A major scare over Vladimir Putin’s health emerged today as Russia’s top coronavirus doctor was stuck down with Covid-19 – one week after meeting and shaking hands with the Kremlin leader.
Denis Protsenko, 44, heads Konnunarka infectious disease hospital, which was visited by Putin last week.
The pair were seen close together and twice shook hands without protective gear.
Russian president Vladimir Putin (right) shakes hands with chief physician Denis Protsenko (left) as he visits a hospital for patients with suspected COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the Kommunarka settlement in New Moscow, Russia last week
Putin is pictured walking along the halls of Kommunarka hopsital in New Moscow, accompanied by the country’s chief physician Denis Protsenko (right), last week
During the tour, neither man wore personal protective equipment, in New Moscow, Russia last week
A meeting was also held in Protsenko’s office with other top officials including Russian deputy premier Tatiana Golikova, 54, who is in charge of Russia’s coronavirus policy.
The Kremlin sought to reassure Russians today by saying that Putin was regularly tested for coronavirus and ‘everything is okay’.
However, symptoms take time to develop. Putin is yet to been seen in public today.
Chief doctor of Kommunarka hospital Denis Protsenko,who has just tested positive for Covid19 posted on his FB page: ‘Dear friends, I am very moved by your concern. Yes indeed I have been tested positive for CoV, but I am feeling myself quite all right. I have isolated myself in my office where there is everything for remote work, management and telemedicine consultations. I think that the immunity developed during this month must be doing its job…. Stay tuned
Putin is pictured in very close proximity to infected senior physician Denis Protsenko (pictured behind the president) last week in New Moscow
There had been concern in recent days that security around the Russian president had lapsed in relation to the virus.
Putin wore a hazmat suit and elaborate mask when he toured the coronavirus wards but there was no protective clothing worn when he was in other parts of the hospital with the chief doctor and his team.
Chief hospital nurse Lyudmila Larionova said she was ‘shaken’ by Putin’s decision to enter the coronavirus wing which is treating 350 victims, and where two died at the weekend.
Protsenko, pictured with Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin (right), is still carrying out his duties, according to reports
Protsenko is being treated in his own hospital. He told Podyom media that he was still carrying out his duties during his treatment.
‘I am working’, he said.
There is no clear plan for Putin’s succession if the all-powerful Russian leader were to be incapacitated long term.
Putin has been either president or prime minister since 1999.
Little known technocrat prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, 54, would temporarily take over the Kremlin if Putin was seriously ill or died.
But experts forecast a raging battle between different secret service, defence and business clans at the end of the Putin era.
Little known technocrat premier Mikhail Mishustin, 54, would temporarily take over the Kremlin if Putin was seriously ill or died. Pictured: Putin speaks with Protsenko during the tour of the facility last week in Moscow
People queue in front of a post office, not following safe-distancing recommendations, in Moscow today. Russian authorities imposed a week long home quarantine to prevent the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which causes the COVID-19 disease. Eighteen deaths and 2,365 cases of the COVID-19 disease have been confirmed in Russia
A man wearing a protective mask poses at the deserted Nevsky Prospect in St Petersburg today. The Russian government has approved amendments to tighten liability for quarantine violations in order to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus causing the Covid-19 disease
One candidate might be Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, 61, who warned after the Kummunarka hospital meeting: ‘Nobody is safe.’
Putin’s spokesman on Sunday defended his visit to the hospital on 24 March.
‘He always prefers to see with his own eyes how things are going ‘on the frontline,’ said his spokesman and close aide Dmitry Peskov on national TV.
‘Putin would not be Putin if he did not decide to go there.’
He claimed ‘all safety precautions were taken’ – but critics dispute this, pointing to Putin shaking hands with medics and holding hospital meetings without protective gear or social distancing.
A Russian police officer is pictured wearing a surgical face mask in Red Square, Moscow today
Protsenko is an internationally recognised medic who was in contact with other doctors around the globe over Covid-19.
He said this week before his infection was known: ‘I took a very hard decision to stop talking to my parents.
‘I deprived myself from happiness of seeing my elderly parents.
‘I have self-isolated myself from the family.’
An elderly woman wearing a protective face mask sits in a metro train in Moscow today
He has been an open critic of the ‘British herd immunity’ theory.
He said: ‘What guarantee do we have that the herd immunity will actually start?’
He publicly supported extra protection measures saying it was ‘better to be safe than sorry’.