‘No masks’ – an epidemiologist on the new virus

An outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has resulted in seven confirmed cases and three deaths, has caused serious concern within European medical circles. However, Joël Mossong, an epidemiologist at the Luxembourg Health Authority, urges people not to compare the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic in an interview with L'Essentiel. According to him, this involves a specific variant of the hantavirus — the And virus — which is endemic to South America and virtually unknown in Europe.

Despite the high danger posed by the disease, which has a mortality rate of 30–40%, the risk of global spread remains minimal. Unlike the coronavirus, which affects the upper respiratory tract and is easily transmitted via airborne droplets, the Ebolavirus requires prolonged and close physical contact. Documented cases of human-to-human transmission have previously been recorded only in situations where people were living together, sharing a bed or eating together. Even in hospital settings where infected patients are being cared for, transmission of the virus to medical staff is extremely rare.

The symptoms of the disease in its early stages resemble those of flu: fever and general malaise are followed by severe respiratory problems. The incubation period for the And virus is significantly longer than for seasonal infections, averaging three weeks, which allows for the effective identification and isolation of contacts before symptoms appear. At present, there is no specific treatment or vaccine, so medical care is limited to supportive care in hospital.

The lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly transformed the preparedness of healthcare systems for such outbreaks. Joël Mossong notes that the speed of data exchange between laboratories, hospitals and the authorities has increased dramatically. Luxembourg has introduced a digital reporting system, which did not exist prior to 2020, enabling local outbreaks to be contained as quickly as possible. Consequently, there are currently no recommendations in the Grand Duchy regarding changes to social behaviour or a return to mandatory mask-wearing.