New York Times: ‘You Can’t Trust Anyone’: Russia’s Hidden Covid Toll Is an Open Secret
The country’s official coronavirus death toll is 102,649. But at least 300,000 more people died last year during the pandemic than were reported in Russia’s most widely cited official statistics.
SAMARA, Russia — She burst into the hospital morgue and the bodies were everywhere, about a dozen of them in black bags on stretchers. She headed straight for the autopsy room, pleading with the guard in a black jacket: “Can I speak to the doctor who opened up my father?”
Olga Kagarlitskaya’s father had been hospitalized weeks earlier in a coronavirus ward. Now he was gone, cause of death: “viral pneumonia, unspecified.” Ms. Kagarlitskaya, recording the scene on her smartphone, wanted to know the truth. But the guard, hands in pockets, sent her away.
There were thousands of similar cases across Russia last year, the government’s own statistics show. At least 300,000 more people died last year during the coronavirus pandemic than were reported in Russia’s most widely cited official statistics.
Not all of those deaths were necessarily from the virus. But they belie President Vladimir V. Putin’s contention that the country has managed the virus better than most. In reality, a New York Times analysis of mortality data shows deaths in Russia during the pandemic last year were 28 percent higher than normal — an increase in mortality greater than in the United States and most countries in Europe.
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WNU Editor: The New York Times is reporting on a story that WNU covered a week ago .... Russia’s Excess Death Toll Hits 422K Since the Start Of The Pandemic (April 5, 2021).
7 comments:
As of yesterday, according to worldoneters the US was reporting 575,628 deaths from this. If this analysis is to be believed, maybe we in America aren't doing to badly. Afyet all the US is a much more populous country than Russia is.
While I don't know much about how Russia does things, it's pretty well known by Americans who are paying attention that our cases and deaths are vastly overstated.
We should be under no delusion. This is a very serious disease. Unfortunately the mass hysteria and distortions are not helpful.
Perhaps the official Russian government numbers are accurate and this "analysis" is a hit piece to discredit them. I don't know but I wouldn't rule it out.
No. Russia a mess and you try to dismiss that. Why? TROLL
BUT TRUMPIANS DO NOT BELIEVE CNN AND NY TIMES AND THE ARTICLE IS FROM NY TIMES!
Anon (3:12)
Your comment seems to be directed at me. Actually I wasn't dismissing anything. Please carefully read the posts before commenting.
I haven't been to Russia and know very little about the day to day life of Russians. Perhaps you do. Therefore you can say definitively that it's a "mess." Living on America it seems rather obvious that our country is a colossal mess. By all appearances America would appear to be a greater mess than Russia but, as I said, I don't have direct experience with Russia.
Perhaps the advice given to those who live in glass houses is sound. Don't throw stones. Perhaps you should heed it.
The media specifically the NY Times working in concert with certain US officials has in the past sought to stoke conflict with Russia in the past. To this end, they've been perfectly willing to lie.
Based upon the reported numbers Russia looks fairly good compared to the US. Now, as I've pointed out elsewhere on this site and on other places numerous times, it's obvious our cases and deaths are vastly overstated. As part of the anti-Russian message it doesn't seem unreasonable that they'd want to try and discredit Russian reporting on this.
I don't know if this is the case. O do believe healthy skepticism of the media especially those with a spotty track record is a good idea. I could go on.
You still have not enough smarts to stop pushing the greatness of Russia after telling us you know so little about it. Ok. Putin a dictator who wants to rule forever. The economy in shatters. The virus rampant and not enough being done to control it. Now tell us we suck but Russia ok and then expect us to believe you are not a Russian studge
Anon (6:03)
I see you still haven't taken the time to actually read the posts and you accuse me of lacking smarts. Had you taken the time to actually read the posts you would know I said nothing of the sort that you accused me of.
When the arguments are weak, you must distract. This is why you need to slander me.
"and then expect is to believe..." Who is "us?" Frankly I don't consider you credible. You haven't even taken the time to read my posts and properly analyze the context. This is very easy to do. Properly studying the issues at hand across multiple sources and taking the time and making the effort to properly analyze is hard.
Part of the problem with an anonymous poster is it's hard to be sure just who I'm responding to. Very respectfully at best it seems to me that at best you take short cuts in your analysis, you tend to put to much faith in sources that support your pre determined position, and you're to quick with the typing finger essentially meaning you tend to post replies without taking the necessary time to properly read and absorb what's been posted. All of thus is fixable.
At a minimum, take the time to read someone's posts before commenting. Do this and it's possible to have constructive dialog. If you aren't going to do this, please don't waste my time.
"Putin a dictator who wants to rule forever." This looks somewhat familiar. Think opposition to basic protections against fraud such as what GA passed and gerrymandering among other things. After all there is something that those who live in glass houses should not do.
"The Russian economy in shatters." While I don't have direct knowledge, there are sources that paint a different picture. Additionally WNU Editor has linked to sources that paint a more nuanced picture. What does seem clear is they have largely resisted the pressures to lockdown and take on massive debt to fight COVID-19. Additionally the sanctions seem to have little real support and are failing. They are having the effect of making people extremely angry though or so it seems. Not sure of the long range prospects for Russia.
As for the US, the editor has analyzed it very well. My analysis is very similar. Massive national debt additions and "helicopter money" and the costs associated with that and unless we change course our long range prospects aren't good.
"The virus rampant..." by the numbers that are reported at least we seem to be doing much worse. Of course those who are paying attention know that both cases and deaths here are vastly overstated. To make matters worse the only solutions where being offered are lockdowns that don't work and untested vaccines that if we don't take our livelihoods and our families will be threatened.
As to Russia's true numbers, I don't know. If deaths are 300K higher than reported, it's going to be nearly impossible to cover this up and sources more credible than the NYT and known government opposition would be picking up on it. Essentially such a claim will require extraordinary proof which seems lacking.
In contrast, if we take the stance the US government has taken which is to inflate the number cases and deaths this is more straightforward. All you have to do is reclass illnesses and deaths to COVID-19. It doesn't require covering up actual deaths. Combine this with a relatively compliant media and the deception is pretty thorough. The operative word is "thorough." It isn't complete.
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