It wasn’t the Spanish Flu even at its worst (roughly a third the mortality rate with a much faster and farther reach absent any properly quarantining).
Much like with the AIDS epidemic or the Ebola outbreak, Hauntavirus has a slower rate of spread and avoidable vector for transmission, but a significantly higher mortality rate.
Much like with the AIDS epidemic or the Ebola outbreak, Hauntavirus has a slower rate of spread and avoidable vector for transmission, but a significantly higher mortality rate.
You sure you’re not talking about regular hantavirus? Most strains can’t transmit from person to person; they require vectors such as mice and other rodents. But the variant people are worried about is capable of spreading directly from person to person. Cruise ships and plains may make it easy to transmit viruses that require close personal contact. But they’re not exactly known for their rodent infestations.
But the variant people are worried about is capable of spreading directly from person to person.
Based on early investigations by health officials in May 2026, passengers on the cruise ship likely contracted hantavirus (specifically the Andes virus) through an initial, pre-boarding exposure to rodent droppings in South America
The ship itself is not seeing any cases between passengers, at least as far as I’ve seen in reports
There are plenty of known viruses that we don’t worry about simply because we’ve been lucky enough to keep them contained in very localized areas. But an epidemiologist could rattle off a whole series of viruses that they would say, “if this ever gets out and blows up, we are fucked.”
COVID-19 wasn’t the next Spanish Flu, until it was.
I HOPE it’s just another SARS/MERS thing, but it’s too early to tell.
Covid was a SARS virus tho?? literally SARS-CoV-2
It wasn’t the Spanish Flu even at its worst (roughly a third the mortality rate with a much faster and farther reach absent any properly quarantining).
Much like with the AIDS epidemic or the Ebola outbreak, Hauntavirus has a slower rate of spread and avoidable vector for transmission, but a significantly higher mortality rate.
It’s scary for different reasons.
You sure you’re not talking about regular hantavirus? Most strains can’t transmit from person to person; they require vectors such as mice and other rodents. But the variant people are worried about is capable of spreading directly from person to person. Cruise ships and plains may make it easy to transmit viruses that require close personal contact. But they’re not exactly known for their rodent infestations.
The ship itself is not seeing any cases between passengers, at least as far as I’ve seen in reports
Also, no one on the flights has confirmed Hantavirus either. The Flight Attendant is still an unknown but in testing.
Hopefully that’s the case.
It’s a known virus, so seems like a nothingburger to me (except a handful of people dying, that’s of course horrible).
There are plenty of known viruses that we don’t worry about simply because we’ve been lucky enough to keep them contained in very localized areas. But an epidemiologist could rattle off a whole series of viruses that they would say, “if this ever gets out and blows up, we are fucked.”