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Russian lab worker dies of ‘unknown’ virus as hundreds placed in quarantine (www.independent.co.uk)

submitted 9 hours ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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Emergency quarantine protocols are in place in Irkutsk after a suspected laboratory accident

Russian health authorities have reportedly placed hundreds of people in quarantine in Siberia following the death of a laboratory worker who was exposed to an “unknown” virus.

The 28-year-old victim was an employee at the Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, a town near the regional capital of Irkutsk, according to reports.

Prior to her death, she reportedly told medical personnel that she had accidentally broken a test tube containing live biological samples while working inside the facility.

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[-] dontfeedthemouse@lemmy.world 5 points 36 minutes ago

[-] Snapz@lemmy.world 12 points 2 hours ago

They really are going all out for the midterms. A new pandemic

[-] Noblesavage@lemmy.world 33 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Wikipedia is already referencing articles saying it's a pathogen related to the Black Death.

And for people worried about it, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that "today it can be easily treated with antibiotics and the use of standard preventative measures."

[-] datendefekt@feddit.org 5 points 1 hour ago

So if it’s easily treated, and I’m sure they knew this at the lab, why did the worker die?

[-] derpgon@programming.dev 7 points 43 minutes ago

Many possible explanations.

Russia lying again to justify death of someome they wanted dead
Russia lying again to try to scare the world into thinking they have some unknown bioweapon
Russia lying again that this whole ordeal happened to make the world think they have scientists working on bioweapons

[-] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 9 points 1 hour ago

Assuming of course, to be pessimistic, it hasn't been weaponized. Siberian Anti-Plague Research facility doesn't fill me with confidence, and you'd expect the hospital to have tried antibiotics, granted they may have been too late or used the wrong ones.

[-] domusaltera@piefed.social 9 points 2 hours ago

Why is this comment buried here? It's literally the solution! Do people love the thrill of panicking? Internet, you so silly sometimes...

[-] Aatube@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 hours ago

renowned current health guidance has a high likelihood of failing to apply to new genetically-modified variants

(if that is the case)

[-] MolochHorridus@piefed.social 1 points 55 minutes ago

”You poor guy. You look like ka-ka!”

[-] Phantom_Feline17@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 hours ago

So we're going to have COVID-2 now?

[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 hours ago

I guarentee you, it’s not unknown.

[-] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 26 points 4 hours ago

oh hey look somebody wrote a book about this exact scenario recently...

[-] cm0002@lemy.lol 27 points 4 hours ago

[-] TechAnon@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago

Something about this image gave me temporary Dyslexia.

[-] llii@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 hour ago

Fixed it. The cut off letters really threw me off.

[-] Salvo@aussie.zone 23 points 4 hours ago

“Anti Plague Research Institute”.

That’s a funny way of translating “Illegal Biological Warfare Institute”.

[-] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 9 points 4 hours ago

Kobzev stated that all identified close contacts remain asymptomatic and have tested negative.

How do someone test a virus that is "unknown"...?

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 2 hours ago

its the pneumonic plague, so not a virus, but Yersinia pestis, aka the black death.

[-] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 hours ago

Because the facility specialises in dangerous pathogens, the incident has drawn speculation it could be pneumonic plague – one of three variants caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis

Speculation only, no one other than the lab know what that virus are, it could be just that, or it could be something else entirely that they made to test vaccine or some other test(which is very normal procedure iirc)

[-] Axolotl_cpp@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 hour ago

*Pathogen, we do not know if it's a virus or a bacteria

[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 hours ago

The test is also unknown.

[-] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 2 hours ago

it wasnt a virus, it was PNEUMONIC plague, yersinia pestis.

[-] TipRing@lemmy.world 150 points 9 hours ago

Hopefully it's contained, because if we get another pandemic conservatives are going to do everything in their power to make it kill as many people as possible.

[-] renrenPDX@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 hours ago

Well, this time around, MAGA conservatives have proven that they can indeed wear masks so maybe... naw. They'll come up with some reason not to again.

[-] j_elgato@leminal.space 10 points 5 hours ago

I mean... Aren't the conservatives going to do that anyway?

[-] ripcord@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago

The number of people possible will be higher

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[-] CobraChicken3000@lemmy.ca 45 points 7 hours ago

Anti-Plague Research Institute

I bet I know what this mystery virus is

[-] paraphrand@lemmy.world 15 points 6 hours ago

It’s like bills with titles that say the opposite of what they achieve.

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[-] DigDoug@lemmy.world 17 points 6 hours ago

T-Virus time?

I look forward to conservatives fighting for their right to get bitten by zombies.

[-] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 8 points 4 hours ago

Well looking through the list of symptoms, it makes you murderous and violent, you never seem to die a natural death, and all you want to do in life is destroy the brains of the woke.

...I guess they've already got it.

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this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2026

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