French couple aboard virus-hit ship describe journey as 'unlikely adventure'
Despite deaths and illnesses on the MV Hondius, passengers urged against panic
Rennes, France: Julia and Roland Seitre, a French couple aboard the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, said that passengers remained calm.
They described their journey as an ‘unlikely adventure,’ urging against unnecessary drama.
The ship left Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina on April 1 for a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde, stopping at several remote islands along the way.
However, three passengers from the MV Hondius have died while others have fallen sick with the rare disease.
This has sparked international alarm and revived painful memories of the coronavirus pandemic.
'There’s no need to overdramatize the situation,' said the couple, trained veterinarians in their sixties.
'That does nothing to facilitate a rational understanding of the situation.' They also stated that calling this an epidemic or implying it's a pandemic is incorrect.
The couple acknowledged that the situation was ‘complex’.
The World Health Organization assessed that there was a minimal risk from hantavirus to the general public.
Hantavirus is a rare respiratory disease usually spread from infected rodents and can cause respiratory and cardiac distress as well as hemorrhagic fevers.
It has no known cure or vaccines.
Life aboard the vessel, which carries about 150 passengers and crew members of 23 nationalities, was described as 'nearly normal.' Passengers were advised to keep a safe distance from each other.
The French couple stated that there is no panic on board.
They are free to move around, especially on outdoor decks where they can take off their masks.
Meals are eaten in the dining room while respecting social distancing.
The couple noted that the cruise ship lacks amenities such as a swimming pool and movie theater; instead, it hosts enthusiasts of various interests like ornithology, history, geography, botany, and cetaceans or astronomy.
They praised the dedication of the ship’s doctor and guide, who are currently ill, along with the Filipino crew.
Four doctors, biologists, and epidemiologists have boarded the ship to assess the situation and prepare for a possible disembarkation in the Canary Islands.
The Dutch-flagged vessel is expected to arrive in Tenerife on Sunday.
Special flights will take passengers to their home countries.
The Spanish archipelago’s regional government stated that the evacuation of the hantavirus-struck cruise ship must occur between Sunday and Monday due to adverse weather conditions.
They described their journey as an ‘unlikely adventure,’ urging against unnecessary drama.
The ship left Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina on April 1 for a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde, stopping at several remote islands along the way.
However, three passengers from the MV Hondius have died while others have fallen sick with the rare disease.
This has sparked international alarm and revived painful memories of the coronavirus pandemic.
'There’s no need to overdramatize the situation,' said the couple, trained veterinarians in their sixties.
'That does nothing to facilitate a rational understanding of the situation.' They also stated that calling this an epidemic or implying it's a pandemic is incorrect.
The couple acknowledged that the situation was ‘complex’.
The World Health Organization assessed that there was a minimal risk from hantavirus to the general public.
Hantavirus is a rare respiratory disease usually spread from infected rodents and can cause respiratory and cardiac distress as well as hemorrhagic fevers.
It has no known cure or vaccines.
Life aboard the vessel, which carries about 150 passengers and crew members of 23 nationalities, was described as 'nearly normal.' Passengers were advised to keep a safe distance from each other.
The French couple stated that there is no panic on board.
They are free to move around, especially on outdoor decks where they can take off their masks.
Meals are eaten in the dining room while respecting social distancing.
The couple noted that the cruise ship lacks amenities such as a swimming pool and movie theater; instead, it hosts enthusiasts of various interests like ornithology, history, geography, botany, and cetaceans or astronomy.
They praised the dedication of the ship’s doctor and guide, who are currently ill, along with the Filipino crew.
Four doctors, biologists, and epidemiologists have boarded the ship to assess the situation and prepare for a possible disembarkation in the Canary Islands.
The Dutch-flagged vessel is expected to arrive in Tenerife on Sunday.
Special flights will take passengers to their home countries.
The Spanish archipelago’s regional government stated that the evacuation of the hantavirus-struck cruise ship must occur between Sunday and Monday due to adverse weather conditions.
