90-Second Read: Hantavirus and COVID: Similar fears, major differences

Hantavirus and COVID are comparable in a broad sense, but they differ in how they spread and where they originate, leading to different public health risks. However, Hantavirus does not appear to be the next COVID, according to health specialists. It's a pretty unusual circumstance, basically related to being on a cruise ship with people who have a pretty nasty virus." A Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship left three passengers dead and sickened others, according to the World Health Organization. Hantavirus can be more lethal among those infected, but COVID can spread more easily. But the potential, if you were going to design a virus, to make it a pandemic, potential pathogen, you would not design it like Hantavirus." Both Hantavirus and COVID-19 are viral diseases that can cause.

However, the Hantavirus that has caused the current outbreak, called the Andes virus, may be able to spread between people in rare cases. But the good news is, COVID-19 nowadays is no longer as deadly as it was, but Hantavirus just isn't that kind of potential. You could tell even from the 150 people in the boat, that didn't happen." The potential for the Hantavirus to become a pandemic is relatively low, since most forms do not spread efficiently, as we saw with COVID. Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman, died from Hantavirus in February 2025. Some early symptoms of Hantavirus include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches and dizziness.

David Wohl with UNC Health said while there's not really much to be fearful of, there's much we can learn from the Hantavirus. This is a very severe disease with a high mortality rate for people who get sick," Wohl said of Hantavirus. Global health officials say the risk to the general public remains low because the germ does not easily spread between people. COVID is a contagious respiratory virus while Hantavirus is tied to environmental factors and is generally acquired from infected rodents. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed one person from North Carolina was on board and evacuated with all remaining United States passengers to the University of Nebraska Medical Center's National Quarantine Unit.

So don't worry about it, but it does show us, and I think this is a really important point, infectious diseases are out there." Hantavirus is not usually very contagious between humans. The Andes virus strain, a cause of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, is known for person-to-person spread. COVID spreads through infected persons breathing out droplets and small air particles, making it more transmissible and carry more potential for widespread outbreaks. And as for travel risks, Raleigh-Durham International Airport told WRAL it has not been contacted by public health officials about any potential risk. But officials said they will follow any guidance that's provided, should that time come.