Hantavirus trends on Twitter as it's reported that a person from Yunnan Province died after testing positive for Hantavirus

As the world is battling the novel coronavirus, it’s been reported that a man has died in Yunnan province, China, after he tested positive to Hantavirus.

The man died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus, China’s Global Times reported.

32 other people who were on the bus with him have been tested, the report added.

Following the report of his death, Hantavirus became a trending topic on social media, with people panicking that it was another COVID-19 and could become a new pandemic.

However, it’s been reported that Hantavirus is not a new virus and is not airborne, unlike coronavirus.

Hantavirus is contracted when a person comes into contact with rodents that carry the virus.

“Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus,” Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said in its website.

Although HPS can’t be passed on from person to person, it can be contracted if someone touches their eyes, nose or mouth after touching rodent droppings, urine, or nesting materials, states Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet.

Among the early symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle ache, abdominal pain, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea. About half of all HPS patients experience these symptoms.

Late symptoms include lungs fill with fluid and shortness of breath.