The MV Hondius cruise ship, connected to the Hantavirus outbreak, let off two passengers who arrived at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, for treatment, testing and monitoring. Health officials confirmed one of these two passengers presented symptoms of the virus and received admittance into Emory’s Serious Communicable Diseases Program (SCDP), a unit designed to safely and properly treat dangerous infectious diseases. The patients sit under close observation by doctors and other esteemed health officials after receiving the label of “close contact,” despite one patient showing no symptoms.
“I have heard about the Hantavirus from the Fox 5 News TikTok page and other social media platforms. I learned that the virus is in Georgia, specifically in one of the Atlanta hospitals. I believe this virus is a lot worse than the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, and I do not believe Emory Hospital will be able to contain the disease,” junior Jaxon Morales said.
The Hantavirus, a deadly disease, typically spreads through contact with infected rodents or their feces. The strain involved in this outbreak, the Andes strain, falls into an especially dangerous and deadly category. The disease possesses the ability to spread between humans through close contact, unlike other strains. Nonetheless, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Georgia Department of Health (DPH) emphasize that the risk to the public as of late remains low.
According to reports, the two passengers arrived in Atlanta after a federal repatriation effort, resulting in the passengers flying into Atlanta from the Canary Islands. From there, the two transitioned through the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport before finally arriving at Emory for treatment and care. Georgia leaders continue to express confidence in the state’s medical system, especially Emory’s ability to handle such an invasive disease safely.
“There is nobody better to handle that than the folks at Emory. If you think about how they dealt with the folks that had Ebola, that had been transported back here. And we’re going to do the right thing. We’re going to help get these people back and get them in the right environment that doesn’t put our fellow Georgians in jeopardy,” Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said.
One of the two patients officially tested negative for the Hantavirus May 12. The hospital will continue to monitor and take precautionary measures, despite the negative test, for the safety of both the patient and other Georgians. Currently, no cases of the Hantavirus exist officially in Georgia; however, one passenger off the ship continues to show signs. Still, government officials remain optimistic about Emory’s ability to handle the patents and virus.
