A man who died on a bus in the Yunnan province of China tested positive for hantavirus, a virus that contains similar symptoms to COVID-19.
According to the New York Post, the unidentified man died while traveling on a bus to his workplace in Shandong province. Officials say he tested positive for hantavirus, a virus found in rodents. However, medical expert Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh said in a tweet earlier today that the virus is not new but it is proven to be more fatal than the coronavirus.
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“The #Hantavirus first emerged in 1950s in the American-Korean war in Korea (Hantan river). It spreads from rat/mice if humans ingest their body fluids. Human-human transmission is rare. Please do not panic, unless you plan to eat rats,”
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Symptoms of the hantavirus occur after eight weeks when a person comes into contact with the feces, urine, or saliva of an infected rat. An infected person can experience coughing, shortness of breath, fevers, and headaches. The CDC said in a statement there is no cure for hantavirus and patients require intensive care for treatment:
“There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantavirus infection. Therefore, if you have been around rodents and have symptoms of fever, deep muscle aches, and severe shortness of breath, see your doctor immediately,”