Hong Kong enacts pneumonia checks for arrivals from Russia after mystery lab death

Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has stepped up checks for arrivals from Russia after a lab worker in Siberia died from severe pneumonia of undetermined causes earlier this month.

The World Health Organization (WHO) became aware of the death at the Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute on October 2, according to a statement on its website: “According to these reports, the individual died on 2 October following hospitalization for severe pneumonia on 29 September, and pneumonic plague was suspected as the cause of death, following occupational exposure in laboratory settings.”

Russian authorities told the WHO that no reports of plague, biosecurity incidents, or high-threat pathogens had been registered recently in the region, and that control measures had been implemented.

According to Reuters, around 200 people were placed in quarantine following the incident.

In a Monday statement, the CHP cited the WHO as saying that there was no evidence of ongoing transmission linked to the event: “Nevertheless, for the sake of prudence, the CHP has implemented a series of control and prevention measures… a key uncertainty remains the absence of a confirmed diagnosis in the deceased laboratory worker.”

The CHP added that it has not observed any cases of residents or travellers from Russia presenting with pneumonia of undetermined origin. However, Port Health Division officers have stepped up temperature checks at relevant flight gates, with announcements urging recent visitors to Irkutsk Oblast to declare their travel history to Department of Health staff.

The CHP also said it would write to all doctors and hospitals in the city, urging them to remain vigilant: “The CHP reminds travellers that if they develop respiratory symptoms after returning to Hong Kong, they should wear a face mask, seek medical attention and report their travel history to a doctor.”

Pandemic jitters

Local and global health authorities have been on high alert since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which began as a cluster in Wuhan, China, in early 2020.

Last Thursday, HK01 reported that sales of disposable masks had spiked, with local manufacturer Hong Kong Mask saying on Threads last Wednesday that it had seen a 719 per cent surge in orders.

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Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 as the city's first crowdfunded newspaper. He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously founded an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others.

Tom leads HKFP – raising funds, managing the team and navigating risk – whilst regularly speaking on press freedom, ethics and media funding at industry events, schools and conferences around the world.