Sawt Falasteen - French couple from virus-hit ship describe voyage as 'unlikely adventure'

Their 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.

But three passengers from the MV Hondius have died while others have fallen sick with the rare disease, sparking international alarm and reviving painful memories of the coronavirus pandemic.

"There's no need to overdramatise the situation," said the couple, trained veterinarians in their sixties.

"That does nothing to facilitate a rational understanding of the situation," they said in a statement released to several media outlets including AFP.

"To call this an epidemic is wrong. To imply it's a pandemic is dishonest," the couple, two of the five French nationals aboard the ship, said on Thursday, while acknowledging that the situation was "complex".

The World Health Organisation said that there was a minimal risk from the hantavirus to the general public.

Hantavirus is a rare respiratory disease usually spread from infected rodents, which can cause respiratory and cardiac distress as well as haemorrhagic fevers. There are no vaccines and no known cure.

- 'Nearly normal' -

Life aboard the vessel, which is carrying some 150 passengers and crew members of 23 nationalities, was "nearly normal", they said. Passengers were advised to keep a safe distance from each other, they added.

"There's no panic on board," said the French couple, who also described themselves as independent journalists specialising in nature and the environment.

"Everything is fine for us, as it is for the three other French nationals."

"We're advised to stay in our cabins as much as possible and avoid large gatherings," they said. "But we're free to move around, especially on the outdoor decks, where we can take off our masks."

"We eat our meals in the dining room while respecting social distancing," they added.

The couple said the vessel was not a classic leisure cruise: it had no swimming pool, sauna, or movie theatre, and the passengers were described as enthusiasts of various kinds.

"We have many ornithologists, history and geography buffs, lovers of remote locations, botanists, and experts in cetaceans or astronomy," they said.

They also praised the dedication of the ship's doctor and the guide, "who are currently ill", and the "top-notch" Filipino crew.

The French passengers said four doctors, biologists, and epidemiologists had 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 evacuation of a hantavirus-struck cruise ship in the Canary Islands must happen between Sunday and Monday because adverse weather conditions will force it to leave, the Spanish archipelago's regional government said.

K.Hassan--SF-PST