A recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship headed to the Netherlands from Argentina has sparked lots of concern online after the infection of multiple passengers and the reports of several deaths from the virus. The outbreak quickly gained a lot of attention, especially in social media, with people even comparing the virus to COVID-19, questioning whether another pandemic could happen again anytime soon.
However, experts have stated that the situation is very different from the COVID-19 pandemic. Hantaviruses has existed for years, and are commonly linked to rodents, especially through exposure to droppings or urine in very enclosed areas. As researchers are still continuing their studies of the recent incident on the cruise ship Hondius, many health professionals believe that there is still limited evidence that the hantavirus could spread easily between humans.
“We just treat it like the flu,” said Rio’s school nurse, Mr. Saeteurn. “There’s already well known precautions for droplet conditions that are documented.” According to Mr. Saeteurn, any students showing symptoms such as fever or breathing difficulties would likely be sent home and advised to seek medical attention if symptoms get worse.
Rio environmental science teacher Dr. Jensen also explained that one reason the outbreak has worried people is because scientists are still learning about how transmissible the virus may be, and many worry it could be easily transmissible between humans. “The problem is that epidemiologists [people who study virus transmission] need to do a lot more research.” Dr. Jensen said. “There’s just so many other things we don’t know yet about it, and that’s the part of what makes people scared.”
The recent outbreak has also shown how quickly misinformation and fear could easily spread online. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become more sensitive to news that involves infectious diseases, especially when there are deaths being reported or even possible transmissions being involved between humans.
Even with the growing concern online, health experts continue to stress that hantavirus cases remain very rare in the United States. For now, awareness and prevention is much more important than panic.
