Medical Double Bind: St.Petersburg Delta Surge, Euro 2020 Match

"As a doctor, I am of course against the holding of any mass events."

"Of course we expect a surge in patients after such mass events are held."

Alexei Dmitriev, Mariinskaya Hospital, St.Petersburg

 

"People were going around, hugging each other."

"For me it was like living two lives in St.Petersburg. Probably there was a way to prevent what is happening now."

Alla Vitalyevna, head nurse, Mariinskaya Hospital, St.Petersburg

Finland played two of its Euro 2020 group games in St. Petersburg, Russia. At least 2,000 Finns are estimated to have traveled to the city, where Finland played two group matches. (Anton Vaganov/Associated Press )

St.Petersburg, the second most populous city in Russia reported over 100 deaths daily this past week, and on Friday it hosted the quarter-final between Spain and Switzerland, the seventh of the city's Euro 2020 matches. There were 1,247 new infection cases in St.Petersburg in the past few days, according to the national coronavirus taskforce. Two weeks earlier, Finland's team was in the city, as the least COVID-affected country in Europe with under 95,000 cases and 969 deaths. The Finnish-Russian border was closed from both sides since March 2020; St.Petersburg's population of over 5 million equals the total population of Finland.

Since Finnish soccer fans, some two thousand in number, returned home, health authorities have seen a spike in coronavirus cases traced to neighbouring Russia after exposure at the European Championship matches held in St.Petersburg. "All passengers who have traveled from St. Petersburg to Finland by any bus company [were urged by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare on Saturday to] apply for a coronavirus test."

 As soccer fans gathered for matches playing out at stadiums in St.Petersburg, doctors in the city were busy attempting to handle record numbers of COVID-19 deaths. Although some pandemic restrictions were imposed, including a 50 percent limit on stadium capacity and a mask requirement with restaurants to be closed between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., caps on the numbers attending public events included, medical personnel failed to be reassured over the prospect of burgeoning cases brought on by sport attendees' exposures. 

The fact remained that fast-rising virus cases representing a wave across Russia which authorities recognize as the highly contagious Delta variant and low vaccine uptake prevailed, and one city hospital in the red zone of COVID-19 contagion, had medical workers beyond perturbed. According to the World Health Organization, crowds mixing in Euro 2020 host cities -- with travel and social restrictions easing the number of new cases appearing in Europe -- had risen by ten percent.

The Union of European Football Associations' statement that it was fully aligned with local health authorities guidelines at every venue, strictly following their measures, has done nothing to reassure local health workers that the situation is well in hand. From their perspective the matter of COVID contagion and carrying on the games with minor restrictions is courting danger. From their hospital ward where patients are on breathing support, doctors monitoring lung function and preparing oxygen tanks, the decision to carry on was a poor one.

Dr.Dmitriev pointed out that people are suffering severe respiratory symptoms even though symptoms were different during the current surge compared to earlier coronavirus waves, as opposed to the present, where minor lung damage amidst a younger age range is occurring. Head nurse Vitalyevna spoke of her shock after a day's work in the red zone then moving on into the city where barely any restrictions were being imposed. 

Italy are due to face Belgium in St. Petersburg, Russia on Friday.   -   Ryan Pierse/Pool via AP

Over a thousand Swiss fans were expected to arrive in St.Petersburg for last Friday's game after the Swiss health minister warned soccer fans it would be foolhardy to arrive in Russia without first having been inoculated with a COVID vaccine dose. This preventive well intentioned when travelling to a city where part of its problem in battling the coronavirus is Russia's relatively low vaccination rate.

"I am not here to pour cold water on any EURO 2020 fan or anyone’s holidays."

"But before we watch our players, and before we all pack and go for some well-deserved rest near home or far away, it is my imperative to give [some] messages."

"If you decide to travel and gather, assess the risks and do it safely, keeping all life-saving reflexes of masks and self-protection especially indoors and in crowds."

Hans Kluge, WHO Europe Regional Director

St. Petersburg's Gazprom Arena will be up to 50% full for seven Euro 2020 games during June and July. Peter Kovalev/TASS