Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Kremlin insists that everything is under control.
Panic started quietly in the Siberian region of Irkutsk after a lab worker died. Soon, dozens of people were in quarantine as wild rumors of a deadly plague outbreak flooded social media.
Moscow moved fast to calm the public. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov brushed off the online frenzy, urging citizens to rely strictly on official expert channels.
“The leading agency with authority in this area is Rospotrebnadzor,” the Kremlin spokesman emphasized according to Russian news agency TASS. “And it is Rospotrebnadzor’s official statements that should be relied upon, without listening to various rumors and speculation.”
Rospotrebnadzor later reported that the deceased woman had suffered from “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” Tests on those in isolation turned up two cases of Covid and two cases of rhinovirus, but no other dangerous pathogens.
An unlikely offer
Across the ocean, Washington took notice anyway. Before boarding Marine One for a trip to Nebraska on Monday, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the United States stood ready to assist Moscow with what he called a “big problem for Russia.”
“Well, I hate to see them having it,” Trump said according to Reuters. “It’s a rough disease.”
Trump noted that the American government would do whatever it could to support Russia despite ongoing geopolitical friction.
“We’ll help,” Trump said. “Anybody that has that kind of a problem, we’re always will to help.”
According to Trump, he has not discussed the situation in Siberia with Putin.
Closing the borders
Neighboring countries are taking no chances.
Even though the World Health Organization stressed that the health risk to the general public is low, nearby states are stepping up security.
According to CNN, Kazakhstan announced sanitary and quarantine checks at state border points. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan raised readiness levels across its infectious disease departments to prepare for potential cases.
Farther away, Kyrgyzstan acted too. Despite sitting more than 2,000 kilometers from Irkutsk, the nation set up border quarantine posts to block any potential spread. Zero risks.
