How The Authorities of Poland and Belarus Fight Coronavirus

• 12.03.2020, 11:04

Is it possible to stop the epidemic without quarantine?

Сharter97.org is informed that the Belarusian authorities have warned the heads of medical institutions about the criminal responsibility for the dissemination of information about coronavirus, "in order not to touch off panic and destabilize the situation in the country". Earlier, the Belarusian authorities had early ceased quarantine at BNTU. Coronavirus-positive cases were identified there. Minister of Health of Belarus Uladzimir Karanik said that his ministry "assesses the risk of severe forms of disease as not very high". The head of the Ministry of Health also stated about "special advantages of Belarus in the fight against coronavirus".

The editorial staff of Charter97.org is working from Warsaw and we have the opportunity to compare how the authorities of Poland and Belarus are fighting a possible coronavirus epidemic and inform the population.

All the leading Polish TV channels almost around the clock broadcast programs with the participation of the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Health, Minister of Education, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Poland and other leading medical specialists; the main topic is the fight against the coronavirus epidemic.

Yesterday, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, held a meeting of the National Security Council with opposition leaders to discuss specific quarantine measures.

Today, Poland has closed all educational institutions, including nurseries, kindergartens, schools, lyceums and universities for two weeks. Cultural institutions - museums, theatres, cinemas, houses of culture, pensioners' clubs - have also been closed. All sports events are held without spectators' participation. Since 10 March, diagnostic quarantine measures have been introduced at all borders of Poland for all those entering the country.

We do not want to politicize the problem, but the actions of the authorities of democratic Poland and dictatorial Belarus to protect their citizens differ drastically.

That is why the editorial board decided to provide the readers of Charter97.org with some information of the Polish authorities and leading medical specialists.

Coronavirus-related death rate

Why are leaders of all countries taking unprecedented action against the coronavirus? Many media have previously reported that the mortality rate from the new coronavirus is "about as high as from ordinary flu". It is not. In February 2020, 830 thousand people in Poland got flu. 23 died. In Italy, the coronavirus infected 10,000 people. 660 died. These figures show that the mortality rate from coronavirus is hundreds of times higher.

Elderly people are at risk...

According to recent data, the coronavirus-related deaths in Italy are between 0.2 and 1.2% in the age group under 50 years;

50-60 years - 2%;

60-70 years - 15%;

70-80 years - 35%;

over 80 - 45%.

Severe consequences of coronavirus-related pneumonia

Medical experts note that coronavirus-positive has pneumonia, the consequences for the lung tissue is very serious. Italian doctors say they have to make the hardest choices whom to save. Because even Italian hospitals lack artificial lung ventilation devices.

There are currently no effective medications to cure coronavirus. One can only help the human body fight the virus on its own.

Coronavirus-related morbidity and mortality is increasing

In recent days, several hundred people fall ill every day in Spain. In Italy, hundreds of people are already dying every day from coronavirus.

Due to the lack of a vaccine and effective medication, the World Health Organization and most governments consider quarantine measures the main way to fight the epidemic.

Between 30 to 70 million people could die in the world under negative scenarios of COVID-19.

These reasons made the authorities of Poland and other countries take unprecedented quarantine measures to stop the Coronavirus epidemic.

At the same time, the Belarusian authorities are holding the European Biathlon Championship with the participation of spectators, a mass scratch race in the center of Minsk. There is no proper control of those entering the country from abroad, and no control exists on the border with Russia. No quarantine measures are taken as a whole in the country.

The material has been prepared using information tvn24.pl.