'So far, so good': Expert says cruise outbreak appears limited | Elizabeth Vargas Reports

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]So far three people who were on board the ship have died from hantavirus with five others sick and fighting [clears throat] to survive. So what is going on here? Joining us now to help us understand is Dr. William Schaffner, professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the division of infectious diseases. Thank you so much for being with us, Dr. Schaffner. First of all, I think so many of us are just traumatized from COVID and it felt like in the beginning everyone was telling us everything was going to be okay and you sort of get that vibe here.

[00:00:32]Should we really not be worried?

[00:00:35]Well, Brian, I think it's appropriate to be interested and curious with this developing story, but I think most of us think that this is going to be a contained phenomenon.

[00:00:48]First of all, there's only a small number of people on that tightly packed vessel that have become ill so far. So that's good news. It doesn't appear to spread widely through either the passengers and the crew of the vessel. Second, the people who have disembarked and gone home, as you say, those here in the United States and others in Europe and other countries are being monitored by public health authorities. And the folks who are disembarking soon in the Canary Islands will be taken to the University of Nebraska, which has a wonderfully effective highly experienced, well-trained bio-containment facility. They'll be put in isolation and observed for period of time. So so far, so good.

[00:01:44]With COVID, remember some people didn't get sick at all and didn't even know they had it, but were able to spread it.

[00:01:51]Is it is it like that with with hantavirus? I mean, could some of these people on the ship have it and be able to spread it but not even know that they're sick?

[00:01:59]Very good question. And what we know about hantaviruses is that they don't do that. Asymptomatic people don't spread this virus. So, again, so far so good.

[00:02:13]Let's all stay tuned. If there are new things that develop, we'll tell everybody. But at the moment, I think we have this boxed in pretty well. Will there be a few more infections down the road? Yeah, it is very likely. Will it spread widely? I think that's very unlikely.

[00:02:33]The one person now the report that that person got sick because they sat near someone from the cruise on an airplane.

[00:02:41]Um I mean, is it spread I I and I just go back to COVID cuz we're all so familiar with it. You know, if you cough the particles, is it the same way? And if someone was sitting a couple rows in front of somebody or a couple rows in the back, would they still potentially uh you know, be able to get it?

[00:02:58]Possible, but so far that person has tested negative as has the uh the the air flight attendant tested negative.

[00:03:08]Both of them have had symptoms. You know, people get ill all the time and it's not hantavirus. And so, you have to watch these, test them carefully, and let's follow the data very very carefully.

[00:03:23]Well, you don't seem too nervous, Dr. Schaffner. So, that makes me feel better. I'll go into the weekend a little more chill. You seem very chill about the whole thing and you're smiling. So, I appreciate it. I appreciate the information. Uh go ahead.

[00:03:35]What were you going to say?

[00:03:37]Well, we need to remain alert, but I think we can put it into perspective.

[00:03:44]Okay, I appreciate you, sir. Thank you for coming on.

[00:03:47]Thank you.

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