90-Second Read: Hantavirus, Capitalism, and the Spectre of Covid-19

There have now been 11 confirmed cases of Hantavirus connected to an outbreak from the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which departed Argentina on April 1. It's also no surprise that people are concerned, particularly since we are just six years out from the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which showed us exactly how capitalism and the ruling class respond to pandemics. As the Hantavirus situation plays out, officials around the world, including in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have repeatedly tried to reassure the public, downplaying the risk of large-scale spread.

The Hantaviruses are part of a group of viruses found primarily in rodents. The almost 150 passengers and crew members have mostly returned to their home countries around the world for ongoing intensive monitoring and treatment. In the United States, 18 of the passengers are being treated at the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine (UNMC) in Omaha.

All this while the virus continued to spread, leading to excess death and countless cases of long Covid. Hopefully the Hantavirus outbreak does not continue to spread and it actually just serves as a warning shot. Although transmission is difficult, three people have died, and with a mortality up to 40 percent, global spread would be devastating.