Asymptomatic Cases, Respiratory Syndromes Account For Majority Of Russia's COVID-19 Tally

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th July, 2020) Only 24 percent of Russia's coronavirus cases suffer pneumonia, while the remaining majority are patients with either respiratory syndromes or no symptoms, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said on Wednesday.

"Of the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases, pneumonia accounts for 24 percent, acute respiratory viral infections for 37 percent and cases with no clinical symptoms also for 37 percent," Golikova said at a government meeting, focused on to the epidemiological environment in Russia.

Russia annually experiences an upsurge of viral infections in September, which, according to Golikova, is because that is when permanently-interacting teams get together, such as at schools and universities as the academic year begins.

In the September-October period, Russian health authorities normally register from 250,000 to 700,000 cases of respiratory diseases, whereas the share of influenza in them is less than 1 percent, according to Golikova.

The spread of flu then accelerates beginning in the second half of December and reaches the peak in the second half of January and February, the official said.

"During the peak, health authorities register from 1 million to 1.6 million cases of influenza and other respiratory diseases, with the flu virus accounting for a 60-80 percent share," Golikova said.

According to the official, the epidemiological upsurge in Russia over the past few years has been starting from the northwestern, Siberian, Far Eastern and Ural regions.

As of Wednesday, Russian health authorities have confirmed 828,990 coronavirus cases, including 13,673 deaths and 620,333 recoveries.