this post was submitted on 11 May 2026

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105

"Public deserves to know”: Harvard Professor says official messaging contradicts hantavirus science (www.youtube.com)

submitted 1 month ago by givesomefucks@lemmy.world to c/videos@lemmy.world

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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 67 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

This is the most public I've seen someone who actually understands this is "Andes variant"...

Not just America, but lots of countries are pretending that this is regular Hanta and not the Andes variant.

Officials keep saying it's not respiratory, it's not human to human, and it's no big deal...

None of that is true for Andes, and because of that we started studying this variant years ago, because we have no way to fight it, and it could cause a devastating pandemic...

https://news.utexas.edu/2026/03/11/scientists-map-deadly-hantavirus-bringing-treatments-one-step-closer/

In 2024, the NIH identified several families of viruses — including hantaviruses — that were extremely dangerous and had no effective vaccines or treatments, making them of special concern for their potential to cause a pandemic. To better prepare for future pandemics, the NIH awarded a series of grants through the ReVAMPP program to study these viruses and develop new tools to combat them, including the grant that established the Provident consortium and enabled this latest study. McLellan and other Provident researchers have simultaneously been working to find ways to address other viruses that health officials have identified as especially dangerous in an outbreak, such as measles and Nipah virus.

Like, multiple people are starting to show symptoms on evac flights, they 100% infected everyone on their plane. But we're only doing two week quarantines after the flight, and it can take 6 weeks for symptoms and transmission

We're fucking it all up again and no one cares, maybe we'll get lucky, but I don't think so.

Edit:

One Italian started displaying symptoms on the evac flight...

One Spanish passenger showed symptoms of the flight (but at least used containment pods)...

One French passenger...

Two US passengers...

But we're all still just doing two week quarantine, this is 100% getting out into the general public.

I fucking hate being Cassandra

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

We use WHO guidelines here, putting the passengers who were brought home in at least 42 days of quarantine. The US, though, now that is a different thing. Maybe they'll try injecting bleach, like "the greatest mind ever" suggested...

By the way, our media definitely do inform people that this is a human-to-human transferable virus. Although this was already clear when they mentioned the Andes strain a few days ago.

[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

The NEJM article says a possible 8 weeks transmissibility (in some cases).
So even 42 days isn't enough.
And many people couldn't even follow their short Covid quarantine at home.
I don't believe they can all handle 6 weeks, and certainly not in a safe way if they are made to believe it's not easily transmitted.
Their relatives will get it.
Totally inadequate measures and wildly irresponsible for a virus with a 2.19R factor and 35-50% mortality.

[–] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Officials keep saying it's not respiratory, it's not human to human, and it's no big deal...

From what I've read, the human to human transmission requires very close contact. I've even heard it's described as "intimate" contact. That seems to me to imply that it doesn't transmit from human to human very easily.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

What?

What are you reading?

As the video talks about, just walking within four feet of an infected person is enough for transmission...

No coughing, no sneezing, not even talking required.

A dude four feet away is breathing normally and may feel like their allergies are acting up, and that's enough for you to catch something with a 40% mortality rate ..

I’ve even heard it’s described as “intimate” contact. That seems to me to imply that it doesn’t transmit from human to human very easily.

All of that is about Hanta in general and true for 99.99% variants...

But not the Andes variant that everyone is talking about

Jesus fucking Christ dude, you're literally doing what the video is saying is the problem...

Even if you didn't watch the video, presumably you read the comment you replied to

I need to understand why you don't get this so I can help you and others understand it, and obviously my last comment didn't work.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 month ago

As the video talks about, just walking within four feet of an infected person is enough for transmission…

No coughing, no sneezing, not even talking required.

That's wrong.

This spread is usually limited to people who have close contact with a sick person. This includes direct physical contact, prolonged time spent in close or enclosed spaces, and exposure to the sick person's body fluids.

Instead of being alarmist, spend some more time reading.

https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/andesvirus.html

It's not accepted that Andes can transmit person-person. There are some papers that claim this, poorly done.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34515290/

Cruise industry is trying to distract from a chronic problem they have with fecal-oral viral transmission and food infected with rodent feces and urine.

[–] TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (18 children)

Ok, calm down. Chill, relax, take a breath.

First, none of this:

As the video talks about, just walking within four feet of an infected person is enough for transmission...

No coughing, no sneezing, not even talking required.

A dude four feet away is breathing normally and may feel like their allergies are acting up, and that's enough for you to catch something with a 40% mortality rate ..

Was in the comment I replied to.

Apparently it was in the video, but I am not able to watch the video right now. But even if these claims are in the video, that doesn't necessarily make them true or accurate. And frankly, it would be nice if you offered some kind of substantiation for these incredible claims beyond "watch this YouTube video." Any kind of credible source.

[–] mushroommunk@lemmy.today 21 points 1 month ago

The video is Joseph Allen, Professor of Exposure Assessment Science at Harvard University, directly explaining his research and communications directly with the doctor on the cruise ship. I'm not sure you can find a more credible source. It's not edited clips or anything. A news program invited him on, handed him a mic, and then just let him talk. No leading questions or anything even.

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[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

R factor of 2.19!
And mortality of 35% to 50%!
Glad you made the distinction between Andes and 'normal' Hanta which they (mis)use to say it's not so alarming.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2009040

I am certainly a bit concerned, especially how nonchalant they handle it, trusting on self-quarantine and this for 2 weeks less than is required for Andes virus.

[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

It is respiratory if it's the Andes Hantavirus, and it is.
These tourists literally went to the Andes.
While the first one has an R of 0,8 Andes has an R factor of 2.19 (see article below)
Anything R>2 has a high risk of large-scale epidemics.
Even for Covid is was difficult to determine the R-factor but 3.28 to 4.22 is significantly higher than initial WHO estimates of 1.4–2.5.
And this disease has not been thoroughly studied.
Another isue I found from this article says it can be transmitted to up to 8 weeks (even if exceptional).
I only know from NL and Be where the passengers have to quarantine for only 6 weeks.
And this in their homes.
This sounds verry risky and irresponsible.
Except for the passengers that left in St Helens and possible crew members 'escaping' the source (ship) was a good opportunity to end this quickly.
I feel like they're taking big risks.
Especially if those quarantined believe the low risk transmissibility narrative.

[–] schwim@piefed.zip 21 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Ivermectin and ingesting Lysol will protect you.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago (2 children)

They got away with bullshit that didn't work but made people feel safe last time because with proper medical treatment COVID mortality was like 0.1%.

Andes has a 40.0% mortality rate with proper medical care...

400x as many deaths as COVID if we end up with the same number of infected...

And from what we're seeing, this newest Andes variant is a shit ton more transmissible than even normal Andes. So if it takes off, it'll overload hospitals faster and for longer.

Like, last time they essentially used "thoughts and prayers" and most people got by off chance. If they do that again, we're all fucked

Like even in this video, the guy is operating under the assumption governments will realize the difference in time and start handling it appropriately...

But there is zero logical reasons to think that, they're not going to take rational and logical steps at any point, especially in America where trump and RFK Jr are in charge.

They're gonna ignore the problem and hope it just goes away. And I honestly hope it works, I just think we shouldn't leave it to chance

[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago

Maybe those of us peons that survive will get the same benefit the survivors of the black death got, then again probably not. I remember our federal medical officer saying so convincingly that covid (corona) would not mutate very fast, I sat staring at my pc looking at that line for about 5 mins wondering in what world that virus didn't mutate fast, which of course it did

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Like even in this video, the guy is operating under the assumption governments will realize the difference in time and start handling it appropriately…

Not with the current government. They may start to act when members of their circles start to drop like flies, though.

I hope that Biontec are already at work on this one...

[–] lemmylommy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Don’t forget the crucial lightbulb up the ass.

[–] irq0@infosec.pub 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Mine keep breaking, can you suggest any strong brands?

[–] GreyEyedGhost@piefed.ca 2 points 1 month ago

Just use a mason jar first and you can slip the lightbulb in and out as easy as pie!

[–] a4ng3l@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Maybe read press outside of USA?

First article here mentions the specific version of the virus;

And funnily enough it also specifies that the USA is again doing USA stuff and not following the OMS reco;

And that’s from a shitty right wing newspaper.

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I just read this Ars article that points out it’s the Andes variant. The author is a doctor of Microbiology and seems pretty nonplussed about the virus

[–] a4ng3l@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I’m not knowledgeable enough to assess it myself but indeed WHO / OMS doesn’t seems that plussed about it. They just apply sound precautions. Though as far as I remember from COVID back then they were nonplussed as well until if was way too late.

So let’s wait and see and hope those precautions will be enough.

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[–] jacksilver@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Im not even sure what he's reading in the US. Everything I've been reading in the US is saying the same things, calling out the strain and how it can spread person to person.

Initial reporting did have some caveats before they were certain it was the Andes strain, but that makes sense when the initial news was breaking.

[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Well maybe it will kill off enough powerful people early on that something can be done about it.

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Send in RFK jr. for a photo op to reassure us it’s no big deal. Nothing bad ever happens to the Kennedys.

[–] cmbabul@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 month ago

Given the way that man has lived his life it wouldn’t surprise me if he was actually immune somehow, and that would just make matters worse

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[–] BigBrownDog@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I get that you are joking, but for that to happen hundreds of millions of people are going to die. Is that what you want?

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[–] BigBrownDog@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

With the way media is portraying this situation, we are somewhere in between "this happens from time-to-time" and "half the population on Earth is about to die".

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

we are somewhere in between “this happens from time-to-time” and “half the population on Earth is about to die”.

To be fair...

Those are not mutually exclusive

[–] BigBrownDog@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Damn, that's true.

[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Heritage Foundation right now is partying. This is how they cull Americans en masse.

Oh well.

[–] OldGrayDog@fedinsfw.app 5 points 1 month ago

Project 2025 talks about getting rid of 100 million Americans, this will probably accomplish their goal and then some.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

However bad its going to be, i already see the billionaires happily preparing, hoping for a pandemic that will wipe out half of humanity so that they can rule the world as kings after that or some stupid shit.

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[–] Nomad@infosec.pub 3 points 1 month ago (3 children)

OP, don't panic. Evidence shows human too human transmission is rare, and although this is not 100% conclusive, there is no airborn transmission so nowhere near corona spread is expected. It can mutate though, so if our American friends volunteer their country as an incubator again, we certainly should close your borders. ;)

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[–] TimboSlice@discuss.online 2 points 1 month ago

I work at a hospital in the US. Guess I'm fucked.

[–] justsomeguy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Someone who looked into this deeper tell me why Allen seems so sure it won't be anywhere near covid spread when it's so easily transmitted. What's the difference here?

[–] homura1650@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

It's not a particularly satisfying answer, but contagious diseases jumping to humans and causing small outbreaks is not a particularly uncommon event. Most of the time, those outbreaks die out without becoming a large scale pandemic. This is due to both nature, and significant investments in global contagious disease response infrastructure.

Saying a given outbreak is probably not going to be as bad as covid is probably correct, because most aren't.

I should also mention that the public health infrastructure that normally prevents epidemics has been significantly weakened over the past few years. This does tilt the table towards pandemic.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

See, last time trump wanted to get his hands in it and didn't let Anthony Fauci take common sense steps...

This time trump has so much shit going on he likely doesn't even know this is a thing.

So he's going to let the people with decades of experience follow established procedure and take logical steps to minimize infection.

Yep, everything will be fine because the director of HHS will be able to handle this with essentially zero oversight...

This is the director of HHS btw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cybrauiga0w

[–] Kowowow@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Maybe it's time to finish my "space suit" I just hope filters I can get would do anything

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