Posted by Isaac Obenson | Mar. 26, 2020 @ 10:30 PM
According to Edinburgh News, “a man from China's Yunnan Province died after testing positive for hantavirus, a rare type of virus transmitted from rodents to humans.” This man died on a chattered bus of 32 fellow passengers (who are currently under screening) while he was returning from work. The death of this individual has caused panic on social media as messages have been forwarded from friends and relatives indicating the birth of a new virus outbreak that if added to the Coronavirus pandemic might cause the world to be locked down forever. However, is Hantavirus that deadly enough to cause the world to panic or lockdown as seen in the case of COVID-19? Here are some interesting facts about the virus that will reveal the answer to that question:
Hantaviruses are viruses that usually infect rodents (animals like rats, mice, squirrels, hamsters, porcupines, and their relatives, distinguished by strong constantly growing incisors and no canine teeth) without causing any disease in them. This viral disease was first reported in the U.S. in 1993 and can be transmitted to humans through the urine or saliva or feces of rodents.
Hantavirus can cause diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a respiratory disease whose symptoms can include fever, cough, headache, lethargy, and shortness of breath, which may quickly worsen into respiratory failure. To avoid this virus, one needs to intensify the personal hygiene of washing the hands with running water and soap for 20 - 30 seconds after having any interaction with rats, mice, or any of their relatives.
Some researchers claim the virus is more dangerous than the Coronavirus because based on previously confirmed cases, it has a mortality rate of 35%. However, others claim the virus has a mortality rate of 38%.
Yes, a series of epidemiological investigations have been opened by the World Health Organisation to study how the virus can easily spread and to know whether the virus can be transmitted from human-to-human to raise public awareness.
To sum up, now that it has been known that the Hantavirus is an old disease that was first reported in the U.S. in 1993 which shows symptoms like fever, cough, headache, lethargy, and shortness of breath, which may quickly worsen into respiratory failure and has a mortality rate of 38% which makes it more dangerous than Coronavirus, the World Health Organisation needs to dig deep into the spread by not relying on the reports from China and prevent the outbreak of another deadly virus which might raise death toll in the world above the sky.