Hantavirus: The World Health Organization (WHO) has send shivers to billions of people worldwide by remarking that Hantavirus is significantly more lethal on a case-by-case basis when compared to COVID-19 that claims millions of lives worldwide.
Hantavirus Cases And Severity
Recently, reports emerged of a hantavirus-related incident aboard a cruise ship. This triggered widespread panic and discussions about whether the world could be facing another infectious disease crisis after COVID-19 that caused the deaths of about 7,010,681 people worldwide while impacting the lives of 704,753,890 people across the world.
Experts are now claiming that medical Hantavirus is not the new COVID even though it is highly lethal on a case-by-case basis, especially if diagnosis and treatment are delayed.
AIIMS Doctor Weighs In
Dr Puneet Misra, Professor of Community Medicine at AIIMS Delhi, remarked that Hantavirus infections are not new to the scientific community. However, public awareness remains low, which can lead to panic, misinformation and delayed recognition of symptoms.
What Exactly Is Hantavirus?
Hantavirus disease is caused by a group of viruses that are primarily spread through rodents such as rats and mice. Humans become infected when they inhale virus particles present in rodent urine, droppings or saliva. The infection may also spread when contaminated dust particles become airborne, especially in poorly ventilated spaces.
Dr Puneet Misra explains that Hantavirus disease is a viral disease spread by a group of viruses and the recent episode, which has alarmed the public, happened on a cruise, and this infection is not new. Misra added that COVID was a new virus and we did not know anything about COVID while the mode of transmission was through the respiratory route. Misra added Hantavirus spreads through rodents, rats and mice.
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