Doesn't seem to matter whether it is a communist country or open democracy or how locked down things became. Russia has lots of covid cases compared to say New Zealand. Things were never locked down too tight here and it isn't as though there was ever a time when you could go to the bank or supermarket. By cultural I meant extended big families and crowding are hard to manage and where individual freedoms are the priority or where people are more likely to be defiant of government advice.
Countries that defy international advice and cooperation, were slow to react and had lazy double talking leadership have suffered more. A good public health system means more tests are done, they are free or cheap, hospitalisation, treatment and drugs are free or cheap and the best advice is on hand immediately makes a big difference. The every person for themselves health model doesn't go so well with pandemics.
