WHO says Hantavirus is serious but ‘not the next Covid’
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The World Health Organization has said Hantavirus is a serious infectious disease but is not comparable to COVID-19 or influenza in the way it spreads.
During a press briefing, WHO head of epidemic and pandemic prevention Maria Van Kerkhove said the virus has a “totally different way of spread” and that the overall risk to the general public remains minimal.
“This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease,” she said, adding that “most people will never be exposed to this.”
Van Kerkhove said the virus is transmitted through close human contact among exposed individuals, but stressed that it does not spread in the same manner as COVID-19 or the flu.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation was continuing to work with governments and partners to care for affected individuals, protect passengers, and prevent further spread of the virus.
The outbreak has been linked to the Dutch cruise liner MV Hondius, where the first infections were identified. Tedros said conditions on the ship had improved and that the situation was now under control.
WHO officials said contact tracing efforts are underway for people who may have been exposed. Supportive care currently remains the primary treatment approach for Hantavirus patients.