Something about this story really has my antenna up. A 28-year-old researcher at an anti-plague institute in Russia is dead after developing severe pneumonia. Nearly 200 people who may have had contact with Daria Shipilova were placed under medical observation. Hospitals were reportedly quarantined. Public events in the region were canceled. The White House says it is monitoring the situation. But Russian authorities still aren't saying exactly what killed her. Reports say Shipilova accidentally broke a test tube containing live plague bacteria while collecting samples. Except a senior Russian epidemiologist isn't buying that explanation. Mikhal Favorov called the broken test tube story “laughable.” He says someone working at an anti-plague institute would be wearing specialized protective equipment and that simply breaking a test tube would carry a very low risk of infection. Then he reportedly said this: “We will not be told what really happened.” Well, that certainly gets my attention. Russia says Shipilova died from pneumonia of unknown origin and says testing found no microorganisms connected to her work. So what happened? A young researcher at an anti-plague institute suddenly dies. Nearly 200 contacts are monitored. Hospitals are quarantined. Public events are canceled. American officials are watching. And we're still being told remarkably little about the disease that caused all of it. After everything the world went through with COVID, I think we've earned the right to ask questions when a story involving a laboratory, a mysterious infectious illness and government secrecy doesn't add up. What aren't we being told? See the link to the article in the comments.