Moscow's coronavirus outbreak much worse than it looks, Putin ally says

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Source: Reuters

Andrew Osborn, Tom Balmforth
MARCH 24, 2020 / 12:55 PM

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The mayor of Moscow told President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that the number of coronavirus cases in the Russian capital far exceeded the official figures, as Putin donned a protective suit and respirator to visit a hospital.

The comments by Sergei Sobyanin, a close ally of Putin, were authorities’ strongest indcation yet that they do not have a full grasp of how widely the virus has spread throughout Russia’s vast expanse.

Russia has so far reported 495 cases of the virus and one death, far fewer than major western European countries.

Putin has previously said the situation is under control, but some doctors have questioned how far official data reflect reality, and the government on Tuesday closed nightclubs, cinemas and children’s entertainment centres to slow the spread of the virus.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-russia/moscows-coronavirus-outbreak-much-worse-than-it-looks-putin-ally-says-idUSKBN21B2F3?il=0

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Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia March 24, 2020. Sputnik/Alexey Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS


Funny, he doesn't seem to look very macho in this one, does he?

[C_U_L8R]

1. Much worse than they're admitting

The lying is much worse than it looks.

[Scarsdale]

8. Just like here in

the USA?

[Igel]

20. They're admitting what the numbers say.

You don't say, "We have 100,000 cases confirmed" if you've only got 56k confirmed. You may estimate, but one estimate today was that already 50% of so of people in Great Britain have contracted and have/or recovered from COVID-19, while the hospitals weren't swamped and death toll not in the many 100s of thousands.

That's their model. At least they said a serious serological study was needed to (dis)confirm their model. But their model is both serious and plausible, at least until it's peer reviewed. Then maybe it'll be trashed or maybe just loudly nibbled at.

[HarlanPepper]

24. So each of our state governments are lying?

Interesting take.

[BamaRefugee]

2. He won't be an "ally" much longer. You know it's bad when a crony decides he's gonna die anyway from

Covid-19 so he might as well start telling the truth! Poisoning, virus, what difference does it make now?

[Igel]

21. "Ally" does not mean "fellow traveller."

Allies are often those who see no point but to continue to collaborating for selfish ends, such as keeping one's family out of jail.

We tend to think of allies as somehow actually liking us and siding with us in ways other than just fighting a common enemy--and, as soon as that's over, like Uncle Joe, renewing the hostility that pre-existed the alliance. We feel betrayed, but the other just is amused by the naivete.

[cp]

3. Russian people have never had an easy time of it

[marybourg]

5. I was thinking of the suffering they went through

while I was standing on line outside the butcher shop - yes we still have a real butcher shop - for 1 1/2 hours. But when I finally got inside there was a nearly unlimited amount of fresh high quality meat available. So we’re still doing somewhat better than soviet-era Russians.

[Anon-C]

11. Very true, and they are an amazing people, no doubt.

[captain jack]

4. Looking smarter than Trump. I will give him that. But that's it. Has Trump been to a hospital? nt

[Scarsdale]

9. He will send

little Mikey, and Mother. Even is one of his own family is hospitalized, tRump will not go visit.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. He went to CDC media op & told TV that all the doctors said he "knew so much". On the record. nt

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Of course it does. I didn't trust the numbers when I saw the numbers posted for the number...

of Russians impacted by the CV. Definitely way way understated (like 37 or something, I laughed, and said 'yeah, right'). Russia and / or Putin has lost a lot of respectability by lying and still interfering in the affairs of literally everyone in the world (latest has been in Africa).

Perhaps its time to put aside these stupid 'political' games that rump, putin, china are all playing, trying to save face. I think right now, saving lives is far more important and we all need to work together. After all, doesn't Russia have extensive biochemical facilities, stocks, etc. that perhaps can be used?

[flibbitygiblets]

14. Same here. Why the fuck are these "leaders" acting like lying will work?

Don't they think we'll ask where all those people went? Do they really think we won't find out?

And what is to be gained by lying? Certainly not trust. Is it not "macho" to get sick? I just don't understand why they do this and how they think they'll get away with it.

[Scarsdale]

7. He looks like

Chicken Little! Is there enough material to assemble one just like it for his biggest fan - tRump?

[KY_EnviroGuy]

12. He's wearing orange in honor of Trump.

Pretty novel to see the most powerful dictators, autocrats and oligarchs being humbled by a tiny virus we can't even see, even though they have available massive human destruction at their fingertips.

KY..........

[mpcamb]

16. I think it's yellow.

Still a pretty good fit.

[marble falls]

13. You ought to see the protection his stallion is wearing ...

Putin arriving at the facility:

[flibbitygiblets]

15. Good God. Imagine being that sick, no family around, and THAT comes to visit you in the hospital

Haven't these people suffered enough?

[LisaL]

17. I would totally wear that get up on the streets if I could get my hands on it.

I am sure it's effective if Putin wears it.

[Yeehah]

18. Dictatorships like to keep bad news secret

Russia is no exception.

[moriah]

19. I am sure it is much worse....

.... though perhaps the fact it's a little too early in the tourist season for the cruise ships to have been stopping off at St. Petersbug for two day layovers. (Yes, I want to do a North Sea cruise, so I've examined them) has helped keep cases lower so far.

One thing that is interesting about the geography of Russia and the way things worked in the 5 year rampage of the 2nd Bubonic Plague... they suspect the original plague came from marmots in the southern Russian steppes/China border area (and may have been spreading there east into China from 1331). People who were heading east for trade had changed their routes, and the new route was going through tarbagan marmot's territory during a weird weather year, causing them to be more on the move than usual.

Despite the consensus that human contact with the tarbagan marmot sometime before 1347 (the "official year" it began in Western history) was the source of that particular plague that affected Europe, it took five years for it to reach Eastern Europe, and it wasn't until 1352 that it hit Kiev and Moscow. For reference, Italy was hit on one side in 1347, and on the other in 1348, so most cases were in 1348.

So despite changes in patterns and speed of travel (compare the speed the 1918 flu spread to the potentially 20 years it took for the plague to get from China to Moscow) in the intervening centuries, Russia is still not exactly on most people's tourist hot spots. There are also geographical barriers that make their southern border not exactly fun to pass/a frequent migrant route.

So I am not surprised their overall cases are lower, or that they think they have a false sense of security, enough to try to start an oil war now -- most of why our stock market is tanking, it ain't just coronavirus.

But I am afraid it may be too late even for them to start social distancing and it actually be effective.

[BigmanPigman]

22. He's offering to send help to Italy and other European countries.

I think he may need it for his own country and stop trying to make brownie points with NATO.

[rocktivity]

23. I'm shocked -- SHOCKED!!!

And I dare say that the Russia's numbers are artificially lower for the same reasons why Trump's were.


rocktivity