Uganda, May 10 -- The Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has attributed heightened public anxiety over the Hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius to unhealed trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This disease is not COVID, and we have said it many times, as the WHO. And when we say this, we don't take it very lightly. Of course, the risk to the local population is low. One is because of the nature of the disease itself, but secondly, the risk is low because the Spanish government has made all the preparations to prevent any problem," Dr Tedros said.

He made these remarks on Saturday evening to residents of the populous Tenerife Island in Spain, where he has gone to check ...