After having it under control for most parts, Russia is now struggling to the contain the spread of coronavirus as cases top 1,00,000 and hospitals become hotspots.?
While the country has seen just over 1000 deaths, a nominal figure compared to other nations, the biggest problem Russia faces is that its medical facilities have emerged as one of the main breeding grounds for COVID-19,
The numbers are stark. As per CNN, the country has 285 coronavirus hotspots that it is trying to contain, but a staggering 64% of those are hospitals. It has made the task even more difficult, and medical workers are outraged.?
The country's healthcare workers have been pleading for help as they say they are at high risk?without adequate protection, and it could cost many lives. As the?situation worsens, many have become more outspoken, sometimes risking legal action against them.?
According to CNN, one high-profile example of how bad the situation is turning out to be is, St. Petersburg's Vreden Institute for Traumatology and Orthopedics. Three weeks ago, authorities ordered around 500 patients and medical personnel into lockdown amid a coronavirus outbreak, with the local press dubbing the hospital "Russia's Diamond Princess" - a reference to the cruise ship that docked in Japan after a massive onboard outbreak.
Approximately, 300 people inside Vreden Institute have contracted COVID-19, Rashid Tikhilov, the head of the hospital, told the?state-run news agency TASS.??
After being able to put a brake on the spread of virus early on, Russia is now facing insurmountable odds to overcome the disease as hospitals are become the source of outbreaks.?
Yesterday, Russia's Prime Minister?Mikhail Mishustin revealed that he had tested positive for?coronavirus and was self-isolating.?Mishustin's diagnosis makes him the most high-profile political figure in Russia to contract the coronavirus.??
Confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, rose by a record 7,099 on Thursday, taking Russia¡¯s total to 106,000, with 1,073 deaths.?
Moscow¡¯s share of the total has decreased from 80 per cent in the early days of the outbreak to about 50 per cent, meaning the disease is spreading in Russian regions, where the health infrastructure lags far behind that of the capital.