IMA Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs Dr. Ryan Cole joined The National News Desk to separate fact from fiction in reports of a suspected plague death in Russia. A young woman who worked at a plague research laboratory in Siberia died after developing severe pneumonia, but testing has not confirmed plague. Dr. Cole explains that the story first spread through a Telegram channel, and that 90% of the roughly 200 people placed under observation have already been released. One death, he notes, does not make an outbreak.
Dr. Cole also takes on social media posts linking the case to an experimental mRNA plague vaccine, which he points out has only been studied in animal models. He explains that pneumonic plague rarely spreads from person to person, is treatable with antibiotics when caught early, and circulates on every continent except Australia among rodents and fleas most people rarely encounter. Looking back at COVID, when conclusions were drawn before the evidence was in, he urges Americans to demand evidence before believing a viral headline.
Check out these related resources from IMA below, followed by the full segment transcript.
Transcript
Jan Jeffcoat: A laboratory worker in Russia has died after developing severe pneumonia, and nearly 200 people were reportedly placed under medical observation. Headlines quickly turned to pneumonic plague, but Russia has not confirmed that diagnosis, and the World Health Organization says it still does not have a full picture. Now social media is connecting this developing story to research on experimental plague vaccines, but again, no evidence has established a connection between it and the Russian death. So when the facts are thin, fear fills the gaps. And after COVID, Americans of course have every right to demand transparency without letting speculation do the reporting. So joining us right now to break it all down and tell us what we do know is Dr. Ryan Cole, Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs at the Independent Medical Alliance. Good morning to you, Dr. Cole. Let’s just do this right away. Let’s separate fact from fiction. What do we know about this death in Russia? What remains unconfirmed, and why does transparency matter so much here?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Well, obviously there was a tragic death in a young woman, and our hearts go out to her family. However, it was not plague from what we understand so far. I think it’s important to realize it’s already flu and cold and low vitamin D season in the part of Siberia where she lives. Yes, she worked in a plague laboratory. However, all the tests have not confirmed that it was plague, and those laboratories have very strict procedures. If there’s any lab accident, they’re already in protective gear, and they would be placed on prophylactic antibiotics right away. So the media is running with a story without any evidence.
Jan Jeffcoat: So how did this come about? Was there some type of a report that came out? And why aren’t we getting more transparency, do you think?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Well, it did come out on a social media Telegram channel from a supposed political figure in an adjoining province. So there’s basically a lot of running with a story without a lot of evidence. I think the Russians have been reasonably forward with the information they’ve provided so far. Yes, they isolated 200 people, 90% of whom have been released already, just out of precaution. But there’s no evidence that it’s spread. It’s not an outbreak when one person passes. So there’s a lot of verbiage and hype and wording on social media without any evidence to back it.
Jan Jeffcoat: And if it was pneumonic plague, how would it spread, how is it treated, and does a quarantine automatically mean the public is facing a broader outbreak?
Dr. Ryan Cole: No. It’s very difficult to spread from one person to another. Just rare cases have been reported, even with droplets. One would have to be exposed to heavy amounts of rodents and fleas. This is a research laboratory that’s been around for almost 100 years. It’s in a plague area, but it’s a treatable disease when caught early. Once it gets to the pneumonia phase, you have to treat with antibiotics right away. Otherwise it can be fatal, but it’s not readily spread person to person.
Jan Jeffcoat: And people are also seeing posts about an experimental mRNA plague vaccine and assuming it must be connected to this case. So what does the research actually show, what does it not show, and why is that distinction so critical here?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Great question. Yeah, it is in development, but it’s only in animal models so far, not approved for humans. Would I ever take an mRNA vaccine? Never. There’s just too many risks to it. Look, plague exists on every continent except for Australia, and there are outbreaks every year. About 2,000 people a year get plague. The majority of deaths have actually been in the Congo and in Madagascar, 98% of the 400 deaths. So it’s very, very rare. It’s ubiquitous in the environment, and it’s something we don’t worry about because we’re not generally exposed to those rodents and fleas that carry it. It’s even in the region where I live.
Jan Jeffcoat: Which is the Northwest.
Dr. Ryan Cole: Yeah, yeah, it is.
Jan Jeffcoat: So you’re saying we should be watchful, not fearful. So after the failures of COVID, what should Americans rightly demand from health authorities, and what questions should they ask before believing a viral headline?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Well, we were certainly allowed to ask questions at first, but conclusions were drawn before evidence was present. So what we must demand is evidence. And so don’t live in fear. Try to keep yourself healthy. This is just more hype about something that’s most likely not going to affect you, and probably distracting from more important things in your life.
Jan Jeffcoat: All right, Dr. Ryan Cole, thank you for helping us put some of these reports into perspective. For more information on this topic and resources from the Independent Medical Alliance, you can visit imahealth.org. Hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for joining us.
Dr. Ryan Cole: Thank you, Jan.
