A World Health Organization (WHO) official, Maria DeJoseph Van Kerkhove, stated that the threat level imposed by hantavirus, which has killed three people on a cruise ship, does not resemble the pandemic-level threat that occurred six years ago. She emphasized that the deaths of a Dutch couple and a German citizen, along with the evacuation of three people suspected of carrying the virus, are not cause for panic. Van Kerchevich also addressed questions about how COVID-19 began with very few cases before spreading to a global pandemic. The CDC is currently monitoring the health status of the passengers and crew on the cruise ship.