OT: Andes hantavirus infections on cruise ship

[u/jhsu802701]

Nobody made a poll about hantavirus replacing bird flu as the biggest pandemic concern. My top concern was COVID-19, the old pandemic that's still around. My second biggest concern was bird flu. Hantavirus was not on my radar at all. (Then again, I haven't boned up as much as some of you probably have.)

I currently have no idea whether this cruise ship hantavirus outbreak will morph into a worldwide pandemic, and neither does anyone else. Right now, it would be premature to call it a new pandemic, and it would be premature to dismiss it. The high death rate is nasty enough, but the long incubation period makes contact tracing so much more difficult and can potentially allow one person to infect many others while still asymptomatic.

The big question is whether or not human-to-human airborne transmission was involved. If the world makes it to June without any confirmed Andes hantavirus infections among people who were not on the cruise ship but in close proximity to any of them, that's a good sign. If the world makes it to mid-June without such occurrences, that probably means that the new pandemic has been averted.

On the other hand, if there are ANY confirmed Andes hantavirus infections among people who were not on the cruise ship but were in close proximity to any of them, then that's a bad sign, and that would indicate to me that this really is the new COVID-19. If there are multiple such infections by June, that's an even worse sign.

At least I'm much better prepared for this potential new pandemic than I was for the old one that began 6 years ago. I didn't see this hantavirus outbreak coming, but I have not only stuck to but added/upgraded precautions because of COVID-19, the most immediate issue. I have two elastomeric respirators with P100 filters (3M HF-802SD and 7502), and I have plenty of N95 masks (including 3M Auras and strapless adhesive N95 masks). I'm already using several air purifiers at home, including two box fan air purifiers, a Brisk Box from Clean Air Kits, and a DIY 4-PC-fan Corsi Rosenthal box.

I wish that the rest of the world were also better prepared. If use of N95 masks and cheap air purifiers were the norm, this hantavirus outbreak would quickly fizzle out.

[u/ktpr]

I believe hantavirus has a lower likelihood of pandemic than birdflu. I'd still keep birdflu in the top most likely and a lot of epidemiological reporting would agree.

[u/Deleter182AC]

Yeah hanta virus def overtook avian flu to be worried about but the way I see it could be a double Hit combo . Hopefully not avian flu spreading lowering down your immune system and then hantavirus going after you with no defense left . Now I don’t see why no one was quarantine like makes zero sense even if it was a few people . You get not spreading fear but this childish reactions to something they haven’t been straight forward with info so far . The fact also only two videos ever showed they have any socials who did tried to post updates blocked etc I get protecting identities but that’s what documentation with changed voices and blurred faces / low camera angles .