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Okay, so having previously denied any cases of COVID-19 - despite an spike in "swine flu" hospitalizations - the "health ministry" of the "Donetsk Peoples Republic" says 635 are under observation w/possible symptoms. (thread)
While Russia has kept its border open to residents of the de factos, the "DPR" is reportedly stopping people from going to Russia - including those with Russian passports, but no registered permanent residence there. https://bit.ly/39qBVKm ">https://bit.ly/39qBVKm&q...
DPR is reportedly also shutting down traffic with the neighboring "Luhansk People& #39;s Republic" - which also claims not to have any COVID-19 cases.
"I& #39;ll be totally honest", DPR de facto head Denis Pushilin states. "For a range of reasons, including economic ones, we can& #39;t afford to shut down businesses or announce a period of no work, especially as, I repeat, right now we have no one suffering from COVID-19."
Instead, he says, shops and markets will stay open, dining establishments and gyms will work on limited regimen... but only this weekend, after which they& #39;ll get back to normal. Entertainment facilities will shut. https://bit.ly/2WPjSLk ">https://bit.ly/2WPjSLk&q...
Like a lot of the haphazard steps that various governments, and non-governments, have taken during the crisis, these measures sound slightly comical. But a real COVID outbreak in Ukraine& #39;s defactos would be very un-funny.
The de factos& #39; demographics are an extreme version of Ukraine& #39;s as a whole. Disproportionately elderly population, suffering heavily from non-communicable diseases. In fact, the main reason many are still there is that their health prevented them from leaving.
They have rampant multiple and extra- drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR and XDR TB), made worse by the war. (see https://bit.ly/2QOBkfe ).">https://bit.ly/2QOBkfe&q... Anecdotally, an increase in intravenous drug use since the war began (Donetsk was already a hot spot before the war).
Before the war, Donetsk region as a whole - the most populous parts of which are now under DPR control - had 20% of Ukraine& #39;s HIV patients.
Today, as one health worker put it, "all our work of the past 15 years has gone out the window." Safe sex, risks of drug use = taboo topics, making prevention beyond hard.
Bottom line: reports that the so-called Republics have no cases of COVID-19 are almost certainly false. But it would be a whole lot better if they were true.
