Why a 17th-Century Plague Doctor Outfit Is Trending Online Amid Siberia Outbreak Fears

The death of a young woman working at the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute in southeastern Siberia has sparked fears of a pneumonic plague outbreak. Her death involved an incident with a live bacterium at the laboratory. Following the incident, nearly 200 people were placed in isolation as reports of a possible leak circulated online.

Social Media Trend

Netizens responded to the news with sardonic humour, causing the classic 17th-century plague doctor costume to flood social media feeds and video reels. Gen Z users put a sarcastic spin on the eerie appearance. Some people compared the white PPE suits worn by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic to the historic plague doctor outfit. Other videos featured users calling the costume a new summer dress, or dressing up in the ensemble to do trending dances and aura farm.

Costume Details

Historically worn by physicians treating plague patients in Europe, the outfit includes an iconic mask with glass eyes and a large beak, a leather wide-brimmed hat, and a long coat or robe. Black gloves, sturdy boots, and a wooden walking cane complete the look. Doctors wore the attire to protect themselves from the contagious airborne disease, filling the bird-like beak mask with herbs, dried flowers, and other aromatic substances to block bad smells known as miasma. The wax and leathery robe shielded them against blood, coughs, and fleas, while the cane allowed them to examine patients without direct contact.

Context

Social media users frequently turn real-world anxieties and health scares into dark internet humour and viral fashion trends. Historically, plague doctors became associated with death because isolated patients often saw them as the final human contact before dying.