New York State Hantavirus Panic Buying Claims Go Viral

Viral posts are sparking confusion online, claiming New York State grocery stores are showing early signs of panic buying tied to hantavirus fears.

Rumors are spreading fast.

Viral Posts Claim Supermarket's Show Signs Of A Coming Pandemic

One New Yorker is going viral after getting triggered at his nearby supermarket. He was shocked to see "rows and rows and rows of toilet paper" and other products.

The posts, which have gone viral on TikTok and other platforms, suggest that the supermarket is quietly stocking up in anticipation of a Hantavirus outbreak, drawing parallels to the early days of COVID-19 when shoppers rushed stores and shelves emptied overnight.

Last week, we learned that three New Yorkers were on the cruise ship that dealt with a deadly hantavirus outbreak. All three are reportedly in quarantine in Nebraska.

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The claim is spreading fast, and it's worth separating what's real from what isn't. Seeing overflowing warehouses can give you COVID flashbacks, but as of this writing, there's verified evidence to suggest that supermarkets have not received any inside information regarding a national outbreak.

Experts continue to say the current risk of a hantavirus outbreak in New York, or any state, due to the cruise outbreak is "extremely low."

The strain of hantavirus from the cruise is the Andes strain, which does spread from person to person, but only to people in close contact for an extended period of time, officials say.

The three New Yorkers in quarantine remain asymptomatic. However they are all still being watched because symptoms can take 4 to 42 days to appear after contact.

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