Russian ‘Plague’ Scare Sends Social Media Into a Frenzy: ‘Another Wuhan’
News of a suspected plague outbreak in Russia sent the internet into overdrive over the weekend, prompting comparisons to the early days of Covid-19, demands for travel restrictions and warnings that the U.S. should prepare for a potential biological threat.
The White House has said it is monitoring reports surrounding the death of 28-year-old laboratory worker Daria Shipilova, who Russian media said was exposed to a dangerous pathogen after breaking a test tube at an anti-plague research institute in Siberia on September 25.
A Trump administration official said the White House “is aware, monitoring the outbreak, and assessing options.” In contrast, the State Department said it was following developments with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Russia has not confirmed that Shipilova died from plague, but nearly 200 people have reportedly been placed under medical observation following her death, with several medical facilities subject to quarantine measures.
The uncertainty quickly spilled out online, sparking a whirlwind of panic.
Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger called for sweeping restrictions on Russians entering the United States:
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a retired Air Force brigadier general, meanwhile pointed to past Russian allegations about U.S.-linked biological laboratories in Ukraine:
A “concerned” former White House Covid response coordinator, Ashish Jha, urged caution but said “Russian authorities owe the world more transparency on exactly what happened”:
The reports also caught the attention of biological warfare author Annie Jacobsen, who said she had been in contact with senior U.S. national security officials and claimed the “USG has all eyes on the plague outbreak in Russia.”
The Pulitzer Prize finalist later cast doubt on Moscow’s assurances that there had been no plague or laboratory accident, pointing to a response that reportedly included hospital quarantines, the involvement of Russia’s FSB security service and a visit to Irkutsk by the country’s top public health official.
The episode also triggered inevitable comparisons with Wuhan, China, as Daily Caller reporter Emily Kopp urged followers to archive Russian reporting, writing: “Early censored reports out of Wuhan were important for investigating COVID’s origins. Save everything you read.”
The Sunday Times defence correspondent Dominic Hauschild followed:
Others used the moment to jab at President Donald Trump and questioned his administration’s ability to handle a potential global pandemic:
Several other journalists and commentators jumped in:
For now, there is no confirmed plague outbreak. Russian officials maintain Shipilova suffered from pneumonia of “unknown” origin and say her contacts have tested negative.
Watch above via ABC News.
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