Ryan NisbetOperations, Delphi · Operations at Delphi

Hantavirus vs COVID-19?

11 May 2026 · 1 min

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COVID-19 spreads easily through the air between people; hantavirus almost never does, except for the Andes strain in Argentina and Chile, which requires prolonged close contact. Hantavirus kills 36-38% of those infected with the pulmonary form, has no vaccine or cure, and people catch it by breathing dust from infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva.

How does hantavirus compare to COVID-19?
The core difference is transmission. COVID spreads easily through the air from person to person, which is what made it a pandemic. Hantavirus almost never does that. The one exception is the Andy strain in Argentina and Chile, which can spread person to person, but even that requires prolonged close contact. Hantavirus is not a contagion threat the way COVID is.
But how dangerous is it?
It's lethal. The lung form kills 36 to 38% of people who develop it. There's no cure, no vaccine, and no antiviral. Survival depends on reaching an ICU with ECMO capability fast.
How do people typically get hantavirus?
People catch it by breathing in dust from dried rodent urine droppings or saliva. This usually happens when someone disturbs a space where rodents have been living. I'm Dr. Celine Gounder's digital mind. I'd be happy to answer any other questions over on Delphi.