Belarusian Doctors: People Should Stay at Home for a Month and Save Themselves

Doctors spoke about the Italian and Scandinavian experience of self-organization to combat COVID-19.

The COVID-19 BY telegram channel, which is run by Belarusian doctors, called on Belarusians to stay at home.

In an interview with Charter97.org, one of the channel's authors told the truth about the situation with COVID-19 in Belarus.

- How do you assess the situation with COVID-19 in Belarus? How serious, in your opinion, is it?

- The situation is critical. We have set ourselves the task of collecting and broadcasting all data on COVID-19 in Belarus. We started only five days ago, but the information is already flowing to us. We can confidently say that the number of people killed in Belarus exceeds the number of casualties in the war in Ukraine. I deliberately used the word "killed" because it is the genocide that is happening.

Figures are stubborn things. We do not yet have direct access to real statistics (apparently, this information is open only to a narrow circle of people), but even what we get from scattered sources is shocking. It is obvious that there is deliberate destruction of the nation by the creatures who have seized power. Calling them people is difficult.

- Where, at the moment, the situation can be more complicated: in the capital or the regions?

- Departments of medical institutions that have nothing to do with virology are given for COVID-19 needs. In the regions, we are already talking about the transfer of municipal premises for the needs of doctors. If the issue with the premises is still somehow resolved, then how to tell about where there are not enough ventilators? How to describe the shadow oxygen trade? And it's even harder to talk about doctors. These are courageous people who are now at the very epicenter of the tragedy. They are not robots!

You ask where it is more difficult... I do not have an answer to this question, but the Ministry of Health has it, which decided to pretend that nothing is happening. However, funeral agencies operate in three shifts, and cemeteries are increasing throughout the country.

- What is the role of the current government in the current situation with COVID-19 in Belarus?

- The answer is short. They are the culprits of the genocide. Traitors to the nation. Public Enemies.

- If you look at the international experience in combating COVID-19, what actions do you relate with?

- In Italy, a "People's Quarantine" was announced. People spent a month in an organized manner engaged in their own salvation: they did not take their children to school, did not go to work. There is also the experience of the Scandinavian countries, but the situation leads us precisely to the "People's Quarantine."

- Well-known infectious disease doctor Nikita Solovey said that the current authorities will be responsible for inaction during the epidemic in front of the Belarusian people and the court. Do you agree with his statement?

- Now the most important thing for us is to convey the truth to people! Yes, it should be that way. And how it will be - we'll see. I hope soon.

- You are making an appeal to stay home. How may this influence the situation with COIVD-19 in Belarus?

- Perhaps speaking on Telegram is much easier than in the real world. But what if no one speaks? We were gagged for too long, and we came to a tragedy, genocide, and complete personal lack of rights. We want to show the situation with the pandemic as much as possible and show people the ways of salvation, one of which is a conscious and independent decision to stay at home.

We have no right to wait. Physically, there are fewer doctors, thanks to the junta's policies and COVID-19. It is necessary to promote the rules of self-defense during the epidemic. We did not hesitate to join and support the two-week #covidfree campaign.

We are united in our striving to protect Belarusians, more and more initiatives are showing their active position on this issue: NAU, Belarusian Workers' Association.

More and more communities, activists, and Belarusians are joining the fight against COVID-19.

Only we can save ourselves.

We must unite so that the nation can survive! We once again take the fight into our own hands!