As European countries place passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius under extended quarantine following a hantavirus outbreak on board, scientists warn that even survivors of the infection often do not fully recover months after the illness. This was reported by Euronews.<\/p>\n\n
According to research on the Andes virus\u2014the only hantavirus strain documented to be transmissible between humans\u2014many patients continue to suffer from serious physical, neurological, and psychological symptoms long after being discharged from the hospital. Some scientists are already comparing these long-term consequences to so-called Long COVID. <\/p>\n\n
Fear surrounding the hantavirus is intensifying not only because of the high mortality rate in severe cases but also due to the fact that the incubation period can reach eight weeks, and there is currently no approved antiviral treatment or vaccine.<\/p>\n\n
When an Andes virus infection progresses to the severe form known as hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), the mortality rate can reach up to 50%. In this condition, patients develop severe respiratory failure and often require intensive care and mechanical support. <\/p>\n\n
The World Health Organization has repeatedly emphasized that there is no evidence the hantavirus could cause a pandemic similar to COVID-19. However, the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way scientists view infectious diseases\u2014not only during the acute infection but also regarding the long-term consequences after recovery. <\/p>\n\n
This is precisely what led researchers from the Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile to follow 21 patients for three to six months after their hospital discharge. Some of them had been in critical condition and underwent ECMO therapy\u2014a life-support system used for severe cardiac and pulmonary failure. <\/p>\n\n
The results proved to be alarming. Not a single survivor had fully recovered six months after the infection. All patients reported at least one ongoing symptom, and over 60% stated they did not feel fully recovered. On average, each patient described between 11 and 12 different symptoms. <\/p>\n\n
The most common complaints include severe fatigue, motor problems, hair loss, insomnia, anxiety, memory issues, nightmares, sensory disturbances, and heart palpitations. Researchers noted that even patients who were not in the most critical condition continued to experience serious symptoms months later. <\/p>\n\n
According to scientists, this suggests that the virus itself may cause prolonged damage to the body, rather than just the intensive hospital treatment.<\/p>\n\n
The study also shows that many patients began taking painkillers, sleeping pills, and vitamins on their own to cope with ongoing symptoms. It is particularly concerning that self-medication was widespread even among patients with a milder form of the disease. <\/p>\n\n
Returning to normal life also proves difficult. Nearly one-fifth of patients are unable to return to work or school even six months after the infection. Among those who do return to their daily routines, recovery takes an average of about three and a half months, and many report decreased work capacity. <\/p>\n\n
Some patients also spoke of social stigma after recovery, including fear among colleagues and classmates due to the virus’s association with rodents and severe infections.<\/p>\n\n
The study’s authors acknowledge that the research is limited due to the small number of participants but warn that surviving hantavirus does not mean a full recovery. According to them, patients need not only treatment during the acute phase but also long-term medical care, rehabilitation, psychological support, and social assistance after hospital discharge. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As European countries place passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius under extended quarantine following a hantavirus outbreak on board, scientists warn that even survivors of the infection often do not fully recover months after the illness. This was reported by Euronews. According to research on the Andes virus\u2014the only hantavirus strain documented to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jet_sm_ready_style":"","_jet_sm_style":"","_jet_sm_controls_values":"","_jet_sm_fonts_collection":"","_jet_sm_fonts_links":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n