Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has advised the public to remain calm regarding the recent hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship, emphasizing that it is not comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his dual role as the head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bhattacharya defended the CDC’s response to the outbreak, assuring that the agency is adhering to established protocols.
“We do not wish to incite public panic,” Bhattacharya stated on CNN’s “State of the Union” this past Sunday. “We are addressing the situation using our hantavirus protocols, which have been effective in managing previous outbreaks.”
He further clarified, “The crucial point for your audience to understand is that this situation is not akin to COVID-19. We are not anticipating an outbreak of the same magnitude.”
Bhattacharya stressed, “There is no need for panic when the evidence does not support such a reaction.”
Hantavirus is a disease that primarily affects rodents, but it can cause severe symptoms in humans, including vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and respiratory issues.
A staggering 38% of those who get respiratory symptoms die, per the CDC.
While hantavirus can spread from person to person, it requires close contact and is widely seen as much less contagious than the COVID-19 respiratory illness, experts say.
An outbreak took place on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which had about 150 people on board before it began disembarking over the weekend.
At least three passengers have died and five others were seriously ill with hantavirus symptoms since April 11, according to World Health Organization officials.
There are 17 American passengers aboard that ship.
