Russian precautionary measures after the death of a researcher from pneumonia, and Sanchez calls for early elections

The Russian authorities imposed “anti-epidemic measures” after the death of a researcher in a laboratory at an institute in Siberia that specializes in studying plague and other infectious diseases, after she contracted pneumonia, the source of which was not determined.

The American CNN network quoted Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian authority responsible for combating infectious diseases, as saying that the woman, a 28-year-old laboratory technician who works at the Irkutsk Institute for Research and Plague Control in Siberia, died after being diagnosed with pneumonia of “unknown” origin.

Maxim Modin, head of the Shelikhovsky District in eastern Russia, said that Russian authorities are implementing a “comprehensive set of anti-epidemic measures.”

He explained that the internal department of the hospital in which the researcher was treated was placed under quarantine, while several departments stopped receiving patients or allowed them to leave. Local reports indicated that other hospitals in the area were closed.

Modin pointed out that no cases of infectious diseases had been recorded among employees at the institute during the previous ten days, stressing that all people who had recent contact with the researcher were subject to examination and monitoring.

Unofficial reports stated that about 200 people were undergoing health monitoring.

The possibility that the death was linked to the plague raised a state of concern, after Alexei Tsydinov, the governor of the Russian region of Buryatia, said in a post on social media earlier that the researcher died “possibly due to the plague,” but at the same time he confirmed that “there are no cases of plague outbreak” in Buryatia.

Pneumonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and it can be easily transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets.

The other two types are usually spread as a result of contact with fleas, infected animals, or infected tissue.

Symptoms of pneumonic plague include fever, headache, weakness, and rapidly developing pneumonia, accompanied by shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough, and sometimes bloody or watery mucus may appear.

On the other hand, Gennady Onishchenko, former head of Rospotrebnadzor, said that the infection in the Irkutsk region “is most likely not the plague,” adding that “even if this is confirmed, there will be no spread of this disease.” He believed that lower temperatures with the onset of cold weather would likely limit transmission of infection.

As part of precautionary measures, an aluminum factory located near the laboratory asked its employees to wear masks. Factory director Artem Fominykh called for calm, noting that “there are many rumors and conflicting reports circulating.”

For its part, a spokeswoman for the US State Department told CNN on Sunday that the department is aware of a possible case of death resulting from pneumonic plague in Russia.

The spokeswoman said: “We are closely monitoring the situation in cooperation with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our other partners in government agencies. Many details have not yet been confirmed, and we urge the Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and transparently.”

The US Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that the US Centers for Disease Control is closely monitoring the situation in Russia, and that “the safety and security of American citizens is our highest priority.”

The World Health Organization has indicated that the plague has a high mortality rate, but it is easily treatable with antibiotics, in addition to taking the necessary preventive measures to prevent transmission of the infection.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday that he will call early legislative elections on November 29, after Parliament rejected, on Friday, measures proposed by his government to try to get out of the housing crisis.

In a speech he delivered from Moncloa Palace, the Socialist Prime Minister said: “In order to carry out the profound, pending reforms that we need... we must mobilize our energies... and obtain a much larger, progressive majority that enables us to appease the elites, extract new social gains, and continue changing Spain,” according to what Agence France-Presse reported.

“To do more, we need to renew and expand popular support,” Sanchez, who has been in office since 2018, emphasized in a televised speech, adding that his goal is “to secure a much broader progressive majority in Parliament.”

Tens of thousands of demonstrators went out in marches in Madrid and other Spanish cities, the day before yesterday, Saturday, to demand the provision of affordable housing.

The opposition parties in the Spanish Parliament had voted down the measures proposed by his government, which included automatic renewal of lease contracts and imposing restrictions on the eviction of tenants from the most needy groups.

The defeat angered protesters against the country's high housing market costs and highlighted the difficulties faced by the minority-led coalition government in passing legislation.

For several years, Spain has been operating under the 2023 budget, the latest national spending plan approved by the Sanchez government.

Providing affordable housing represents one of the most prominent social problems in Spain in recent years, but the protests took on a broader dimension after elderly tenant Maricarmen Abascal was forced to leave an apartment in which she had spent about 70 years, after a company took over the property and raised the rent by 275 percent.

Following the angry reactions, the new owners of the property reached an agreement allowing her to return to the apartment in exchange for a low rent.

Hundreds of demonstrators are camping out more than a week ago in the heart of Madrid to press for reforms.

Recent opinion polls generally indicate that the conservative People's Party - the main opposition party - is ahead of the Socialists.