COVID-19 in the Russian Federation: Regional Differences and Public Health Response

This study presents a medical-geographical analysis of the SARS CoV-2 pandemic development in the Russian Federation as by August 31, 2020. In general, the initial course of pandemic in Russia was characterized by a basic reproductive ratio (R0) of 2.41 (2.22–2.60), which is relatively low as compared to most affected countries. A spatial regression analysis demonstrated that the onset of the epidemics by the regions of Russia was determined by their proximity to major international airports and connectivity of transportation network, while morbidity and mortality rates show a pronounced relationship with the population density, urban population proportion and proportion of the population over working age.