Why is threads talking about a plague taking over Europe

[Ffsnotagainwtf]

I often find thread's interesting, but tonight it's making me anxious by many talking about a plague from Russia that will shut down Europe from November
Someone please give me facts and happy news as it's exploded on there

Pneumonic Plague has broken out from a laboratory in Siberia, the area is under lockdown but could have spread already.

Plague has never "disappeared ". There have been isolated cases all over the world.

Pneumonic is the most contagious form as it's passed by airborne particles.

No need to panic.

Not sure what threads you are looking at.

One lab employee in Russia has very sadly died following exposure to a plague virus. There is some difference as far as I understand over whether this occurred with a broken test tube in a lab or whether jt happened in an outdoor field experiment.

There have been no reports so far of wider exposure or of potential spread across other countries.

It's a big story because the disease has infected a scientist, who has died. And it's plague, which is obviously going to alarm most people.
The area and the people who may have come into contact with this person have been quarantined.
I hate this kind of news, I get very anxious and catastrophic, but I watched an epidemiologist speaking about the incident. She was very confident that it's not anything to be overly concerned about, as this is very responsive to antibiotics.
So it is unlikely that there will be any kind of black death scenario.

Also plague is now treatable.

There are about 2000 reported cases of plague around the world each year. The majority are non-fatal and are treated with antibiotics.

There are very little facts at this moment.

Russia isn't communicating clearly and openly - neither internally nor externally. There are different information coming from local media, local social media accounts and different "official statements". It is very hard for serious media to cover it.

We know that something is happening in the area, and that it might be pneumonic plague.
Some level of lockdown/quarantine was introduced.

We know that Siberia is one of the very probable candidates to be the source of the next pandemic, because thousands years old illnesses are hidden in the ice covered ground and with the climate change the ice is melting and some of them are able to re-activate. However, it doesn't seem to be the case now, plague bacteria has never been completely erradicated.

Health organizations and neigbouring countries need to react somehow despite the lack of facts, which generates more news about the topic.

It might be nothing in the end. It might be a huge problem. No-one can tell at this moment for sure.

YouTube itv news explains that plague was deadly in 1349...but it actually is too effective to spread well as people become seriously ill too quickly. Antibiotics work very very well

AND THERE'S A VACCINE!!!! So don't panic...the press loves doom and gloom

Plague is caused by bacteria. We have antibiotics.

@LifeIsAMeatball

I think they mean the social media site Threads, rather than threads on Mumsnet.

I really don't intend to be panic monger but pneumonic plague is really really nasty.

Left untreated it has a fatality rate of close to 100%.
Yes it is treatable by very strong antibiotics but these have to be administered within 24 hours of symptoms which is a cough or a fever. Even if antibiotics are administered then the fatality rate is still around 30%.

The upside is that because it's so deadly it has difficulty spreading because it kills its hosts so quickly and effectively.

Oh my god

Have you stockpiled yet

The thing I don’t understand is when the lab worker was exposed, why weren’t they given antibiotics??

Because they didn’t know they had been exposed?

The quick fatality rate is why you really shouldn't be too worried. When diseases are quickly fatal they don't have a chance to spread quickly (ebola is a prime example). The reason that the Black Death was so fatal was because rats could carry it and it's zoonotic. This will have to be transmitted by human to human contact. Keep an eye on it for sure, but this won't be the great killer that it's being hyped for.

No it isn’t. Threads is a proper noun, it’s a site

🙏thanks for your and pp reassurance
🙏🏼

If you’re going to attack OP’s grammar to insinuate she’s not had as much education as you (stealth brag), you should probably take the time to understand what she is talking about. Threads is a SM site.
OP I hope you are reassured by the fact it’s treatable in the main.

The plague is treatable and curable with a 5 day course of antibiotics and anyone who comes into contact with it will be given a preemptive course of antibiotics just incase so their is no reason to worry.
Whilst pneumonic plague is the most contagious and deadly version of the plague the roughly 17% of people who die even with treatment (the lab tec didn't get treatment in time) die either because they dont get the antibiotics in time or they have prexsitant lung conditions who could be killed by the common cold.
So basically theres really nothing to worry about as all of the woman's contacts have been quarantined and given preemptive antibiotics and so far nobody else has shown any symptoms so the outbreak is basically over and there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

@Hoardasurass
the lab tec didn't get treatment in time
...
all of the woman's contacts have been quarantined and given preemptive antibiotics

I don't believe that in the real world both is true at the same time.

Surely a lab technician/someone around them at plague research facility would know to ask for antibiotics if there is a suspected contact with the patogen.
If such a basic measure doesn't work, what are the practical chances that every contact was tracked and quarantined?

--

Still, the illness doesn't have a large spread factor, so the chances are good that it won't cross from Russia. I'd start to worry if there is a case in Mongolia/Kazachstan/China

Social media thrives on spreading panic. There’s been one case of something, that ant-bs can cure.

Hardly the Black Death 🙄

Well, I never knew that. I've got egg all over my face now 🤦🏻

She didn't know that she had been infected and the alleged broken testube story make zero sense because everybody who works with these sorts of bacteria and viruses do so warring full biohazard suits.
Also 200 people who had passing contact with her in the very short period between infection and death have all been quarantined and given antibiotics as a precaution.
There have been no further cases there is no outbreak as the timeline for pneumonic plague is around 72h from infection to death