The situation
President Trump confirmed Monday that the U.S. is ready to help Russia navigate a potential pneumonic plague scare. The news comes after the death of Darya Shipilova, a researcher at the Research Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia, who may have been exposed to plague bacteria.
While the situation is lowkey stressing out the international community, Russian health officials are pushing back. They currently list her cause of death as "pneumonia of unknown etiology," stating that tests didn’t find any pathogens linked to her work. No other sicknesses or deaths have been reported, but officials aren’t taking any chances—five local hospitals and dozens of the institute's workers are currently in quarantine as a precaution.
Trump’s take
When asked about the situation, Trump told reporters, "We just heard about it. We'll help them as much as we can." He also made a point about how germs are getting stronger over time, which seems to be a reference to antimicrobial resistance. Despite the anxiety surrounding the news, it’s worth noting that pneumonic plague is typically treatable with antibiotics if it’s caught early.
Why it matters
Global health bodies are on high alert because the circumstances are giving people serious COVID-19 flashbacks. The White House, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department, is actively monitoring the situation. The European Commission has also confirmed they are watching the suspected outbreak "very closely." For you, this basically means the world is in "wait and see" mode—the real tea is that while fears are elevated, there is no confirmed evidence of an uncontrolled outbreak right now.
