We were somewhere on the M-11 highway, not far from Vyshny Volochek, when they began to cover us. I remember mumbling something like: “I feel a little sausage; maybe you will lead? .. ”And suddenly I burst into a dry cough, staggering the car, rushing at the limit of two hundred kilometers per hour straight to St. Petersburg. And a voice cried out, “Lord Jesus! Where did this damn infection come from?! "
Then everything was quiet again. My lawyer poured cough syrup down his throat straight from the bottle. "Why the hell are you choking on so much?" He muttered, staring at the sun with his eyes closed behind the visor of his FBI cap. “Never mind,” I said. "It's your turn to lead." And, applying the brakes, he stopped the Lada-Priora on the side of the highway. “Without the lubricant, mention the lack of oxygen,” I thought. "The poor bastard will experience symptoms himself pretty soon."
It was almost noon, and we still had more than two hundred kilometers to go. Harsh kilometers. I knew - time is running out, both of us at the moment will be pulled apart by the temperature so that the heavens will become hot. But there was no turning back, and no time for rest. Let's get out on the go. Press registrations for the legendary Chaos Constructions are in full swing, and we need to be in time by four to claim our sanitized suite. A fashionable Moscow information security magazine took care of the reservation, apart from this luxurious car, which we rented from a parking lot on Tverskaya. And I am, among other things, a professional journalist; so I had an obligation to present the story, dead or alive. The editors of the Geek rubric gave me thirty thousand rubles in cash, most of which was immediately spent on medicines.
We had with us ten packs of one hundred disposable medical masks each, fifty pairs of nitrile powder-free gloves, forty universal protective overalls, two non-contact thermometers, half a liter of blood from a patient recovered from COVID-19, several dozen blisters of various antiviral drugs ... and five more 10 ml vials of experimental vaccines, three portable mini-ventilators and two gas masks. We got all this on the darknet marketplaces the day before.
Gas masks were the only concern. There is no one more terrible, more immoral and irresponsible than a man in a gas mask at Ligovsky. When you start stocking up on anti-coronavirus weapons, it becomes difficult to stop. But we took only the most necessary things - something that you can't do without on the road. And the choice was wide ...
Masks, gloves, two gas masks
I think you have already grasped why I am suddenly quoting the classics. With the onset of the pandemic, on the darknet, as well as in the open part of the network, they began to sell a variety of goods that help not catch COVID-19 or weaken the course of the disease (and some even predict healing !). And, since the shadow segment of the network is especially interesting to us, I looked there to evaluate the assortment. Let's see together what they are nowadays on the forums along with drugs and cardboard. And also compare the prices with the usual store prices.Personal protective equipment (PPE) ranks first among the categories of anti-coronavirus products in terms of range of products - 228 lots, 102 are unique. There are 36 types of masks alone: blue, black, white, synthetic, cotton, disposable and washable. In general, nothing special. Except for Hemp Black - the crown of the creation of the engineers of the American company Ecofibre.
The mask is seamless and hypoallergenic, withstands 25 wash cycles. Hemp Black is made of hemp fiber interspersed with copper, impregnated with cannabis inflorescence extract. The metal prevents bacteria from multiplying, and the vegetable extract blocks odors. What substances are contained in the elixir is unknown. I am one hundred percent sure that THC is not more than 0.3%, otherwise the product would be illegal in the USA. Therefore Hemp Black is not suitable for recreational use. Most likely, the extract contains CBD, a cannabinoid that is on the list of prohibited substances in Russia. In general, I do not advise taking it, away from sin.
One of six types of protective overalls can be purchased with the mask. There are budget options, such as the DuPont TY122S-XL-EACH with a hood and shoe covers. Customers with a thick wallet will be interested in the MIRA SAFETY Hazmat Suit, which protects against chemicals, microorganisms and radiation. In the section "Insulating gowns" there are 16 different products. Dressing gowns are made from polyester or polyurethane and can be washed several times. Unlike overalls, robes do not protect the legs, neck and head from liquids, so they do not give a true sense of security.
Who the sellers have certainly paid attention to is the glove fans. 36 types of hand protection items were displayed: vinyl, nitrile, latex, rubber and polyethylene. We should also mention UXglove - 1.15 mm thick vulcanized natural latex monsters. In case you have to change the wiring, you need to purchase dielectric gloves, for example from ShuangAn, which can withstand voltages up to 12,000 V. For those who are afraid of cutting themselves, FORTEM nylon gloves with five levels of protection are suitable.
It's no secret that masks do not exclude the possibility of infection with COVID-19. The truly effective respiratory protective equipment is respirators and gas masks. Six types of respirators are sold in the darkweb: ATTICA with charcoal filters, 3M 7501/37081 (AAD) with two filter cartridges, hipster UltraTac with an advanced aeration system, Safety Works SWX00318 with a sanitary pad, MSA 815452 for miners and the coolest - Honeywell North 7600 - it covers the face completely and does not let in particles of organic and inorganic origin. There are only two models of gas masks: the Polish MP5 with the NATO FP-5 filter and the French Surplus ARF-A with a drinking system and a voice diaphragm - by the way, it also meets NATO standards. Naturally, I could not resist the Surplus ARF-A.
Gadgets
I decided to include thermal scanners and COVID-19 tests on the list of gadgets. Six types of non-contact thermometers are sold on the darknet. The device measures the amplitude of electromagnetic radiation from an object in the infrared part of the spectrum and then converts this value into the power of thermal radiation. A thermometer-pistol is a device for wasteful paranoid people who are ready to let guests into the house, but only after a senseless examination. Firstly, the absence of fever does not mean that a person cannot tolerate the infection. Secondly, in order to measure the temperature, it is not necessary to buy a device for 20 bucks or more, a regular thermometer is suitable for this. Therefore, thermal scanners - by.
There are 13 types of coronavirus test kits sold by shadow dealers. Rapid tests detect antibodies to COVID-19 in the blood. The devices find two classes of globular proteins: IgM and IgG. If the tests contain the first class of antigens, then the person has contracted the infection recently. The discovery of the second class of proteins indicates that the subject has already recovered and has developed a stable immunity to the coronavirus. The test is very easy to do in the field. To do this, you need to drip blood into a special hole, add a buffer liquid (included in the kit) to the second depression and wait about twenty minutes.
However, the head of the FAS Russia Igor Artemyev does not agree that even a schoolboy can handle the express test. In his opinion, only qualified doctors have the right to use the devices. Of course, pricking your finger - it's not like tucking a fur coat into your panties, for this education is required. In July, Artemyev promised to initiate a case against online stores selling tests, but the matter has not gone beyond talk.
The British organization Cochran reports that during the first week after the onset of symptoms of COVID-19, rapid tests correctly identify only 30% of those infected with coronavirus, during the second week - 70%, and from 15th to 35th day - 90% ... According to the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova, the accuracy of tests performed in the department's laboratories reaches 98%, and in the Ministry of Health - only 80%. Many public hospitals do the test free of charge. Thus, for reasons of economy and efficiency, it is better to contact a medical facility. The express test will become a lifesaver in cases where the clinic is out of the access zone.
Did you order a panacea?
"High quality". "Approved by the Professionals." "100% safety." "Efficiency guarantee". These slogans are used by vendors selling coronavirus vaccines. In total, I found five different remedies. Sellers claim that the vaccine against infection has long been invented and tested, the government is deliberately hiding the drug from citizens in order to sow panic. This marketing ploy perfectly convinces conspiracy theorists and instills confidence in the hearts of buyers who believe in reptilians, Atlanteans and similar obscurantism. One of the entrepreneurs allegedly has access to a secret laboratory and is ready to sell ampoules with the tested antidote. There are no discounts, because the drug is worth its weight in gold. Moreover,
Dozens of pharmaceutical companies have developed vaccines against COVID-19 and are conducting or have completed clinical trials. However, no medication has yet been marketed. Most likely, Russia will become the first state in which vaccination will be launched. In September, doctors will carry out a full-scale testing of a domestic drug called "Sputnik V", and in October everyone will be able to get vaccinated. The Chinese are going to start trading the vaccine in December, and the Italians even later in January 2021. Therefore, antiviruses from the dark web are, at best, dummies, and at worst, breeding grounds for infection or toxic substances.
23 dealers offer to buy blood, saliva or plasma of those who have recovered from the coronavirus. Five vendors are selling plasma samples taken from donors who have allegedly been tested for infectious diseases. The remaining 18 sellers say they have had COVID-19 and sell their own blood or saliva. Antibodies are present in the body fluids of patients who have recovered from the virus, so the practice of intravenous administration of saliva, plasma and blood is essentially a passive immunization. In theory, the injection increases resistance to COVID-19, but this effect lasts for a maximum of six weeks. At the same time, repeated passive vaccination often causes complications and does not stimulate immunity.
Blood plasma can be kept at room temperature for no more than eight hours; it is stored in a freezer at a temperature of –20 ° C. Dealers ship plasma samples by mail in vacuum packaging, of course, without a built-in refrigerator. Untreated blood and saliva are subject to rapid biological decay and, God forbid, will stand for a couple of hours at freezing temperatures. At best, a package to Russia from abroad will take ten days. Even if biological fluids of people who actually suffered from coronavirus are sold in the darkweb, the antibodies will be destroyed even before they arrive at customs and there will be no benefit from vaccination.
Potions
In the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic, four antiviral drugs have appeared on the shelves of dark marketplaces:- hydroxychloroquine;
- chloroquine;
- favipiravir;
- azithromycin.
Hydroxychloroquine is perhaps the most hype potion for coronavirus. US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took this medication as a preventive measure. To test the effectiveness of the drug as a means of preventing infection with COVID-19, employees of the University of Minnesota conducted a placebo-controlled randomized study in which 821 volunteers took part, presumably in contact with vectors of the disease. The volunteers were divided into two groups: one took placebo, and the other took hydroxychloroquine.
As a result, 11.8% of the subjects who took the medicine and 14.3% of the subjects who were given a placebo became infected with the coronavirus. The verdict of scientists is obvious - the use of the drug does not bring statistically significant results. Hope for hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the disease also fell through after it was found that the medication did not relieve the symptoms of the coronavirus.
Chloroquine, a close relative of hydroxychloroquine, has shown complete failure in the fight against COVID-19. According to experts from the German Center for the Study of Primates, the drug does not suppress the ability of the virus to penetrate into lung cells. At best, the medication will not affect the health of the person who contracted the infection, at worst, it will aggravate the course of the disease.
Favipiravir is much more interesting than the two previous drugs. Clinical trials have shown that the drug accelerates the recovery of patients diagnosed with moderate COVID-19. 71.4% of patients taking the medication were on the mend already on the seventh day after the onset of symptoms. However, favipiravir had no effect on experimental subjects suffering from severe disease.
The antibiotic azithromycin is another anti-coronavirus fuflomycin. The Americans tested the drug and found that it does not suppress the replication of COVID-19 and does not protect against inflammation caused by the infection. Moreover, the simultaneous administration of the medication and chloroquine increases the mortality rate of patients with coronavirus by 2-3%.
What conclusion did I draw? Favipiravir looks like something that can help and is considered safe. The other three medicines are at least expensive fuflomycins, as a maximum - harmful substances that endanger the health and even the life of an infected person.
The anti-covid cookbook
Some enterprising person has put up for sale a manual called Corona Virus Covid19 Epidemic Survival Handbook Medical Physical Social Economic and Financial Guide. The manual contains information:- about the symptoms of coronavirus;
- ways to avoid infection;
- methods of treating the disease;
- measures taken by the authorities to combat the spread of COVID-19;
- the consequences of the epidemic;
- the main principles of preparation for quarantine.
On the dark web, they ask for $ 15 for leadership. At the same time, the book "COVID-19: Simple Answers to Top Questions" can be downloaded from the clearnet for free. The guide, written by American scientists Vincent Covello and Randall Hayer, covers all the burning topics related to the coronavirus. But the instruction began to be sold on the darknet in April, and the guide was compiled in July. Therefore, both manuals have already become outdated.
What how much
Prices bite. A simple disposable mask, which costs 30 disposable rubles in a pharmacy, is sold for 10 dollars, including delivery. If you buy in bulk, you can save a lot. 100,000 masks will cost $ 1,000 (75 kopecks a cent apiece). The same Hemp Black on the official website is given for $ 24.95, but with delivery only in the United States. It can be purchased on shady marketplaces for $ 50, plus $ 5 for worldwide shipping. Almost 100% margin - everything is in the best darkweb traditions.
The cost of respirators ranges from $ 29 to $ 150. In Russian stores, prices are more democratic: from 2.5 to 7 dollars. Vinyl, latex, nitrile and polyethylene gloves are sold only in packs of 100 pairs for $ 19-25. The average price in legal domestic retail outlets is $ 22. The cost of rubber and dielectric gloves from shadow dealers is at least four times higher than the prices set by their clearnet competitors: $ 24 versus $ 6.
The MP5 gas mask is sold for $ 30, the Surplus ARF-A for $ 25. I did not find any advertisements for the sale of a Polish unit on the Runet, but in Ukrnet they ask for 957 hryvnias (35 dollars) for it ... Surplus ARF-A generally turned out to be a rarity - not a single post about the sale of a French gas mask in the CIS. On the darknet, the COVID-19 test will cost $ 220, in the Russian online store - $ 44. Shadow vendors sell thermal scanners for $ 70, and Ozon for $ 27.
I was not at all surprised to learn that vaccines are the most expensive coronavirus commodities. The price of Chinese drugs varies in the range from 10,000 to 15,000 dollars, 1700 euros are asked for a Swedish vaccination, and the cheapest American medicine is 300 dollars. 500 ml of plasma from recovered patients costs 10,500 dollars, blood and saliva are ready to be sent for 1000 dollars.
