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More than 20% of coronavirus cases in Russia asymptomatic, says official

Some 14% are in critical condition and show signs of pneumonia
Head of Russia’s consumer watchdog Anna Popova  Alexander Astafiev/Russian Government Press Office/TASS
Head of Russia’s consumer watchdog Anna Popova
© Alexander Astafiev/Russian Government Press Office/TASS

MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. In Russia, more than 20% of people who tested positive for coronavirus do not show any symptoms, while 14% of cases are diagnosed with pneumonia, head of Russia’s consumer watchdog Anna Popova told reporters on Wednesday.

"As of today, we have a large share of people who show no symptoms among those identified through testing. Today it is more than 20% of those who we identified, they don’t have any symptoms, while only 14% are in critical condition and show signs of pneumonia," she said.

Popova stressed that there will be enough hospital beds for all patients, and everyone will be provided with qualified medical care.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in more than 160 countries, including Russia

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. To date, more than 850,000 people have been infected worldwide and over 42,000 deaths have been reported.

So far, a total of 2,777 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 190 patients having recovered from the illness. The country’s latest data indicates 24 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public informed about the coronavirus situation.