The people of Ukraine are already living a nightmare—and the World Health Organization has given it some extraordinary advice to prevent the dire situation from getting any worse. According to Reuters, WHO advised Ukraine to destroy any disease-causing pathogens held in its labs in case Russian forces targeted the facilities and caused a lab leak. WHO told Reuters it has worked with Ukrainian public-health labs for years to help prevent “accidental or deliberate release of pathogens.” It added: “As part of this work, WHO has strongly recommended to the Ministry of Health in Ukraine and other responsible bodies to destroy high-threat pathogens to prevent any potential spills.” The agency refused to say what kinds of pathogens are kept in Ukraine’s laboratories, and Ukrainian officials haven’t said whether or not the advice has been followed.
