India, Oct. 8 -- The death of a young woman who worked at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute in southeastern Siberia, Russia, has sparked fears of a pneumonic plague outbreak. Her death reportedly involved an incident with a live bacterium. Following the incident at the laboratory, nearly 200 people were reportedly placed in isolation. As reports of a possible leak circulated, netizens responded with their characteristic sardonic humour, with the classic plague doctor costume also making a comeback online.

The 17th-century plague doctor costume has flooded social media feeds, with Gen Z putting a sarcastic spin on its uncanny appearance. Historically worn by physicians treating plague patients in Europe, the eerie but historicout...