Now we are getting a taste of what the native Americans when the European immigrants came here with smallpox.
At least we know what it is and what we can do about it.

Russia was just late in getting started. They are currently on a list for changing rapidly:

"Countries with notable overnight changes to keep an eye on:

• Singapore: gaining 30-34 new cases every day for the past 3 days,
  total of 385 cases;
• Hong Kong: gained 48 cases to bring the total to 256 cases;
• Russia: confirmed 52 and 54 new cases in 2 consecutive days, total
  of 253 cases;
• India: confirmed 55 new cases in the past 24 hours bringing the
  total to 249 cases;
• Turkey: over doubled in 24 hours from 47 to 98 cases, in the next 24
  hours to 191, in the next 24 hours to 359 cases, and 300 cases in the
  past 24 hours, bringing the total to 670 cases;
• Chile: went from 238 to 342 cases overnight and to 434 cases in the
  next 24 hours;
• Indonesia: went from 227 to 308 cases in 24 hours, followed by an
  increase to 369 cases in the next 24 hours;
• Ecuador: almost doubled from 58 to 111 cases, in the next 24 hours
  to 168 cases, in the next 24 hours to 260 cases, and now at 426 cases
  after another 24 hours;
• Luxembourg: went from 203 to 335 cases in 24 hours and to 484 in the
  following 24 hours;
• Iceland: went from 250 to 330 cases in 24 hours, now at 409 cases
  after another 24 hours;
• Pakistan: daily significant increments -- 53, 184, 247, 307, 454
  cases; now at 501 cases;
• Saudi Arabia: increased by 70 new cases in past 24 hours to 344
  cases."

Source: Global update: Worldometer
Date: Fri 20 Mar 2020 [accessed 9:15 pm GMT-4]
Source: Worldometer [edited]
<[worldometers.info];

We are all at different stages in the transmission of this pandemic...that is why it is really pointless to compare numbers. Some countries have done more testing and their figures of confirmed cases is more accurate. Underdeveloped countries such as Zimbabwe are showing low incidence of Covid19, not because there isn’t infection there, but because it hasn’t been recorded and almost nobody there has been tested. Russia may not be telling us accurately what the real position there is, but it is generally acknowledged that the entire population of the world will eventually be exposed to this virus, it’s just that if we can slow it and flatten the peak in each country we will be in a better position to survive it. If we don’t do that the health authorities tell us that our hospitals will be overwhelmed and they will not be able to appropriately treat everyone who needs to be. If we can slow it down by restricting contact with each other there is also a chance that a vaccine will become available, and combined with a higher proportion of people who have had the illness and survived, it will bring the herd immunity up to the required level of around 80%.