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Coronavirus pandemic

Russia’s increased Covid-19 testing shows more carriers, but severe cases remain unchanged

To date, a total of 165,929 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia

© Sergei Malgavko/TASS

MOSCOW, May 6. /TASS/. The total increase in coronavirus infection cases in Russia has not affected the average number of patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms, the Russian Health Ministry’s Chief Infectious Disease Specialist Elena Malinnikova says.

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"Daily case increases across Russia total 7.9%. If we talk about patients with respiratory and pneumonia symptoms, this figure remains stable, with 51% of them as light cases, 38% that are of medium severity and 11% of them as severe cases. Therefore, the general case count has not affected the average share of patients with severe symptoms, although they are extremely crucial to national healthcare," the Health Ministry’s press service quotes her as saying.

The recent ramped-up testing for coronavirus in Russia has also contributed to the rise in cases, Malinnikova notes.

"If we don’t test, then we are only going to see obvious infection cases (medium and severe ones). Light cases and those with no symptoms will not get into the statistics at all. And they will exacerbate the infection’s spread. Testing has become more widespread across Russia, not just in the Moscow Region and St. Petersburg," she added.

The health specialist urged people to be more responsible and adhere to the quarantine in order to stop the spread of the virus as soon as possible.

"It is important to understand that if we hold out just a little bit more, we will be able to disrupt the active circulation of the virus in our country, the SARS-CoV-2 will begin to lose its virulence - meaning its toxicity - and it will become less contagious. Only then will a decline in the case count be possible. We will be able to come out of the quarantine faster and with less losses and return to our normal life again," Malinnikova concluded.

To date, a total of 165,929 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 21,327 patients having recovered from the virus. Russia’s latest data indicates 1,537 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.

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