THE PROBLEM OF MEDICAL ACTIVITY OF THE RUSSIAN POPULATION DURING COVID-19

Abstract

Significance. Medical activity is a person's practice in the field of protecting one's own and public health, expressed in compliance with medical recommendations and hygiene rules, a complex of therapeutic and preventive measures for improving health, identifying and eliminating pathological changes, functional disorders, and preventing diseases. The basis of medical activity is awareness, which is formed through effective hygiene education and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, the nature and intensity of the medical activity of an individual is influenced by the level of education and culture, and knowledge of health-related issues. The purpose of the study is to consider the main problems of medical activity, preservation and promotion of health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. The information base of the study was publications in periodicals and the Internet, statistical data of the Rosstat, WHO, “Yandex. Coronavirus. Statistics”, polls by the state-run VTsIOM (All-Russia Opinion Research Center). The study used general logical and analytical methods, methods of statistical analysis and empirical research. Results. Medical activity and lifestyle play a leading role in controlling the spread of COVID-19. Non-compliance with anti-epidemic measures and irresponsible hygienic behavior (ignoring the mask regimen, personal hygiene rules, social distancing, “anti-vaccination” attitude), irresponsible medical behavior (undertreatment and ignoring medical rehabilitation), unhealthy diet (unbalanced diet, insufficient intake of vitamins and microelements), inadequate physical activity (its insufficiency) and addictive behaviors (smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages) contribute to both rapid spread of the infection in the social environment, and prolongation of the complicated epidemiological situation over time, minimizing the entire complex mechanism of the anti-COVID actions of the health and administrative services, increasing the risk of severe course of the disease, post-COVID complications and deaths. Reasons of the reduced medical activity of the Russians include lack of confidence in a medical specialist, medical organizations, and the health care system in general; dsregard of one's health; low sanitary culture of the population due to insufficient education in health preservation; reduction in the number of medical institutions and personnel of the state medical institutions, etc. Among the objective reasons, the first and most acute problem is the economic one: low standard of living of the significant part of the population, which dramatically limits the ability to maintain their health. The main vector in improving the current situation is the growth of economic well-being of the citizens; a conscious choice of health improvement strategies, supported by the system of measures to encourage citizens to take care of their health; promotion of a healthy lifestyle and self-preserving behavior; and government measures to support the wellness industry.