How Worried Should You Be About Hantavirus?

The recent hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius has many Americans worried about dealing with another pandemic. Veronica Carter and Bret Burkhart learned more about the virus from the regional medical director at Blue Shield of California, Dr. Scott Flinn.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
California is now stepping in after the Hanta virus outbreak
on a cruise ship.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Joining us now in the Coco Studio. Regional medical director
of Blue Shield, doctor Scott.

Speaker 3 (00:11):
Flynn, Good morning, Good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
So we have talked to you about this haunted virus
a little bit before, but it's not going away. As
a matter of fact, they keep seeing more and more
cases pop up. Should we be worried.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
In general, No, this seems like one where the public
health authorities have actually a really good handle on it.
A couple things. First of all, not surprised that they're
getting more cases now because they're testing people who are
asymptomatic and they're turning positive, so that's not unusual. The
second thing is they've got a pretty good handle on
this one. What's called the are not that's a technical

(00:48):
term for how effective and how easily it is to spread.
Is nothing like COVID was good handle, less likely to spread.
Seems like everything's going to be fine.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
We got a wonder with the pandemic and the response
to the pandemic and how we were caught flat footed
at the beginning, and then we really got into a
groove really treating this thing. Knocking down the number of cases.
Do you feel as though we were prepared for something
like this outbreak on the ship? And I know it's
such a small number compared to the pandemic, but it
seems as though that was a real life drill during

(01:18):
the pandemic and now we have more tools in the toolbox.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yes, would agree with that. The public health authorities have
a much better concept of how to address things. We
have all that experience now and the systems set up
to both monitored, track intervene where necessary are pretty well
set up.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
We're speaking with doctor Scott Flynn, a regional medical director
for Blue Shield. This is really pointing to something else,
and that is the close quarters you're in, and that
includes ships because we hear all sorts of outbreaks occasionally
pop into the headlines, and this was certainly the case
with the hauntavirus.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, and most of the outbreaks you hear about on
crew ships close quarters are things like neurovirus, things that
are causing infects disease that are easily transmitted human to human.
Wash your hands, Wash your hands, Wash your hands. Like
your mom told you, wash your hands can help prevent
some of that. The other thing as I understand that

(02:19):
the rats weren't actually on the ship. The people may
have gotten it right before they got on the ship
and just carried it there. And again rare variants that
may allow human and human transmission, but it was very
close personal contact.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
And it's another good reminder that when you're traveling to
other countries that we take for granted that we don't
have this particular you know, virus or disease here, but
when you're traveling out of country, make sure you take
all the precautions.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, and there's some good resources of there's something called
the Yellow Book, but you can look on the CDC
website about recommended things for the countries you're going to
go visit in its country by country, including potential vaccines
like yeah, of heaver, those kind of things for wherever
you're traveling. And another what's the most common thing you
get when you travel. It's traveler's diarrhea. So as we say,

(03:08):
it's cook it, peel it, or forget it.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
On that note, Ian, go wash my hands. Sorry, that's right,
doctor Scott Flynn, thank you so much for joining us
in studio in San Diego's Morning News.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Doctor Scott Flynn is the regional medical director for Blue
Shield of California.