This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
As of May, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan had begun relaxing stay-at-home restrictions, leading to a resurgence of the coronavirus in the region.
According to Askhat Abdykerimov, a call centre coordinator in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, his team of over 60 medics and medical students now receives at least 3,000 calls per week, with nearly all calls related to coronavirus symptoms.
Registered daily infections in Kyrgyzstan have doubled to over 500 this month, surpassing the total number of people recorded as ill with coronavirus at the time the lockdown was relaxed in late May.
Experts attribute the surge in cases to a lack of tests and poor test quality, which has led to many cases going undiagnosed or misclassified as other conditions.
One such case is Aigul Sarykbayeva, a 54-year-old woman who was diagnosed with pneumonia after battling to secure a lung scan, despite not being able to get tested for the virus.
"I sometimes think to myself, is there anyone I know who isn't ill? Absolutely everyone is ill," Sarykbayeva said.
Across the region, the surge in cases has fueled accusations that officials are embezzling donor money meant to combat the pandemic.
However, the Bishkek call centre, which was supported by the Soros Foundation, has been praised for its efforts in advising patients on further treatment and has become a crucial resource in the region's fight against the virus.
