Simon Matskeplishvili: "There are several tens of thousands infected with coronavirus in Moscow"

The coronavirus pandemic on the eve of overcame the psychological threshold of 1.5 million identified cases of infection. Currently, 1,619,495 cases are known, of which 97039, or 6%, have died, and 365142, or 22.5%, have recovered. In Russia, at the moment, 11917 cases of Covid-19 infection have been identified, of which 94 have been fatal, and 795 - victory over the disease. The Vestnik Kavkaza talked with the deputy director for research at the MVU Lomonosov Moscow State University University Clinic, professor, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Simon Matskeplishvili, about the pandemic in Russia and the importance of restraining the regime of self-isolation of citizens.

- Simon Teymurazovich, for the second week in Moscow, he has been observing a regime of universal self-isolation of citizens, and other regions have quickly joined her. In your opinion, what place does this regime take in the fight against a pandemic and, as a result, the responsible attitude of citizens towards restricting contacts with other people?

- Today, self-isolation and quarantine is the only most effective proven way to significantly limit the spread of infection. All other measures we use — vaccination, specific immunotherapy, or complication therapy — are not always radical. The situation is also different in that we do not yet have a vaccine against coronavirus. Restrictive measures are difficult to observe, they are the most appropriate way to deal with a pandemic. It has long been established that the stricter the quarantine rules, the faster the spread of the infectious disease ends, the shorter the required period for which they should be introduced.

Alas, people, and not only in our country, but in the whole world, do not always correctly respond to recommendations on voluntary self-isolation; if this is not a direct order, they can be ignored. I understand all the psychological, financial and other life inconveniences of forced self-restraint, because of which people risk losing their jobs, losing money, and most importantly, losing peace - but they cannot be compared with the benefits it brings. Yes, now it’s not a war, not a natural cataclysm, but the virus is not visible to the eye, and there is a feeling that it is not there, and therefore there is no threat. But he is, and there are many of him, so everyone should protect at least himself. The self-preservation instinct should work. In addition, we must protect those around us, at least, our close, older relatives, neighbors, and friends. The only way to do this is to limit yourself. Personally, I am a supporter of maximum self-isolation up to the strictest quarantine.

It is especially important to understand that we can cope with a pandemic only all together. There can be no half measures when I limit myself, and the other does not. Therefore, my main message is yes, it is difficult, but it must be done, and it is better on its own, otherwise it will not make the leadership of the country or region, but life itself. And if a catastrophe begins, then, of course, everyone will say “yes, we were wrong, it was necessary to observe self-isolation”, but it will be too late.

- How do you assess the recommendations and protective measures that are now introduced by the Russian authorities?

- I fully support them! I, frankly, for tightening what has already been introduced. Now the authorities, including the president, governors and mayors, appeal to the people with an urgent recommendation "guys, calm down, do not wake up famously, while it is quiet." At the same time, unfortunately, there are many people who do not want to take the seriousness of the situation, they need to walk, chat, and lead a familiar lifestyle. Now it’s spring, the weather is nice, and many think that if they are alone in the territory closed to the public, then nothing will happen. Even more incomprehensible to me are references to the Constitution, in particular, to the right to freedom of movement, explanation of the illegality of the restrictions imposed. Indeed, our Constitution contains many rights, including the main thing - the right to life! I consider it absolutely irresponsible, or even morally and ethically criminal, if someone, by observing their right to freedom of movement, would endanger their health, not to mention the life of at least one person.

Now scientists from many different countries have become one huge team that is fighting the infection. Of course, we will defeat the coronavirus, and quite soon. But you need to be aware that it will not be the last in the history of mankind. Now we must develop common strategies to combat pandemics, because the number of different viruses in nature reaches 100 million, and we know only 6 thousand of them. We cannot predict which of them will “learn” to infect people at one time or another, which means we must be prepared for the fact that sometimes we will have to voluntarily limit ourselves, otherwise nature will limit us so that it doesn’t seem enough.

- Why did this coronavirus spread much wider than SARS 2002-2003?

- There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the real virus is quite contagious, and secondly, the disease has a rather long incubation period, during which unsuspecting and sensing, but already infected people actively spread the infection. It is also important that mortality from COVID-19 is not very high. If the disease, transmitted directly from person to person, has a high mortality rate, then the epidemic ends quite quickly - the carriers of the infection die faster than the pathogen can spread. And if the incubation period is also short, then the sick quickly find themselves in the hospital and isolate themselves from others, which also limits the spread of infection.

- How do you feel about the various conspiracy theories around the coronavirus, for example, about its artificial origin or about the deliberate inflating of the danger of a pandemic in anyone's interests?

- I believe that now these issues have no significance in comparison with the task of coping with the disease. We, doctors and scientists, are not engaged in conspiracy thesis, our job is to save human lives. Almost all scientists agree that this virus is natural, although today nothing can be ruled out. Talk about the Cynthia bacterium, supposedly helping the coronavirus, is outspoken delirium, as are many other versions, including its alien origin.

In the same way, I do not understand people who claim from the high tribunes and in the media that this whole story with the coronavirus was simply invented, that in fact the mortality rate of the population does not change, and the so-called pandemic is nothing more than an ordinary seasonal catarrhal disease. Dissemination of such opinions is unacceptable, they are even worse than fakes, because legal liability has been introduced for fake, and for someone to say, “I think you guys are just being deceived, and the virus is not at all dangerous”, to punish complicated. But people can heed this opinion, and begin to doubt, for example, whether to wear masks. Why limit yourself if only a few thousand people are identified in Moscow and the likelihood of encountering them on the street or in the store is very small?

- What could you say to the doubters?

- I can say with a high degree of certainty that in Moscow there are now at least several tens of thousands of infected people whom the doctors have not yet identified, as they have just begun to really test people. In this sense, what our scientists are doing is creating and improving tests. In general, the current situation has led to a huge breakthrough in science. But it is much more important that an even greater breakthrough occurs in human relations and in relations between countries, so that we recognize ourselves as a single humanity that needs to come to an agreement, deal with the threat and live together.