Doomscrolling Hantavirus
I find myself doomscrolling on my phone more than I would like to nowadays, with the idea that I just need to stay informed. However, recent doomscrolling felt like deja vu when I read that several individuals on a cruise became gravely ill with another virus. The hantavirus, to be exact. After reading the headlines and skimming the details, a sudden numbness came over me. I sighed and put my phone away. All I could think to myself was “not again.”
It has been six years since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic. I will never forget the worldwide panic and isolation that occurred during the start of it. Most of all, I will never forget having the COVID-19 virus along with my family and what that felt like. It was frightening, brutal, and the many examples of what could be the worst-case scenario made existing with it one of the most paralyzing moments in my life.
With every fever, every cough, and every ache we experienced, I had to wonder about the possibility of it being COVID-19. To think of a new virus that could be just as damaging is enough to make me want to flee as far as I can. But as COVID-19 proved, there aren’t many spaces that are truly isolated from such a thing.
So, what is the hantavirus anyway? Research showed that rodents are often the carrier, and humans can come in contact with it through the saliva, feces, and urine of affected rodents. To catch the virus, a person would have to be in spaces where infected rodents like mice and rats have dwelled. Some of the symptoms include muscle aches, fever, fatigue, chills, dizziness, headaches, vomiting, and much more. Although those on the cruise faced devastating conclusions, reportedly the odds of human-to-human spreading are rare. Casually contracting the virus through everyday activities is not likely.
The facts are somewhat of a relief. However, the reality still stands: none of us will be the same following the pandemic, and the internet’s use of sensationalism does not help us navigate a post-pandemic world. I can’t see a news story reporting a deadly virus and not have flashbacks of the grief experienced globally. Or the loneliness from being exiled. Or the normalcies we took for granted and lost as a result of death and fear.
During the rise of misinformation, clickbait headlines, and ragebait social media posts, how do we move forward and just live? Not to mention the gutting of public health infrastructure. With thousands of research grants dedicated to science being frozen and a long list of scientists and personnel removed from agencies dedicated to studying diseases, confidence in our well-being being prioritized is at an all-time low.
I understand now that my initial response to the hantavirus was just an extension of my PTSD following the pandemic. Every social media post that shared their fear of what occurred on that particular cruise is just a natural reaction to the uncertainty and anxiety of what that scenario looks like. In the end, all we can do is sift out the facts, read the stories, learn the science, and stay alert.
Melissa Menny is an author with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and a Masters degree in Criminal Justice. She is a poet and a writer in all aspects. When she is not working, she enjoys painting, music, and spending time with her husband and two sons.