Why hantavirus is not like COVID, according to infectious disease experts
Summary
A rare outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship has caused several illnesses and deaths, but health experts say the risk to the public is very low. Unlike COVID-19, hantavirus spreads only through close and prolonged contact and is not easily transmitted through the air.Key Facts
- At least 10 cases of hantavirus have been linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, including 3 deaths.
- Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus that is rare and usually found in dry areas.
- The strain involved, Andes virus, can spread from person to person but requires close contact.
- Symptoms develop differently from COVID-19, and the virus infects deep lung tissue, making airborne spread harder.
- Health officials say this outbreak is confined to the cruise ship and poses little risk of becoming a pandemic.
- The World Health Organization and CDC emphasize that this hantavirus outbreak is very different from COVID-19.
- Passengers exposed to the virus are under medical observation in specialized facilities.
- Experts compare the potential spread of hantavirus to a "wet log" that smolders and dies out, unlike COVID-19, which spread rapidly like a wildfire.
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