domestic problems — has started to acknowledge its severity. The evening news on state-run Channel 1 on Sunday showed the lines of ambulances outside Moscow area hospitals, and spoke of the “colossal pressure increasing with every day.”With the epidemic bearing down, Russia’s state news media — which is adept at playing down domestic problems — has started to acknowledge its severity. The evening news on state-run Channel 1 on Sunday showed the lines of ambulances outside Moscow area hospitals, and spoke of the “colossal pressure increasing with every day.”
The head doctor of the Filatovskaya hospital said it was treating 1,525 patients, despite a capacity of 1,350 beds. Another doctor said the hospital would enlist psychologists to help its workers handle the pressure.The head doctor of the Filatovskaya hospital said it was treating 1,525 patients, despite a capacity of 1,350 beds. Another doctor said the hospital would enlist psychologists to help its workers handle the pressure.
Moscow’s medical personnel, the news report warned, are being stretched dangerously thin.Moscow’s medical personnel, the news report warned, are being stretched dangerously thin.
“In terms of doctors, things are difficult but bearable,” a Channel 1 reporter said. “But nurses are in catastrophically short supply.”“In terms of doctors, things are difficult but bearable,” a Channel 1 reporter said. “But nurses are in catastrophically short supply.”
In a videoconference on the pandemic with Ms. Golikova, Mayor Sobyanin and others on Monday, Mr. Putin warned that things were getting worse, with the number of severely ill patients rising.In a videoconference on the pandemic with Ms. Golikova, Mayor Sobyanin and others on Monday, Mr. Putin warned that things were getting worse, with the number of severely ill patients rising.
He directed officials to take steps to remedy shortages in medical workers’ protective equipment and to share ventilators and medicine across Russia’s far-flung regions to respond to geographic differences in demand.He directed officials to take steps to remedy shortages in medical workers’ protective equipment and to share ventilators and medicine across Russia’s far-flung regions to respond to geographic differences in demand.
“All scenarios of how the situation could develop must be taken into account, including the most difficult and extraordinary ones,” Mr. Putin said.“All scenarios of how the situation could develop must be taken into account, including the most difficult and extraordinary ones,” Mr. Putin said.