THE DESANTIS FLU:

For nearly 20 straight months, Yevgeny Ryabov has watched coronavirus patients come through the doors of his hospital in central Moscow. Lately, most are unvaccinated.

The Covid-ward coordinator observes how the virus ravages their bodies and, time after time, he hears the dying say they regret not getting the jab.

"They usually give some excuse -- that they wanted to do it tomorrow," Ryabov says. "Unfortunately, tomorrow came today."

And the sick keep coming.

On commutes home, Ryabov witnesses Russia's largest city and the epicentre of the country's outbreak act as if there is nothing to fear, with bars, restaurants and theatres open as usual.

"You drive and see people without masks, people having fun -- both old and young -- and it's upsetting because you're working for them. Unfortunately they don't understand," he says.

"In those cases I want to scream," adds the 54-year-old, who lost five colleagues to the virus before a vaccine became available.

While the pandemic is receding in many Western countries, Russia's outbreak is worse than ever, with authorities saying the latest surge of the virus has spread at its most rapid pace yet among a population that is only 35-percent fully vaccinated.

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