At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the world’s most protected state leaders and still is, despite the relaxation of coronavirus measures around the world.
Anyone with access within a kilometer radius of the Russian leader (and there are dozens of people like doctors, Kremlin officials, pilots and others) must stay in quarantine for two weeks and take at least four additional covid tests. to other medical tests, including stool samples in some cases.
How does the system that protects Vladimir Putin’s health work?
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“Then it was my turn. We shook hands and I passed it on to him. [Vladimir Putin] Akhat Yulashev, a retired general from Russia’s Tatarstan region, told local media when he returned from a trip from the Russian capital, Moscow, with best wishes to all war veterans in our republic.
“Putin smiled at me. It was a big turning point for me!”
The 94-year-old general went to Moscow to participate in the May 9 Victory Day parade on Red Square. But because he would be in close contact with Putin, he first had to spend two weeks in quarantine in a Moscow hotel, which he described as “luxury”.
‘Unprecedented spending’
Image: GETTY IMAGES
The BBC was unable to speak to General Yulashev in person, but was said to be one of about 400 people who were quarantined for 15 days at two luxury Moscow hotels (one five-star and one four-star) before a close encounter. with the Russian leader that day
It seems that despite the slowdown of the pandemic and the advent of vaccines, Putin’s protective measures remain in place.
The Russian president commutes more often between residences than in the past two years, and the same goes for his close officers and medical staff.
Data from Russian state sources reveal that around 3.2 billion rubles (almost R$300 million) was spent on protecting Putin’s health through these measures.
Mikhail Fremderman, an Israeli doctor who lived in Russia until 2014, describes this scale of spending as “unprecedented.”
“From these measures, it is not possible to predict whether the Russian President is experiencing serious health problems. It is more likely to be security measures.”
Konstantin Balonov, a doctor who has treated severe Covid patients in the US, lived in Russia until the mid-1990s and says Kremlin doctors can be overly cautious.
‘Too many tests’
Image: GETTY IMAGES
Despite the passage of time and the weakening of the pandemic, the security measures have not been lifted. Even if the president is vaccinated, anyone who comes in contact with Putin must pass PCR tests.
New tests have also been added, such as antibody tests against covid, flu, cold and staph infection, and stool samples for some.
According to open Russian government sources, about 1,500 people have passed various tests since the beginning of 2021.
In February 2022, some Russian media reported – citing anonymous sources – that some Kremlin officials with access to the president had to send a stool sample weekly.
Open sources reveal that the crew and personnel involved in the transport of the Russian president also passed regular tests.
And there are many tests – PCR tests, antibody tests and stool samples. Putin’s air travel team has spent a total of $2.1 million on testing over the past two years.
In May of this year alone, they tested 1,376 covid and 98 stool samples, in addition to 447 blood tests. A significant number remained in quarantine for two weeks in hotels on the outskirts of Moscow.
A Russian doctor specializing in infectious diseases told the BBC there could only be a medical reason behind this “excessive level of testing”.
“These tests are unnecessary with normal PCR tests,” he says, adding that he is not aware of any fecal covid infections.
The doctor says critically ill patients are often tested for other infections, greatly reducing contact with the outside world, but only when they’re about to undergo surgery.
He says all these tests are probably not based on medical science, but rather an attempt by low-level employees to “compliment their boss – show they’ve thought of everything.”
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medical team
In March 2021, the Kremlin announced that President Putin had been vaccinated. Later, it was announced that the Russian-made vaccine, Sputnik V, was used. Vaccine testing processes were questioned by many experts outside of Russia.
After the vaccination, Putin began traveling around the country more often, staying at his residences outside Moscow. Doctors often accompany him on these trips.
The BBC, analyzing open Russian government sources, found that up to four doctors accompanied President Putin on his visits to his holiday home on beautiful Lake Uzhyn, 400 kilometers northwest of Moscow. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on accommodation for medical personnel.
There is also data showing that doctors accompanied Putin on his trips to another residence in Sochi, in southern Russia.
The BBC found that a team of doctors accompanied the Russian president as he attended business forums in St Petersburg and Vladivostok. The latter is a major logistical challenge, as Vladivostok is in Russia’s Far East, which is an 11-hour flight from Moscow.
Independent Russian media reported that some Kremlin employees are quarantined in individual hotel rooms for up to 150 days a year.
How does this compare to other countries?
Israeli doctor Mikhail Fremderman said the current Covid measures in Israel are the same for ordinary citizens as they are for the head of government. No additional measurement or testing is required. The Israeli prime minister is accompanied by doctors, but only on trips abroad.
Doctor Konstantin Balonov says he has never heard of anyone testing for covid through stool samples, and the only test he knows is PCR or antigen.
Balonov said his sources familiar with White House medical protocols confirmed that no tests or quarantines could be administered to media professionals, although journalists attending press conferences at the White House at the start of the pandemic were required to present negative test results. covid and wear mask.
– Text originally published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62219383
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source: Noticias
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