Facts that have me LESS worried about the reported plague incident in Russia: COVID became a pandemic largely because people spread it before they fall ill. Pneumonic plague spreads from the ill. Pneumonic plague is a known disease which has had several recent outbreaks in Madagascar and DR Congo without causing a pandemic. A 2017 outbreak in Madagascar had 2000+ cases in a country of 26 million. Still no pandemic. The Russian incident happened at an institute specialized in plague control.