Infectious Disease Specialist Clarifies Hantavirus Risks Amid Cruise Ship Monitoring
Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, has addressed concerns regarding the hantavirus, emphasizing that it is not poised to become the next COVID-19. This clarification comes as at least five U.S. states are monitoring passengers from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak. Dr. Gandhi explained that hantavirus, unlike COVID-19, is not transmitted from person to person but rather through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. The virus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory disease, but its transmission method significantly limits its spread compared to COVID-19.