please read this
this is not my normal post but i genuinely need at least one person to consider this. for context, in the US there has been an outbreak of the andes hantavirus on a cruise ship where ~140 people were on it. there has been 3 deaths so far and ~6 people are sick. however, ive been seeing so much fear-mongering and misinformation that i can't not say anything about it, even if no one listens.
this is not going to be the next covid and this is not going to be the next pandemic. the andes hantavirus, while being the only strain that can transmit from person-to-person (other hantaviruses exclusively transmit rodent-to-person), its not nearly as contagious as covid was. you have to be exposed to an infected individual for a prolonged period of time to get infected. covid only became a pandemic because of its highly infectious abilities.
yes, the hantavirus has a death rate of ~40%, but let me take your hand and tell you from the bottom of my heart that it's genuinely not something to worry about. as i mentioned before, person-to-person transmission of the hantavirus is rare. you dont see us scrambling to contain a highly fatal virus like rabies because it just doesnt spread very easily.
in times where misinformation, fear-mongering and lack of sympathy for the people on this boat, please take the time to inform yourself. do not believe what anyone says on tiktok or anywhere where misinformation is bred. i know its ironic coming from this tumblr post, and i dont claim to be an expert, but i will link some informative articles. if you aren't happy with the articles listed here, i highly encourage you to go out and do your own research if you dont believe me. if you think that i have some good points, please reblog this.
Hantavirus-associated cluster of illness on a cruise ship: ECDC assessment and recommendations
Hantavirus: Current Situation
Andes hantavirus update - Outbreak linked to MV Hondius
