The now famous hantavirus has been catching the public eye for its resemblance to the infamous Covid-19 that locked down the whole world for years. Many people are extremely on edge remembering the long stays at home and isolation of the previous pandemic. The deadly illness typically transferred through rodents has infected 8 people with three deaths so far representing the mortality rate that averages around 40%. A total of 147 people were aboard the ship when the outbreak happened. The cruise ship named the Hondius carried 23 nations representing diverse regions which could have increased the chance of illness because of the various places. The now known patient zero is a man named Leo Schilperoord a Dutch bird watcher who had recently taken a trip to South America in a landfill infested with rodents which is the most likely cause of illness.
The event has been classified as a level 3 response by US officials. 30 passengers were let off the boat when it docked at Saint Helena which received some panic from the public who did not want a repeat of the Covid crisis. The question is should you worry about Hantavirus; the answer is with current information according to major health organizations such as WHO and American/British medical experts say no. They say that the virus is being extensively monitored and is “geographically constrained” requiring close contact for long periods of time to spread from person to person. All in all, experts believe we learned our lesson from the Covid outbreak and this should stay contained.