Deadly hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship
Three people have died on the cruise ship MV Hondius after being infected with hantavirus. Spain has now allowed the crew to dock at a port on the Canary Island of Tenerife after the ship was anchored off Cape Verde for three days. The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has protested against the decision and criticised the lack of transparency.
Not the time for alarmism
El Periódico de Catalunya calls for immediate assistance for those affected:
“The request [to dock] must, of course, be granted. Not just because international health regulations require this, but also because it is a matter of international responsibility and humanitarian obligation. ... It's worrying that this incident has turned into a political confrontation, causing unrest in a situation that calls for calm and transparency. The memory of the pandemic should be enough to make us avoid any unfounded alarmism or rhetoric that distorts reality. ... Helping those in need, with the necessary precautions in place, is the only possible response.”
We haven't learned from Covid
In an article for France Inter, columnist Pierre Haski also sees similarities with the Covid pandemic:
“At present, there is nothing to suggest that this case could develop into a global pandemic, but the failure to recognise the first signs of illness on board the ship is reminiscent of the hesitation and contradictions that were observed when coronavirus first emerged. ... The real question raised by this new alert is whether the world has learned from the Covid pandemic, and whether we are better equipped to deal collectively with phenomena that epidemiologists regard as inevitable in a globalised world – a world in which hundreds of millions of people travel every year and in which humans encroach on the habitats of flora and fauna at their expense. Unfortunately, the answer is no.”
Low probability of the virus spreading
El Mundo explains:
“Due to the severe illness caused by hantavirus – which has a mortality rate of around 50 percent – passengers must receive immediate medical attention, and both the travel itineraries and quarantine requirements of each individual must be precisely defined. This is currently being coordinated at European level. However, the likelihood of the virus spreading is low: human-to-human transmission is rare and requires close contact. The current hypothesis is that a couple became infected while on a bird-watching tour at a rubbish tip in Ushuaia in southern Argentina. ... Spain is obliged to handle this emergency with the utmost care and to offer those affected the best possible solution.”