Coronavirus in Moscow: Situation goes out of control

A Russian man, who arrived in Moscow from Italy, was diagnosed with the new coronavirus, representatives of the headquarters for Covid-19 monitoring and control said. The man remains in satisfactory condition.

"According to the epidemiological investigation, it was established that the young man fell ill on 02.21.2020 while on vacation in Italy," officials said.

He returned to Russia on February 23, and on February 27 he went to the clinic complaining of  symptoms of respiratory infection. From the polyclinic, the man was hospitalized to the infectious diseases hospital.

Most likely, it goes about David Berov, an employee of the Russian Football Union, who arrived in Moscow from Milan. The persons, with whom the man traveled to Italy and communicated with upon his return to Russia have been put under medical supervision either at hospitals or at homes.

It was reported, however, that coronavirus patients were accommodated at Moscow's Hospital for Infectious Diseases No.1 at general wards. It was said that the patients supposedly wear common protection masks and have to take all precaution measures themselves.

On February 29, Anna Popova, the Head of Rospotrebnadzor, called on all Russians not to travel abroad or reduce their stay abroad because of the outbreak of coronavirus infection. She recommended following basic rules for fighting the infection:

• keep hands and all gadgets clean
• rinse face and your nose during the day
• wear a mask when visiting public places and when traveling in public transport.

At the same time, Popova said that there were no grounds for introducing mandatory quarantine for those arriving from Italy. "The country is large, and no one in the world has yet introduced such measures, there is no epidemiological basis for this either. One needs to go to the medical institution at one's place of residence, and you should be taken under medical supervision, " she said.

20,000 infected with coronavirus in Moscow

The Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia Tatyana Moskalkova urged everyone not to panic and not to spread rumors about the infection of 20,000 people in Moscow with coronavirus, which they supposedly silence not to disrupt the voting on amendments to the Russian Constitution. "If you are afraid and want to play it safe, go and take your children to the doctor," Moskalkova wrote on рук Instagram account.

Representatives for the Moscow headquarters for monitoring the situation with the spread of the coronavirus said that between January 24 and February 28, as many as 204 people were hospitalized with suspected coronavirus, but the virus was not confirmed with any of those patients.

Until recently, only two confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Russia were reported: both patients were Chinese citizens, who received treatment and were discharged in February.

According to opinion polls, 33% of Russians are not afraid to become infected with the coronavirus, while 35% are rather not afraid. Only eleven percent of respondents said that they were concerned about the situation with the new dangerous infection.

To protect themselves from infection, those surveyed who are worried about their health said that they began to carefully watch their personal hygiene, they try not to go outside, reduce communication with others, buy antiviral drugs and stopped ordering goods from online stores in China.