Russia Detects Its COVID-19 Patient Zero, Health Chief Says

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKIY, Russia (Sputnik) - The COVID-19 patient zero, who launched the infection dissemination in Russia, has been detected, he emerged on March 1, and by March 17, Russia already registered 100 cases, Russian public health chief Anna Popova said on Sunday.

"Yes, of course, we know [the first carrier], he emerged here literally on March 1, and by March 17 we already had 100 cases. Now we are already talking about [the person] who was already disseminating the infection," Popova said in an appearance on the Rossiya 1 TV channel.

Popova noted, however, that Russia's first three confirmed cases that were imported from China had not triggered the dissemination of the infection.