After an outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, it's the virus going viral on the news and on social media—hantavirus.
Officials say the virus gone viral, hantavirus will not be COVID-19 part two
Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, associate professor of pulmonary & critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University, breaks down what it is.
“The majority of the spread of it has always been linked with rodents and mice and so forth, usually their feces, etc.," Galiatsatos said.
“When inhaled and ultimately causing some pulmonary issues, some lung issues, a type of really bad pneumonia, for instance, that leads to respiratory compromise and respiratory failure.”
According to the CDC, the cruise ship departed from Argentina on April 1st.
On May 2nd, the World Health Organization was notified of respiratory illnesses among passengers and crew.
It was identified as hantavirus; so far three people on the ship have died from it.
As people are now evacuating the ship, including 17 Americans, people are wondering if this will be COVID-19 part two.
A Virginian who might've been exposed is leaving Marylanders with more worries.
Dr. Galiatsatos explained that people have nothing to panic about.
“Hantavirus is really difficult to spread person to person. I mean, to breathe in the air they’re breathing out, I mean, you’d have to be with them in close proximity for 40 minutes. So from my standpoint, we’re not looking at a pandemic to happen from Hantavirus.”
But officials are still taking it seriously.
"The urgency we’re taking on is more of that of public health interest and strong intellectual curiosity so we can understand how this occurred that way we can prevent the next one. If there is someone that’s identified with these symptoms, quarantine.”
He also advises people to stay away from others who might have been exposed.
“If there’s one lesson to learn from COVID-19, is continue finding trusted voices, trusted resources so you can take this information and understand how to best apply it to your life.”
The CDC is working to increase awareness of the outbreak among travelers, public health agencies, laboratories, and healthcare professionals nationwide.
