Russian doctor and media personality Alexander Myasnikov supposes that the real wave of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has no yet reached Tajikistan.
“Unfortunately, Tajikistan is not the first country to declare itself a winner of the coronavirus,” Russian TV doctor told Sputnik Tajikistan in an interview on January 27.
“There is well known situation with Georgia, which was made by Western agency an example of correct behavior when combating the coronavirus, and there was no outbreak there,” Myasnikov said.
He did not state what factors could cause such low statistics in Tajikistan.
“If really only 1% of the population is sick in Tajikistan, it means that coronavirus will come – they are not going anywhere. There was the first wave, the second wave will come, where the second wave was avoided, there will be the third one,” the doctor noted.
Myasnikov suggested that the real wave of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has no yet reached Tajikistan.
“Until a certain percentage of the population falls ill, COVID-19 will not go anywhere. 1% of the affected population is not even an outbreak,” he said.
Myasnikov, who frequently appears as an expert on pro-Kremlin pundit Vladimir Solovyov’s program, has become known for his optimistic outlook toward the pandemic in March. He previously predicted that it would be “impossible” for the virus to spread to Russia.
In March, Myasnikov forecast that the coronavirus pandemic would subside by mid-April, describing it as a “seasonal phenomenon.” He later backtracked on this statement and recommended waiting for “herd immunity” to emerge.
Recall, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has declared the country coronavirus-free, claiming there have been no new cases this month.
Rahmon made the claim in an address to a joint session of both houses of parliament that took place on January 26.
“Tajikistan today is without COVID-19," Rahmon said, adding that the "absence of coronavirus" within Tajikistan's borders did not mean that citizens can now neglect regulations such as wearing masks and social distancing.
He also said that individuals arriving in Tajikistan from other countries must be placed in quarantine.
According to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP), only eight officially cases of COID-19 have been reported in Tajikistan this month so far (five officially confirmed cases were reported on January 5 and three other officially confirmed cases were reported on January 10).
The numbers have reportedly not changed for already seventeen days – the same 13,308 people infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the same 90 coronavirus-linked deaths and the same 13,218 cured COVID-19 patients have been reported in Tajikistan as of the evening of January 26.
Meanwhile, Radio Liberty notes that findings of investigation conducted by it last summer revealed that the actual number of lethal cases of COVID-19 in the country might be several times higher, including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 patients.
