Hantavirus is not the new COVID-19, despite what social media says
Anyone who is even remotely online has likely seen the news about a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship. But what you may not have seen is the real truth behind what’s going on, without all the fear and hype.
The news has taken over the internet, getting broad coverage from news organizations and spreading rapidly on social media. That massive spread has led to a lot of fear, a lot of misinformation and a lot of misleading information.
And having just been through a deadly pandemic a few years ago, it makes sense that some may see the headlines and immediately revert to their COVID-19 personas. But a look at the facts behind the outbreak should be enough to stop people from hoarding toilet paper.
The internet is spiraling
Searching hantavarius on TikTok brings a flood of videos from people saying they’ve once again started wearing face masks at airports. Others are joking about stocking up on toilet paper before the “world shuts down again,” and purchasing ring lights so they don’t miss out on their opportunity to become an influencer.
All this, as there have been just a few confirmed cases.
Just this week, a user posted a thread on Reddit asking if the virus is “something to worry about.”
“I’m starting to get really freaked out about hantavirus,” The user wrote. “It seems like something people don’t survive, I feel like it might just be because I’m seeing so many videos, but I can’t stop thinking about it.”
The user is expressing what many are probably feeling, and depending on the platform you’re using, responses vary. On TikTok, comments are flooded with scared Americans, some spreading false information, adding to the concern regarding the virus outbreak and what could happen next.
Meanwhile, users on Reddit are trying to calm people down, acknowledging that the disease can be serious but has also been around for decades.
One user replied to the Reddit Thread, saying that fact is what many are missing.
“This is what people are missing,” the user replied. “We’ve been dealing with this for decades. It’s not new. Doesn’t mean it can’t become the worst outbreak, but there’s no real reason to think it will.”
And despite folks trying to quell some fears, fearful comments seem to be overpowering social media, likely leading to a lot of anxiety. So, let’s look at the facts.
Here’s what’s really happening
The outbreak was first reported earlier this week, when three passengers died after being on board the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship carrying around 150 passengers.
As of Thursday, there have been five additional confirmed cases and three suspected infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) told NBC News.
Three people were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday, two with hantavirus and one suspected of having the infection. They were flown to Europe for treatment.
An additional 29 passengers, including six Americans, left the vessel on April 24, after the first Hantavirus death. Now, the CDC is working to track down those passengers and monitor their health.
The ship remains at sea, and health officials are monitoring the health of the remaining passengers and crew.
The facts of Hantavirus
Now, while all that sounds scary, it’s important to note a few other things. For one, this disease has been around for decades. The U.S., specifically, began tracking the disease in 1993, during an outbreak in the Four Corners region of the Southwest.
From then, through 2023, the U.S. has seen a total of 890 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority occurred on the West Coast, spanning from Texas and Kansas to California.
Of those cases, 564 patients lived.
Another important takeaway is the disease’s transmissibility. Primarily, rodents carry the disease, which is most often transmitted through exposure to infected droppings or urine.
While human-to-human transmission is possible, the WHO said it remains uncommon. When it does occur, WHO says it’s limited to people who have experienced close, prolonged contact, particularly between household members and intimate partners.
Public health expert Professor Lawrence Gostin, an internationally recognized scholar at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University, spoke with Straight Arrow’s Craig Nigrelli about the disease’s transmissibility.
He told Craig, “It’s very unlikely that, being in close quarters, you’ll contract the virus from another person.”
When speaking of those on board the ship, he said it’s more likely that if they get the disease, it’s because they were exposed to contaminated rat or mice droppings.
COVID-19 left a lasting impact
Many of the facts from WHO should be enough to quell fears regarding the outbreak, but the COVID-19 pandemic could be playing a part in hanatavirus anxiety.
As Straight Arrow previously reported, COVID-19 broke something in many Americans, and in the years since, things haven’t quite returned to normal. Many are living in “survival mode,” a state where a person’s nervous system remains activated, waiting for the next crisis to drop in their lap.
Dr. Ash Bhatt, chief medical director at Legacy Healing Center, told Straight Arrow that people have an “ongoing hypervigilance.” Folks are feeling constantly “on” and mentally overloaded.
That ongoing high-stress feeling could be contributing to what the internet is promoting as the next big crisis across the globe.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
