Should I be freaked out by the hantavirus?

Wednesday 20th May 2026, 12.30pm

Until recently, most of us had probably never even heard of the hantavirus. Now – with memories of the global COVID-19 pandemic still fresh in our minds – it’s only natural to feel slightly concerned about the new virus hitting our headlines. But are our worries justified? We chat to Dr Daniel Wright from the Oxford Vaccine Group, who develops vaccines against emerging outbreak viruses, to learn more about hantaviruses, and what they really mean for public health.