FBI Warns Scientists After Finding Suspicious Package With 'Unknown Substance' Mailed to COVID-19 Researchers

The warnings come at a time when researchers like Dr. Anthony Fauci have received death threats amid the ongoing pandemic

Many researchers of the University of Washington have been warned by the FBI to watch out for suspicious mail after the federal law enforcement agency informed the school about a suspicious package that was sent to a coronavirus or COVID-19 scientist somewhere else.

In a mail, the university cited the FBI and stated that a threatening mail was sent to COVID-19 scientists on the east coast that contained an unknown substance, which the bureau was testing to understand if it was hazardous, as reported by the BuzzFeed News

The email that was sent to around 500 researchers in the biological sciences advised them to watch out for suspicious packages that include any having 'oily stains, discoloration, or a strange odor'.

FBI Warns Researchers About Suspicious Package

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) YouTube Grab

A spokesperson of the FBI confirmed that the agency along with the local law enforcement partners responded to a suspicious package sent to some researchers. The spokesperson added that according to preliminary testing there is no threat.

The warnings came at a time when researchers like Dr. Anthony Fauci have received death threats and people also have been taking to the streets to protest the lockdowns. The FBI did not provide any more information regarding the mail, as reported by BuzzFeed News.

The University of Washington's Environmental Health & Safety department advised the researchers to look out for suspicious packages. The University of Washington has become one of the major centers of research regarding the deadly pandemic.

The deadly virus outbreak has created a major stir around the world in recent times infecting more than 26.6 million people globally and claiming the lives of over 876,000 people worldwide. The US is the worst affected nation followed by Brazil and India. The virus that probably originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan has affected the global economy a lot. An effective vaccine is expected by the first quarter of 2021.

Related topics : Coronavirus
READ MORE