Hantavirus vs. COVID: The differences in symtoms, spread and treatment — and why we’re not facing another pandemic

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Four more Canadians remain on the MV Hondius, due to dock in the Canary Islands on Sunday.

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Symptoms

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Early symptoms of hantavirus resemble the flu. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these include fever, fatigue and muscle aches, and roughly half of patients experience headaches, dizziness, chills and nausea.

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Later symptoms can include coughing and shortness of breath. In severe cases, symptoms can progress to respiratory distress as fluid builds up in the lungs. Patients may require intensive care, including oxygen support or mechanical ventilation.

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Symptoms of hantavirus typically appear one to eight weeks after exposure.

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COVID-19 has a much wider range of symptoms, some of which are similar to hantavirus. These include: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea.

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But the CDC notes that COVID symptoms vary widely and are dependent on variants and vaccination status.

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Extreme symptoms include difficulty breathing and chest pain. Patients in the worst cases during the pandemic were treated in ICU with intubation and a ventilator, which forces oxygen into the lungs.

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Symptoms of COVID may appear between two and 14 days after infection, according to the CDC, but some may experience no symptoms at all.

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A photograph taken through a microscope showing a specimen that had been extracted from a patient suspected of a hantavirus illness. Photo by HANDOUT /US Centers for Disease Control a

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Transmission

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Hantavirus is spread to humans through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings and saliva.

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Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare, but the Andes hantavirus strain, which is the strain identified on the Hondius, has been shown to spread between people.

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Where this happens, it is through prolonged close contact. The shared, confined spaces on the ship are thought to have facilitated the spread in this latest outbreak.

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COVID-19 is spread far more easily between humans. It is transmitted through respiratory particles that are released when people breathe, talk, cough or sneeze, and people may become infected if they breathe these in.

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People may even become infected with COVID if they touch a contaminated surface.

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Treatment

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There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection, the CDC says. Care is largely supportive, focusing on managing symptoms, and early intervention can improve outcomes.

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Patients may need breathing support, such as intubation, which involves placing a tube in the lungs, and they should also receive rest and hydration.

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COVID, meanwhile, can be treated with anti-viral medications, and Health Canada has approved three of these: Remdesivir (Veklury), Nirmatrelvir and ritonavir (Paxlovid) and Tocilizumab (Actemra).

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Milder symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, along with rest and plenty of fluids.

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Medics escort a patient evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship with suspected hantavirus infection to an ambulance after being flown to Schiphol airport, Amsterdam. Photo by Peter Dejong /AP

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WHO response

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In a release published on Wednesday, the World Health Organization outlined its response to the hantavirus outbreak so far.

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It noted that the organization is coordinating closely with multiple countries, has deployed an expert on board the ship, arranged for the shipment of 2,500 diagnostic kits to improve testing capacity, and is developing step-by-step operational guidance for the onward travel of those on board.

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Describing the situation, WHO director general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low.”