Five Hantavirus Cases Confirmed, Three Deaths on MV Hondius Cruise Ship
Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus occurred aboard the vessel, according to reports on the outbreak. Matthew Yglesias checked with knowledgeable medical professionals who stated they are not particularly worried. The incident highlights broader questions about pandemic preparedness as one recommended respirator maker has gone out of business.
thehindu.comFive cases of hantavirus have been confirmed and three deaths have occurred in an outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. Human-to-human transmission of the virus took place on the vessel. Matthew Yglesias checked with knowledgeable medical professionals about the hantavirus outbreak.
Those professionals stated they are not particularly worried about this particular outbreak. Yglesias said that when he first heard about the human-to-human transmission of hantavirus on a cruise ship he checked that his household box of emergency supplies was where he thought it was.
That box includes a brand of elastomeric respirator that he saw recommended by a biosecurity expert on a podcast in October.
He later went online to find the link to the company so he could share it with others only to discover that the company that made the brand of elastomeric respirator recommended by the biosecurity expert went out of business. @mattyglesias reported that this development sums up the problem with pandemics.
@mattyglesias reported that while it is good to hear that the objective threat level from this outbreak is lower than he initially feared, issuing instructions not to panic does not add very much.
The implication is that everyone should continue going about their day without changing anything. @mattyglesias reported that it is possible that is correct advice for individuals and their families. Yet his sense is that most American households have under-reacted to the threat of novel virus outbreaks, which is perhaps why companies making well-reviewed respirators go out of business.
