South China Morning Post / Coronavirus Poses Test for Russia and China’s Friendship?

This was on the front page of the South China Morning Post this morning. I read many of the Russian newspapers on the internet along with Asia Pacific countries including China. This story is odd but I have noticed that Putin seems to be "off" for the past several months. He seems sad as if he knows something.

South China Morning Post

The relationship between Russia and China has come under scrutiny as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to put their increasingly close ties under strain. The two countries have promised to work together to fight the disease and have both denounced American attempts to blame Beijing for the outbreak, but the rise in Russian cases threatens to undermine China’s own efforts to stop it spreading – particularly in the border province of Heilongjiang. Russia’s economy is also suffering both from the lockdown needed to fight the disease and the global slump in oil prices. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have pledged to maintain a united front in fighting the disease, holding three phone conversations since March.

Odd that no one has commented on this. It's a valid thread...

Could you go into details about Putin's morose demeanor? This "quarantine" is causing such a kerfuffle with US politics that I now look to Putin because he seems to keep it the "realest" out of the top world leaders. I think you might be onto something.

I'm starting to think one of these comets going by is going to poop on us. I'm suspicious that Covid-19 is being used as a screen for that. Historically, heightened comet activity is usually followed by either climate shift or outbreak of disease. And the weather here (SE Michigan) has been erratic. And almost Seattle-level rain patterns.

Or maybe I'm full of it-shay? I'm 100% okay with that. But this "quarantine" is suspiciously overpowered.