Everything related to hantavirus and the MV Hondius cruise is causing great fear among the population. A virus that comes from another country and has already left several dead, quarantines, security protocols... It is impossible not to think about the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic. Possibly that is why the Government of the Canary Islands has shown its disagreement with the decision of the WHO and the Central Government of Spain to take the boat to the Port of Granadilla in Abona, in Tenerife, to evacuate the sick.
The truth is that fear is a totally logical reaction. However, many experts have called for calm, recalling that the pandemic potential of hantavirus is very low and that, in addition, Spanish Health has the capacity to treat this crisis in a safe way for the population. On the other hand, they add what the president of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, have already said. “Solidarity is very important in cases like this.”
What do we know so far about this virus?
Hatavirus is not a new virus. That is the first factor that differentiates it from SARS-CoV 2, causing COVID-19. The disease that causes is known since the 1950s, when the first cases were detected in South Korea. However, the virus was not isolated until 1976. The cells that were extracted came from mice that lived near the Hantan River, also in this Asian country. His name is right there.
