- In Russia, Covid-19 is picking up speed, it is believed that it has already exceeded the UK's positive numbers, that Vladimir Putin's reputation seems to fall among the Russians... It is likely that you will also have an echo in the EiTB news. But should we Basques care about the Russians? If you look at the data that really matters -- they can't send the Basques.
Everyone knows that Russia was to celebrate last Saturday, 9 May, the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Army's victory over Nazi Germany, but the expansion of the coronavirus has forced it to reduce celebrations, ARGIA reported in time. By then it was already known that in a short time Covid-19 cases have multiplied in Russia and the main media had announced that the popularity of Vladimir Putin is losing points among the population.
On Tuesday, May 12, it was published in the Guardian's Coronavirus Monitoring section: "Russia has imposed itself on the United Kingdom with 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 infection," he added. Do you surpass the United Kingdom in the dark ranking of Covid-19? No... because the journalist himself points out later in the text that brings in the accounts 2,116 deaths: In Britain until yesterday it was 32,065 ... For the reader's happiness, which helps to contextualize the theme, Guardian also gives another data: Russia has so far conducted over 5.8 million tests.
Russia has carried out 5,800,000 tests (and in time, because the pandemic has spread later), an important detail for the British. It has to have something to do with the very different outcomes that both countries have shown so far. An express comparison with the most representative quantities:
United Kingdom 223,060 positive - 32,065 deaths - 472 deaths per 1 million inhabitants
Russia 232,243 positive - 2,116 dead - 14 months per 1 million inhabitants.
In the UK, 14% of those officially infected with COVID-19 have died. In Russia, 0.9% of cases.
And the Basques ... How do we go about the Basques? See:
Basque Country 25,341 positive - 1,923 deaths - 605 million deaths per 1 inhabitant. Here, 7.5% of those affected officially have died.
Global experts have insisted that COVID-19 is as contagious as the mortality rate is relatively low (to have an epidemic). Russia is approaching the mortality rate that epidemiologists recognize the coronavirus. In Euskal Herria, the coronavirus appears almost 8 times more deadly. Yes ... "you see... because not enough tests have been done.
EITB explained that a couple of days ago Euskadi and Navarre have stood above the Spanish average in terms of the tests performed. A little consolation -- especially if we keep quiet that here COVID-19 has killed more than 1 million people: 606 in our country (and that is not to say the North, which has had only 10 deaths, otherwise the number is worse) and 572 in Spain (if with our possible independence the Basques would be discounted, the average would be improved).
There is no need to love the Russian system or to forget the massacre of Vladimir Putin in Chechnya or other abuses, while acknowledging that Moscow has complied with one of the main recommendations of the World Health Organization: Test people with COVID-19 symptoms and all those related to positives, perform mass testing. And on time, of course.
Our authorities need to know that if in Euskal Herria we have had 1,973 deaths, the actual cases of COVID-19 are far more than the officially approved 25,341. But without the public being clearly recognised by such relevant data… how can we manage with one hand the consequences of the pandemic and the crisis caused by it (really hard work, right) and with the other hand take political moves forward? We see it: bad.