Belarus Shows How Balanced, Non-Sensationalist COVID News Reporting Is Done - the West Could Learn From Them

We'd never have locked down if the Western press covered it with as much sense

An update from the Belarus Telegraph Agency:

'6,050 coronavirus recoveries reported in Belarus

'MINSK, 9 May (BelTA) – As many as 6,050 patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19 have recovered and have been released from hospitals as of 9 May, the press service of the Belarusian Healthcare Ministry told BelTA.

'As many as 22,052 people in Belarus have tested positive for COVID-19. As many as 251,771 coronavirus tests have been performed so far.

'As many as 126 patients, who tested positively for COVID-19 and were suffering from a number of chronic diseases, have died over the entire contagion period.'

What a breath of fresh air this is. It speaks not just of deaths but also of the far more numerous recoveries, reminding everyone a COVID infection is not a death sentence.

It gives the number of detected infections, but also of the tests performed reminding everyone of the close correlation between the two, and also of the fact the infection is nonetheless not spreading like wildfire as over 90% of tests return negative.

When reporting the number of deaths it correctly and responsibly includes the piece of information that these are people who died after testing positive for a COVID infection but who in most cases had a number of other medical problems and could have died of any of them.

The only thing missing perhaps would be the number of pneumonia deaths in the same period for additional context, in the manner of this April 7 report:

'In January-March 2020 the total mortality in Belarus went down 4% year-on-year, mortality due to pneumonia reduced by 9%, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a government meeting to discuss the epidemiological situation in the country on 7 April, BelTA has learned.

'In January-March 2020, a total of 18,500 people died of circulatory diseases, almost 5,000 people – of cancer. In January-March 2020 a total of 254 people died of pneumonia.

'“We have a drop [in flu deaths] by almost 9%. This is currently our number one issue amid the virus outbreak,” the president said.

'The head of state added that from 1 January to 5 April 2020 a total of 860 people died in Belarus due to external reasons, 15 people down from 2019. “I will reiterate that flu deaths stood at 254,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

'The head of state said that about 400 people of the above-mentioned number died as a result of suicides, 85 as a result of murders, 206 people died in fires and 107 in road accidents. “Some 60-70 people on average die because of the above-mentioned reasons in the country a week. Almost 70 people died from 30 March to 5 April, and 13 – due to the coronavirus,” the president said.

'“I am saying this to remind everyone that apart from the coronavirus we have other diseases as well. It does not mean that we have to weaken the work on this major world problem. No. We have united our efforts in this fight and we must withstand,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.'

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