Photo: https://russian.rt.com/
The third phase of the epidemic is much more complicated. In this stage, the causes of viral spread emerge. That is, the contacts through which it was spread are still identifiable. In addition, there is the most difficult phase – the fourth one, in which the experts cannot even identify a source of infection.
According to official data, the novel coronavirus has already infected more than 1 million people worldwide. In addition, more than 50,000 people have died of it. These figures appear to be frightening even to those who watched with trepidation as the situation evolved in the distant Chinese city of Wuhan during the initial outbreak of COVID-19. Those people realized that a large-scale phenomenon of this kind would certainly escape China.Meanwhile, the situation in Russia with the coronavirus remains below the level that people and experts would call catastrophic. More than two months have passed since the registration of the first person who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in the country. As of the morning of April 9, there are 10,131 cases. Russia’s statistics on mortality from this virus is also encouraging and remains one the lowest in the world. The majority of cases are registered in Moscow. However, this is understandable as it is one of the most densely populated and wealthiest cities in the country, and many of its residents often travel abroad. According to the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being (Rospotrebnadzor,) the epidemic is growing in the country. Therefore, experts decided to explain how the virus is spreading in the country. Anna Popova, head of the ministry, said that any epidemic has four distinct phases of development. “At the moment, the situation is evolving differently in the Russian regions,” she explained. “Thus, currently, 45 regions of the country are only in the first or second phase of the epidemic. The rest are fluctuating between the third and fourth phases. To put it simply, the epidemic is increasing.”Anna Popova stresses that during the first stage there are only sporadic cases and a potential for further spread is monitored. During the second phase, some imported cases are recorded but there is still no active virus transmission. The third phase of the epidemic is much more complicated. In this stage, the causes of viral spread emerge: that is, the contacts through which it was spread are identified. In addition, there is the most difficult phase – the fourth one; experts cannot even identify a source of infection. Anyway, there is no explosive growth in the number of Russians diagnosed with the virus today, Popova said encouragingly. “For several days in a row, the growth rate of cases – about 1.2 – has remained the same,” she stressed. It is of note that last Wednesday, April 8, President Putin addressed the nation for the third time. He called on cabinet ministers and regional governors “to get ready to fight for the life of each individual in every region” and announced that medical workers would get 10 billion rubles ($133 mln) from the federal budget. In addition, the doctors who are in direct contact with coronavirus patients would get additional bonuses.