People Are Comparing A Possible Russian Plague To COVID. Here’s What Experts Want You To Know.

A 28-year-old researcher at a Siberian plague research institute has died of what outside experts suspect was pneumonic plague, the most dangerous and transmissible form of the disease, according to local reporting. Roughly 200 people are now under medical observation and the treating hospital is under quarantine.

Russian officials have rejected the pneumonic plague diagnosis, attributing the death instead to “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” and have also denied a rumored second case at the same lab. The World Health Organization says it is in contact with Russian authorities but is still waiting for enough information to conduct a full risk assessment.

Infectious disease specialists interviewed say the circumstances, a suspected vial break during lab work and a possible death within 24 to 48 hours, point toward plague exposure, while cautioning that confirmation depends entirely on Russian authorities releasing more detail. The White House is monitoring, the State Department wants more transparency, and President Trump reportedly offered incorrect information about treatment along the way.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.