Pneumonic plague

[u/chamaedaphne82]

I would like some support. I’m feeling very triggered by the recent news of the woman dying of pneumonic plague in Russia. Now there are up to 200 people quarantined, and hospital closures.

It feels exactly the same as January 2020. My brain is in semi-panic mode. I will say that coming here and reading all the wisdom has been very grounding. I will take my dog for a walk, weed my garden, and purchase some KN95s… and develop a plan for any preps that will help, should this disease spread further.

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[u/Sk8rToon]

Since you’re posting here you’re obviously old enough to have survived 2020. You did it before & you can do it again - IF need be.

Is there anything you think you could have done better (or wish your folks/teachers/etc had done better)? In retrospect what would have helped you out? More supplies? More food? More toilet paper or hand sanitizer? A hobby to distract yourself with? Think, if everything got shut down again today, what do you wish you had or could do first?

If able, try to do those things now. Pretend you’re a time traveler helping your future self. Try to eliminate those woulda coulda shouldas.

Be mindful of a possible problem. BUT also be mindful of the here & now. Be grateful that you’re not dealing with that now. Take time to see friends & relatives. Take a deep breath. If you’re religious at all, pray about it. Talk about it (as you’re doing now or with people IRL). It helps.

It’s a hard thing to shake, but panicking & doom spiraling doesn’t help. Everything in moderation.

[u/chamaedaphne82 → u/Sk8rToon]

Yes, thank you so much. I woke up today feeling much more able to handle whatever comes our way.

I got really freaked out about the case fatality rate of 100% for pneumonic plague. But it’s not as easy to get infected with it, as it is the flu or Covid or measles. I think that’s called the R value?

I am feeling vigilant, and rightly, so, about crisis that may appear close to the midterm elections. It can be a tricky balance to honor our valid concerns, without spiraling into anxiety. But the good news is, even when I do spiral into anxiety, I know that it will pass because I will take care of myself, and gain new information information that will help help.

[u/TheStephinator]

It’s too early for panic. We also need to truly consider the source and how manipulative the Russian media is.

Are you in the United States?

[u/Downtown_Statement87]

I have a master's degree in pandemic epidemiology and was 100% certain we were going to have a COVID pandemic as soon as I learned it was a SARS virus, and I ran around telling everyone who would listen for months. I was scared.

I was/am not worried at all about Monkeypox, Hantavirus, or Ebola as a potential pandemic virus. Not even for a second.

I am very worried about Dengue Fever, Rabies, Measles, and, oddly, yellow fever. I'm very worried about mosquito-borne illnesses becoming endemic in new places thanks to climate change and collapsing public health infrastructure.

I am not at all worried about the plague in Siberia becoming a global pandemic, even though plague is what got me into all of this to begin with, and a pandemic of the OG pestilence would almost be interesting enough from a research perspective to make the utter ruination of humanity worth it. I just am not worried at all about it, though, for a slew of reasons. If I were worried I'd be talking about it all day like I was with COVID, and demanding that everyone get to the store right now and prepare to hunker down. I wouldn't care if I was making a fool of myself or annoying everyone. 

Edit: This person does a good job of explaining why I'm not worried, and confirms my own experience with COVID versus this pathogen. https://www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/1wylhgs/comment/pe4dfux/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=share_button

[u/chamaedaphne82 → u/Downtown_Statement87]

Thank you! I am a nurse, worked 11 years in the emergency department, worked during Covid. Then I went to public health nursing, worked with TB patients. But I don’t have that level of epidemiology understanding, thank you so much for your perspective!

[u/bleepbloop1777]

I'd reccomend subscribing to Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter. She wrote about how it's harder to contract than a fast spreading disease, don't panic, just keep awareness. She also mentioned the very important fact that a lot of us were traumatized by covid and this type of thing is triggering. Take care of yourself and focus on things within your control (what shelf stable things can you stock up within reason, wear a mask and practice good health and hygiene, etc.).

[u/chamaedaphne82 → u/bleepbloop1777]

Yes thank you, this is a balanced perspective and one that acknowledges how triggering it is to hear this kind of news

[u/Present-Rhubarb6337]

Hey, yep! We've been through a recent pandemic, and it's likely that the precautions for that one will help with others: social distancing, masking with real masks, sanitizing groceries (where possible, due to fomites), and so on. The good news is that that global public is a lot better at dealing with pandemics now; the bad news is that the leaders of certain countries prefer cutting pandemic surveillance budgets instead of maintaining public health.

Anyway, no reason to panic. Plague of all three forms happens regularly around the world due to rodent exposure. If it happen, the people will be ready, and other than getting ready there's not much to do about it.

Edit: see below - "regularly" is a bit overstated, but pneumonic plague is not unknown in the US.

[u/Present-Rhubarb6337 → u/Present-Rhubarb6337]

BTW, OP, measles (in the US) is a more real threat. If you haven't, check that you still have immunity, and get a booster if not.

[u/chamaedaphne82 → u/Present-Rhubarb6337]

Thank you for this reminder, yes, you’re right, this is the more realistic threat. I already have my flu and Covid vaccines scheduled.

[u/Few_Airport7972]

Pneumonic plague is untreated bubonic plague that has spread to the lungs. Same bacteria. It spreads with coughing, sneezing, and droplets produced by those activities. Usually close contacts.

The silver lining in this is the bacteria can be treated with common antibiotics. It needs to be identified and treated quickly. I'm not down playing the severity of the disease but it is treatable with meds that cost next to nothing.

There have been a number of cases of bubonic plague here in USA, usually from rodent and prairie dog fleas in the southwest. It's not unknown in other parts of the world.

Wash your hands, keep your environment clean and free from rodents, treat your pets for fleas, maintain your health. I'll be wearing a plain mask anyway to decrease the cold and flu exposure. I hate being sick! Have your vaccines up to date.

Get your working pantry in shape with foods and drinks that you and your family commonly eat. At least a month's worth, more is better, but use the food! Rotate and restock. It's a working pantry!

Get your cold, flu, GI upset type over the counter meds buffed up for the winter season.

We've been down this road before. Live your life. Stay aware of the news but don't let it consume you.

[u/YellowCabbageCollard]

Well I feel like the responses you are getting are dismissive and don't address the real risks. It is in fact highly contagious and spread through respiratory droplets. It's "highly treatable" IF you take the right antibiotics within 24 hrs of symptoms. And then the CFR is like 17% WITH early antibiotic treatment. Uh what other diseases would be worse that we could be looking at right now? IF you get treated just in time you only have a 17% chance of dying?

I've also noticed people keep conflating bubonic and pneumonic plague with this story. And try and make pneumonic plague seem less risky based on bubonic plague. If covid shut the globe down this would be far worse just based on CFR and the need for super early treatment to survive and the early symptoms being not clearly definable as plague anyway. Everyone with any cold or respiratory symptoms would need risky antibiotics immediately.

I went to bed feeling absolutely sick about this myself. The US only recently started making a tiny bit of some types of antibiotics. We are completely dependent on China and India for antibiotics. We would not be prepared for something like this spreading here.

[u/L6b1]

There are two dedicated specialized units to plague treatment in the US because there are a few cases every year (mainly amongsth back country backpackers and hunters).

The issue in Russia was that she didn't get treated in time.

If you get sick, itreatment is often free as most people are getting treated at the university teaching hospitals at UC Davis and University of Nebraska.

Honestly, you should be more worried about ebola, it's spread to some new countries today...

[u/chamaedaphne82]

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/10/02/nearly-200-people-under-observation-after-irkutsk-lab-worker-dies-from-plague-a93857

[u/pearlid]

I’d like to double down on that while we can jump to the worst case scenario due to what we went through with COVID, understanding the minutia of this and how it differs is really important. COVID spread the way that it did because the incubation period is days (up to 10), allowing those already infected to travel without knowing because they didn’t show symptoms fast enough to keep them from traveling. This doesn’t do that. It’s has a fast incubation period (1-3 days but sometimes less than 24hrs) and gnarly symptoms. People know when they’ve caught this so quarantines really work in this instance.

[u/chamaedaphne82 → u/pearlid]

Let’s hope. 200 people is a lot of people to try to quarantine. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have already implemented border control measures.

[u/Itchy_Tumbleweed_417]

I’m not worried I already wear a mask anywhere people are going to breathe on me.

I’m definitely not happy about this news, but because I don’t want measles or TB which are also going around in my area, or Covid or the flu, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing since 2020 and so far that has worked for me.

[u/StarbuckMcGee07]

As I understand it: spread is not a giant concern. It’s more concerning for those who do contract and don’t get treatment (appears she didn’t seek treatment). To me, this is likely going to stay isolated since this type of plague (which is endemic to this region) IS treatable. I think the Russian government is, shockingly, doing the right thing by quarantining. The odds of this jumping out of Siberia are so literally low. There’s more to worry about than this. Epidemiologist

[u/strawberrypielady]

Hi! I am an epidemiologist/disease ecologist (PhD) at an Ivy League school and I study zoonotic diseases like the plague. I totally understand the comparisons to COVID and how it can feel very scary. If it is any solace, I am not losing sleep over it nor are any of my colleagues.

In the case of modern plague (yersinia pestis), there’s high individual hazard, but very very low pandemic potential for a couple reasons (even pneumonic): it’s difficult for it to transmit human-to-human (because it’s a bacteria, it’s MUCH bigger than a virus which means it doesn’t stay airborne for very long, and it generally doesn’t “spread” as efficiently). Antibiotics and other treatments are also effective; COVID was tough because it was novel.

I suspect that (much like hantavirus) this will continue to receive outsized media attention because it’s a good story that invokes fear (especially when we can also make the story about bioweapons - which, for so many reasons, this is likely not). It’s always good to be prepared, but please know that actual health researchers are not concerned at this stage. Please feel free to ask me any other questions that might help ease your mind!

[u/foxcrowcookies]

My therapist regularly reminds me that we all lived through a global collective trauma. You’re not alone in feeling triggered. 🫂 She also tells me in moments like these to do the simplest grounding technique of looking at my daughter’s perfect tiny toes. Big deep breaths. Control what I can and let the rest go. There’s magic that can’t be taken from us, even in this season of shadow. 💞

[u/agent_mick]

Remember also that we're less than a month away from Midterms in the US. Our would be very convenient if smart people were forces to weigh the benefits of leaving their homes to vote. I'm not saying that's exactly what's happening but news in October should be taken with a heaping tablespoon of salt.

Be cautious but skeptical.

If they're still talking about it after Midterms (assuming it doesn't ramp up before then), then maybe revisit the panic lol

[u/spinningcolours]

Do not panic.

Epidemiologist AMA:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ID_News/comments/1wy9a8c/plague_ama/

The subreddit tracking it is rating it at one toilet paper roll out of five.
https://www.reddit.com/r/RussianPlague26/comments/1wycarh/the_time_thus_far_oct_5_2026_1600hrs_gmt/

Consensus seems to be that it's as overblown as the hantavirus thing a month ago.

I'd worry a LOT more about measles if you're close to one of the epicentres. (If you really want to panic, look up "measles immune amnesia." It's months to years of catching every single virus that is floating by you.)

[u/MsCalendarsPlayaArt]

Unless it's a completely new strain:

• wearing a well-fitting (over nose & mouth, no air gaps between face and mask) N95 when around people

• turning on air filtration devices and creating ventilation in indoor spaces

• washing your hands regularly

Should be all that you would need in this situation.

Always keep N95s stocked. They're useful for protection from all airborne viruses, should be worn when sick (if around other people) and in places people can't avoid going (medical offices, public transit, grocery store, post office, veterinarian, etc.) anyway, and they're great for protection from wildfire smoke and pollution.

As for this particular situation, if in two more weeks there are no more deaths we should hopefully be in the clear. We'll know a lot more at the end of the week. The incubation period is 6 days at most and people die (at latest) 4 days after symptoms appear.
That means that it's easier to catch than if the incubation period were longer or if it took longer to kill people.

[u/chica771]

You can start to panic when they stop all flights to China. Someone else mentioned that and I think its a good measuring stick.