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Overview
The 2020 Hantavirus Scare refers to worries about the outbreak of hantavirus, a rare infectious disease that is only known to spread from rodents to humans, in March and April 2020. The hantavirus began trending on Twitter in late March 2020 due to one case reported in China in a post with little information about what the hantavirus is. Many Twitter users began calling hantavirus the coronavirus in memes spreading misinformation.
In late April and early May 2026, a cruise ship bound for Antarctica experienced an outbreak of hantavirus among several passengers, reigniting fears of the virus as the media reported on it and the internet posted reactions and memes about the incident.
Background
On March 23rd, 2020, Twitter user @globaltimesnews[1] tweeted, "A person from Yunnan Province died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus on Monday. He tested positive for #hantavirus. Other 32 people on bus were tested" (shown below). The tweet garnered over 19,800 likes and 16,200 retweets in two days.
developments
On March 24th, 2020, Twitter user @terikehkehluga[2] tweeted, "When you're not even done with Covid-19 and China releases Covid-20 Pro max #Hantavirus" (shown below, left). The tweet garnered over 2,200 likes and 740 retweets in a day.
That same day, Twitter user @Eng_Abalarabe[3] tweeted, "Me: currently reading this due to the releasing of new version of Corona #Hantavirus" with an image of kermit the frog reading about leaving the planet (shown below, right). The tweet received over 590 likes in a day.
On March 24th, Snopes[5] reported that "Because hantavirus is not new and because it isn’t transmitted between humans, no one should fear that a new outbreak of disease caused by hantavirus is looming. We therefore rate this claim 'False.'"
On March 25th, Twitter user @ENdilichi[4] tweeted, "Seems China Flag of China is trying to spell their name with all these viruses C – #Coronavirus H – #Hantavirus I – ??" (shown below). The tweet accumulated over 530 likes in a day. That same day, Redditor ladydolphinbutt posted "Why are people talking about Hantavirus?" to r/OutoftheLoop.[6]
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External References
[1] Twitter – Global Times News
[2] Twitter – terikehluga
[3] Twitter – Eng_Abalarabe
[5] Snopes – Hantavirus China
[6] Reddit – r/OutofTheLoop
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