Vaccine Will Transform Russia’s Image and Standing in the World, Moscow Doctor Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, August 8 – Russia’s success in coming up with the first coronavirus vaccine will dramatically improve Russia’s image and standing in the world, Vadim Tarasov, director of the Sechenov University’s medical institute, says, saying bluntly what many in Moscow clearly hope will be the case (vz.ru/society/2020/8/8/1053907.html).

            With the announcement that a Russian vaccine will be registered next week, discussions about it and its meaning are swirling through the Russian capital.  One virus specialist says that it must work because the many who were in self-isolation for extended periods are now at risk of even more severe infections (capost.media/news/obshchestvo/the-expert-reported-new-risk-for-covid-19-for-the-russians/).

            At the same time, officials are having to counter rumors that the vaccine will not prevent the coronavirus but cause infections and declare on the central media that no vaccine has that capacity (vz.ru/news/2020/8/7/1053822.html). Such rumors are fed by reports that even Moscow expects a rise in infections later this year (regnum.ru/news/3031879.html).

            The central coronavirus staff of the government reported 5212 new cases of infection registered in the last 24 hours bringing the total to 882,347 and 129 new deaths, bringing that toll to 14,854 (t.me/COVID2019_official/1237). But Rosstat released figures showing that deaths presumably from the virus are more than twice what the staff says (znak.com/2020-08-08/rosstat_zayavil_o_12_tys_umershih_s_covid_19_v_iyune_eto_bolee_chem_v_2_5_raza_bolshe_chem_po_dannym).

            Beyond the ring road, the pandemic continues to ebb and flow with openings and re-closings following (regnum.ru/news/society/3028625.html). The government reported that only 6,000 children’s camps opened this year, far fewer than is normally the case, the education ministry says (regnum.ru/news/3031747.html).

            A small piece of economic news is perhaps especially worrisome. Sberbank analysts say that the pent-up demand that at the end of the lockdown has run its course and the small improve in economic activity in June has come to an end and is not expected to resume anytime soon (rbc.ru/society/04/08/2020/5f2938169a7947324c0043fa).

            And finally, today, in a development certain to alarm ballet lovers around the world, the coronavirus is spreading through St. Petersburg’s Marinsky Theater, forcing it to cancel or at least delay planned rehearsals and performances (rosbalt.ru/piter/2020/08/08/1857672.html).