“This is not coronavirus," said Maria van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization (WHO), at a May 7 press conference about the outbreak. "I want to be unequivocal here; this is not SARS-CoV-2 and not the start of a COVID pandemic.”
Hantavirus is normally transmitted when people come into contact with infected rodents or their excretions. It can cause severe disease in people by infiltrating the respiratory system and in some cases even the kidneys. Hantavirus has a fatality rate up to 40%.
Read More: We Aren’t Ready for the Next Pandemic. This Game Proves It
Previous outbreaks—most notably in 2018 in Argentina, where the virus is endemic—showed that people infected with Andes could pass on the virus to close or intimate contacts, likely via droplets containing the virus that are released when people cough. Abdirahman Mahamud, head of health emergency alert and response operations at WHO, said at the press conference that the current outbreak “feels quite familiar to the 2018 outbreak in Argentina,” in which 34 cases were reported, and that “we don’t anticipate a large epidemic. With the experience our member states have, and the actions they have taken, we believe it should not lead to subsequent chains of transmission.”
What's happening with the passengers?
The cruise ship is currently on its way to the Canary Islands where passengers and crew are expected to disembark. No one on board is currently symptomatic, said Ghebreyesus—who is in regular contact with the ship's captain—and people are being asked to stay in their cabins, which have been sanitized.
Read More: Hobbies May Be the Key to a Satisfying Life. Here’s How to Find One
One man is currently hospitalized in South Africa after being flown there. He remains in intensive care but is improving, said van Kerkhove. Three others were evacuated from the ship on May 6; two are in stable condition, and the other person is not experiencing any symptoms. The latest case is a man who disembarked from the ship in Saint Helena and flew to Zurich, where he developed symptoms. (The ship’s operator sent emails to all disembarked passengers about the outbreak with instructions that anyone with symptoms should seek health care.) Health officials in Zurich tested his virus and confirmed he was infected with Andes virus.
A challenge during a fragile public-health moment
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet held any public briefings on the outbreak, despite the fact that U.S. passengers are on board. On May 6, the CDC released a statement that "the Administration is closely monitoring the situation" and "working closely with our international partners to provide technical assistance and guidance to mitigate risk." The WHO also said it is exchanging information with CDC officials.
“This is what makes a platform like WHO very, very important," Ghebreyesus said during the WHO briefing. "Because of the event happening now, in which both Argentina and the U.S. are affected, I think they will reconsider their decisions because they can see how important universality is for health security. Because viruses don’t care about our policies. Viruses don’t care about our borders. I hope this could be a good lesson for the whole world, because solidarity is our best immunity.”
Hence then, the article about the hantavirus outbreak is serious but it s no covid health officials say was published today ( ) and is available on Time ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The Hantavirus Outbreak Is Serious. But It's No COVID, Health Officials Say )
Also on site :