Amidst Coronavirus fear, here comes Hantavirus: Should you be worried?

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hantavirus

We, humans, have known to be dominating planet earth for millions of years, here comes the time where the invisible group of species called “Virus” comes causing complete human lockdown!

The reason why we fear coronavirus is pretty clear, this virus spreads effortlessly from humans to humans when sufficient distance is not maintained. This explains why we have been exercising social distancing, but, what is this new “Hantavirus”? Where has it come from? What causes it? Should we fear it? Thousands of people are tweeting about it, but not all of it is true.

Here’s all the truth you need to know about the new Hantavirus:

  1. “Hantavirus” is not new! It’s been infecting humans for decades.
  2. Hantavirus was identified in the US in the year 1993.
  3. It is a family of viruses spread mainly by rats.
  4. It spreads to you when you touch your eyes, nose or mouth after being in contact with infected the rodent’s urine, droppings & saliva
  5. It can also infect you through airborne particles containing any of the above infected rats’ items. 
  6. If you get a bite from hantavirus infected host, you would also catch this virus. However, the chances are less.
  7. Luckily, Hantavirus is not contagious. It does not spread from person to person.
  8. Hantavirus Symptoms are Flu-like.


    Primary symptoms are:

    ✔ Fever and fatigue,
    ✔ Chills,
    Cough,
    Discomfort,
    Shortness of breath, and
    Sudden intense headache.In addition, other symptoms can occur, like
    ✔ Nausea and vomiting,
    ✔ Blurred vision,
    ✔  Muscle or body aches especially in the thighs, hips, backs and sometimes shoulders,
    Tiredness and fatigue,
    Appetite loss,
    Sore throat, and
    Diarrhea.

This may be accompanied by flushing of the face, inflammation or redness of the eyes, or a rash.

9. NO vaccine, specific treatment or cure has been found for hantavirus infection yet.

10. However, if the infection is detected in the early stage, they may do better with medical care in an intensive care unit (ICU).

How to prevent Hantavirus:

Get rid of rats from your living premises! Never touch things that might possibly contain rat’s urine, droppings or saliva. Do not clean the rodent-infested areas with bare hands.

Stay Safe

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Author

Dr Jisha Gomez

Dr Jisha Gomez

She is a highly skilled dermatology physician with strong expertise in improving skin & hair health through the development of corrective treatment combinations. She completed her Post-graduate Diploma in Dermatology from Cardiff, UK & Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine (FAM) from the Institute of Laser and Aesthetic Medicine, Delhi with over 5+ years experience treating skin patients. She has worked in Government hospitals in Trivandrum and Bangalore. She is actively involved in creating awareness for healthy skin, breaking the social stigma based on skin colour & stopping steroid abuse in our country.