Technology and Science07 October, 20262 min read
Influencer Clavicular Says Doxycycline Stops Plague in Russia, Times of India Warns Against Daily Antibiotics
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Clavicular claims daily doxycycline protects against pneumonic plague linked to Russia incident. Death of a lab worker at Irkutsk plague institute triggers widespread media coverage.
DoxyPEP claim sparks backlash
Influencer Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, wrote on X that he takes doxycycline daily as part of his looksmaxing routine because it lets him avoid STIs. Clavicular then claimed, "Now, doxycycline is the rare drug to stop the plague in Russia," linking the antibiotic to pneumonic plague despite the reporting that doxyPEP does not provide established protection against the disease. The Times of India described Peters as making an unsupported claim about pneumonic plague in Russia and noted that doxyPEP is an antibiotic-based prevention strategy used to reduce the risk of certain sexually transmitted infections.
“Now, doxycycline is the rare drug to stop the plague in Russia.”
The Times of India also said the comments came shortly after Peters reportedly faced serious criminal charges, adding scrutiny to his latest online activity. The Times of India warned that people should not take antibiotics daily or change an existing medication routine based on claims made online.
Russian lab death and quarantine
A Russian laboratory death involving a 28-year-old lab worker, identified as Darya Shipilova, triggered international attention after she fell sick and died a few days later, with reporting that about 200 people were kept in quarantine in Siberia's Irkutsk region. The Deccan Herald said it was announced that the lab worker died of pneumonia of undetermined etiology and cited a Science report that the governor of the neighboring republic of Buryatia stated the woman died "possibly from the plague". The People account described the case as involving pneumonia of "undetermined" origin and said 200 people in contact with Shipilova were placed under medical observation.
The Well News reported that President Donald Trump said, "We’re looking at it very strongly," as his administration continued monitoring reports of a possible death related to the plague in Russia’s Irkutsk region. The Well News also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio relied on information provided by Russia and understood that a laboratory worker had become ill and died, prompting internal quarantines.
WHO asks for clarity
The People article said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, issued a statement asking for clarity on the situation, writing, "WHO has requested further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia."
The People article also quoted Dr. Sohaib Imtiaz, PEOPLE Inc.'s Chief Medical Officer, saying pneumonic plague is "the fastest-moving and the only one that passes from person to person".
The Well News reported that Russian health authorities had not confirmed that plague was the cause of Shipilova’s death and had not identified any pathogen linked to her work, while saying expanded tests found no microorganisms associated with her professional activities.
The Well News added that Irkutsk Gov. Igor Kobzev said people identified as close contacts were under medical observation and had shown no signs of illness, with their test results negative.
The Deccan Herald said infectious disease experts believed the probability of it being an endemic or a pandemic is close to zero, while also describing the stakes around lab security and hygiene.