• WHO sent a letter to residents of Tenerife ahead of the arrival of the MV Hondius cruise ship with hantavirus.
  • Hantavirus has been known since 1993, unlike COVID which was a novel pathogen.
  • Analysis of a 2018 outbreak in Argentina showed that social distancing measures halved the transmission speed.
  • Appropriate measures were implemented on the ship after laboratory tests confirmed hantavirus.
  • Control measures reduced the reproductive number from 2.12 to 0.96.

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