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Addressing concerns among residents of Tenerife about the expected arrival of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reassured them that the situation does not pose any risk of triggering a COVID-19-like pandemic.
He emphasized that hantavirus is not transmitted in the same way as respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, and therefore does not present a comparable global health threat. Nearly 150 passengers from 23 countries are onboard the vessel, many of them “in mourning, all scared, all longing to return home,” Tedros said.
The World Health Organization briefed member states with nationals on board on how to manage the process, advising active monitoring of passengers for a 42-day period from the last point of exposure.
Tedros said, “It is not usual for me to write directly to the people of a single community, but today I feel that it is not only appropriate, but necessary.”
Acknowledging public anxiety, he said, “I know you are worried… the pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not minimize it for a moment.” However, he strongly reassured residents: “This is not another COVID-19. The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low.”
He added that WHO assessments confirm the situation is contained. “The virus on board the MV Hondius is the Andes strain of hantavirus. It is serious. Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts are with their families. The risk to you, in your daily life in Tenerife, is low.”
According to Tedros, there are currently “no symptomatic passengers on board,” and a WHO expert is present on the vessel. He said Spanish authorities have put in place strict containment measures, including transferring passengers “through a fully cordoned corridor” to avoid any contact with the public.
“You will not have contact with them, nor will your families,” he assured residents.
Tedros also described Spain’s decision to host the ship as an act of solidarity, stating, “I personally thanked the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, for Spain’s decision to host this ship. I described it as an act of solidarity and moral duty.”
He explained that the response follows the International Health Regulations, saying they require that “the nearest port with sufficient medical capacity must be identified to ensure the safety and dignity of those on board.”
Reinforcing confidence in the containment measures, he stressed, “Viruses do not understand politics or respect borders. The best immunity we have is solidarity.”
He also confirmed his intention to visit Tenerife personally, saying he would travel “to observe this operation firsthand and to pay my personal tribute to an island that has responded with dignity, solidarity, and compassion.”
Tedros concluded his message by urging calm: “Please take care of yourselves and take care of each other. Trust the preparations that have been made. The WHO is with you, and with every person on that ship, every step of the way.”
