Many health departments, such as the World Health Organization, are continuing to make multiple bold claims relating to the recent “outbreak” of Hantavirus. It may be very rare, but it also is very deadly. Doctors and government agencies reassure people that it’s something not to worry about, but it’s always good to be extra cautious when protecting the world from another pandemic. It’s the kind of thing most people leave alone until it’s too late, like when Covid-19 was first reported overseas in 2019.
Before discussing the situation itself, it’s important that we understand what the “Hantavirus” even is. This ain’t just no run of the mill influenza. We’re looking at some pretty ruthless symptoms that you can inherit when making contact with deer, mice, and other rodent excrements. What’s crazy about this whole ordeal is that you can’t, or at least shouldn’t be able to, give it to other people by getting near them. As I said before, this ain’t no flu. Instead, the virus latches onto dust, whether airborne or not, after rodents have pooped or peed on your floors. The bad part about this is that “washing your hands for 20 seconds” isn’t going to work anymore (that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wash your hands). Even if you try cleaning your home, sweeping with a broom or vacuum, that could just make the situation worse. That’ll make the dust fly through the air, containing virus particles, which may be inhaled without even realizing it. It’s a lose-lose situation, you can clean your house and risk getting the Hantavirus, or ignore sweeping and let the dust, containing Hantavirus, build up!
Since there aren’t many confirmed cases, we do not have an extensive spreadsheet of potential symptoms. However, unlike Covid-19, the symptoms are a lot more hidden. Like any disease, you start to feel drowsy and overall more tired as you usually are. Maybe you think, “Huh, I guess I’m starting to come down with something. A dose or two of Advil should be good for now;” WRONG! Fever, muscle aches, headaches, and just pure exhaustion, nothing to stress over about. But then it’ll just switch up on you the next day, night, or even hour! The lungs could suddenly be affected by a pulmonary edema, filling up with fluid and causing you to drown on land. Not so ordinary anymore, eh? Doctors call it Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and if you reach that point, you need to be in a hospital, fast.
What got the Hantavirus trending was a situation going onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. Get this: You’re in the middle of the South Atlantic, people start getting sick out of nowhere, FAST. You soon learn that it is a variation of Hantavirus, called the Andes strain. Remember how I said the Hantavirus isn’t communicable between humans? Well not anymore because that variation can actually go person-to-person. Suddenly, the ship became a ticking timebomb, yearning to explode. Government officials around the globe tried their best to contain the damages, forcing the ship to stay at sea until they couldn’t anymore. Eventually, they docked in the Netherlands, and the passengers were swiftly quarantined.
The best thing that came from this are the memes. Social media exploded with memes and jokes about “Pandemic 2.0” and people praying for Zoom and Remote Jobs to make a comeback. What I found to be one of the funniest, and pretty grim, moments was when
the governor of the Canary Islands essentially said, “what if the mice swam back to shore!” Next thing you know, AI generated images of mice can be seen swimming to the shoreline, if only if only.
We, or at least I, may be laughing now, but who knows what’s to come. When the first Covid-19 cases were being reported in Asia, all we did was make fun of them for allegedly eating bats. Since it isn’t a top priority, and is assumed to be contained, no treatment or vaccine has been made for this strain of Hantavirus, or at least nothing publicly accessible. So the best way to protect yourself is to not get it in the first place! If you’re cleaning places where mice might have been chilling out, do NOT sweep up the room. As I said before, that’ll just make the virus go airborne and increase chances of inhalation. Instead, chemical warfare is the best option. Soak everything down with bleach and maybe dilute it with some water if you want to make the most out of a serving? Wear sanitary accessories, like protective gloves. Ventilation is also very important, before and after you use the bleach. Ventilation is actually always important, nobody likes stale air.
If you could’ve been in contact with rodents, along with their droppings, or live in a GP and you start feeling sick or abnormally fatigued, maybe don’t try to be like me and tough it out, causing the next pandemic??? Get professional help, along with a diagnosis. With how fast this virus acts, you really want to catch it before the symptoms ramp up. A few extra precautions can make all the difference, and maybe save the world?
