US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the death of a Russian laboratory worker did not appear to be linked to a biological weapon, as concerns over fears of pneumonic plague grew amid limited information from Russian authorities.
Russia told the WHO that no plague cases had been reported in the region and that people who had been in contact with the worker had been cleared. Russia’s public health agency, Rospotrebnadzor, said on Wednesday that there was no risk of an epidemic spreading among the wider population. The World Health Organization said it had not yet established what caused the death of the 28-year-old woman, who worked at an anti-plague research institute.
However, the United States, the European Union, and the World Health Organization (WHO) have all sought more details about the case. “We don’t think so. “If you listen to them, it’s under control. Trump compared Russia’s limited public information to China’s response during the early stages of the Covid pandemic. “Well, China didn’t say much, and Russia is not saying much either. But they do say they have it very much under control. The UN health agency has asked Russia for more information and cited initial, unconfirmed reports suggesting pneumonic plague. Notably, pneumonic plague can spread from person to person and can cause a serious form of pneumonia. However, patients have a high chance of recovery when the disease is identified and treated promptly. “Bear with us as we do this. With inputs from agencies
Russia has said the worker died from pneumonia of an “undetermined” cause. Asked in the Oval Office whether a “bioweapon” could have been involved, Trump said he did not believe that was the case. We’re going to find out soon enough, but we don’t think so,” he told reporters. Trump said Russia maintained that the situation was under control but that authorities had shared little information publicly. But you know, people have said that before about other things,” he said. He also said that he had a phone call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the issue, but did not reveal when it would take place. “Today is Vladimir Putin’s birthday,” Trump added. The WHO said Russian authorities stated that the laboratory worker initially showed signs of a “typical” acute respiratory viral infection. They also said no recent cases of plague had been recorded. A local mayor said the hospital where the woman died had been placed under quarantine. Russia on Wednesday warned against the spread of “false” information after reports surfaced about a second suspected plague case. Its health agency said there were “no epidemic risks for the population”. However, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, said questions remained about the case. “We are pushing on our side through the international health regulations and through all the channels that we have,” Kerkhove said.
The uncertainty led the WHO to reconsider its earlier statement that the risk to the wider population was low.
