# Are there any nations that aren't taking this virus seriously at all **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 30, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-nations-that-arent-taking-this-virus-seriously-at-all/850689 "2020-03-30T19:59:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-nations-that-arent-taking-this-virus-seriously-at-all/850689/1 "2020-03-30T19:59:20Z")
I wonder if after this is all over if there are nations that did nothing that can more or less be used as control models to compare various interventions to see how well they worked compared to nations that did nothing. Even Russia is starting to do lockdowns, and they were holding out on this issue and pretending it wasn’t happening. Then again, any nation that does nothing is very likely to be a very impoverished, corrupt dictatorship without functioning health care infrastructure, so you probably can’t extrapolate too much for middle and high income nations based on how they are affected by the pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-nations-that-arent-taking-this-virus-seriously-at-all/850689/2 "2020-03-30T20:14:19Z")
Belarus. Brasil if the president has anything to say about it. Verstuurd vanaf mijn moto g(6) met Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-nations-that-arent-taking-this-virus-seriously-at-all/850689/3 "2020-03-30T20:16:36Z")
Ladies and gentleman, the President of Belarus: [Belarus president believes vodka and saunas will cure coronavirus](https://nypost.com/2020/03/30/belarus-president-believes-vodka-and-saunas-will-cure-coronavirus/) ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-nations-that-arent-taking-this-virus-seriously-at-all/850689/4 "2020-03-30T20:16:40Z")
> **[Lockdown, what lockdown? Sweden's unusual response to coronavirus](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52076293)** > > While swathes of Europe are under lockdown, Sweden is allowing life to go on much as normal. Sweden > [@](#): > > After a long winter, it’s just become warm enough to sit outside in the Swedish capital and people are making the most of it. > > Families are tucking into ice creams beneath a giant statue of the Viking God Thor in Mariatorget square. Young people are enjoying happy-hour bubbles from pavement seating further down the street. > > Elsewhere in the city, nightclubs have been open this week, but gatherings for more than 50 people will be banned from Sunday. > > Compare that to neighbouring Denmark, which has restricted meetings to 10 people, or the UK where you’re no longer supposed to meet anyone outside your household. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-nations-that-arent-taking-this-virus-seriously-at-all/850689/5 "2020-03-30T20:18:28Z")
The closest thing I can think of is Brazil. While I’m sure many people within the nation are taking it seriously, the president of that country, Jair Bolsonaro, seems to have been more dismissive of coronavirus than any other world leader. I completely understand why Bolsonaro was elected. The country was ravaged by horrible crime and people were _desperate_ for security, so of course this choleric military strongman appealed to them. It should be a lesson in why moderates need to step up to fill that void of security, in my opinion - if they don’t, someone else will, and that someone will be guys like this. He makes Donald Trump look like Mr. Rogers.