Suspected Russian plague, Internal Medicine specialist, Dr Priyam Bordoloi, has explained that the suspected plague case reported in Russia is unlikely to develop into a pandemic similar to COVID-19.
He explained the disease’s rapid progression, availability of effective treatment and preventive measures for exposed persons.
In a post shared on X on October 6, 2026, Dr Bordoloi said there are important differences between pneumonic plague and COVID-19 that could limit the ability of plague to spread extensively through communities.
He explained that pneumonic plague can make patients severely ill within a short period, with untreated cases potentially becoming fatal within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms.
According to him, this rapid progression can limit the opportunities for infected people to continue working, travelling and socialising.
“The most infectious phase usually comes when patients are already very sick and coughing. They have less opportunity to keep working, travelling and socialising,” he said.
Dr Bordoloi contrasted this with COVID-19, which could be transmitted before infected people developed noticeable symptoms, allowing them to interact with others while feeling well.
He said another major difference is that effective medicines for plague are already available. Antibiotics such as gentamicin and levofloxacin can be used to treat the infection when administered promptly.
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“When COVID-19 first emerged, we didn’t have proven effective antivirals against it. For plague, treatment is already available,” he noted.
The specialist further pointed to the availability of preventive treatment for people who have been exposed to an infected person.
He said preventive antibiotics can help stop close contacts from developing plague, giving health authorities an additional opportunity to interrupt transmission before symptoms appear.
Dr Bordoloi said these measures, when combined with early treatment, isolation and contact tracing, provide health authorities with established tools to contain the disease.
Although plague is a serious bacterial infection that can become life-threatening rapidly, he stressed that the availability of established treatment and prevention measures distinguishes the current situation from the early days of COVID-19, when the world was dealing with a previously unknown virus.
He therefore urged the public to remain vigilant while avoiding unnecessary panic.
“Stay alert. No panic,” Dr Bordoloi stressed.
See the post below
The suspected Russian plague case is unlikely to become another COVID-19.
Three reasons:
1. It makes people severely ill FAST. Untreated pneumonic plague can kill within 24 hours of symptoms.
Here’s why that limits its spread. ↓
— Dr. Priyam Bordoloi (@DocPriyamMD) October 6, 2026
