Discussion
Supposedly, a lab tech was infected with Yersinia pestis -- plague -- in Russia.
The pneumonic version hits hard and fast, but caught early, antibiotics can treat, and lessen the effects or even cure it.
The bacterium is much larger than the virus that causes Covid-19, and an N95 mask should protect a wearer.
If it's the Black Death and it spreads quickly? They won't be able to keep a lid on that information.
@cstross That a thing is possible does not mean it is happening. If plague breaks out in Russia they won't be able to keep the lid on that for long. Right now, the speculation is scaring people without a basis. If it is plague, the same precautions one takes against Covid-19 will work, and better -- bacteria are much larger than viruses, and more apt to be stopped by good masks.
@steveperry I know this (ex-pharmacist here, with the degree qualification and all). I’m still a bit twitchy because Putin’s Russia is much better at keeping the lid on news than it used to be, even with the internet A Thing there.
@cstross Plague is endemic in a lot of places. Guy in New Mexico -- where most cases arise in the U.S -- died from pneumonic plague last year. (Caught it from a cat, apparently.) Last epidemic we had in this country was in L.A. in the 1920's. The bacterium responsible is huge, compared to a virus, easier to block. Masks, hand-washing, staying out of crowds, improving the existing vaccines, antibiotics, all help prevent infection.
Install bonfire.cafe
Get the full app experience
@steveperry I've seen discussions saying that the pneumonic variant usually has an R0 of 1.3, so if you can contain just 30% of contacts you can block the spread. *However* this appears to be at a research institute that's part of the Russian biological warfare organization, so they might have been working on transmissibility …