People are worried about each other, but there’s no panic. That’s how Fleming Helene Goessaert (61) sums up the situation on the MV Hondius. A dangerous virus, hantavirus, broke out on that ship, a virus that has already claimed the lives of three people. “That was a shock.”
The whole world has been talking about hantavirus since Sunday, after it emerged that it had broken out aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius. Passengers on board have been gripped by one death after another for weeks. A 70-year-old Dutch man died on April 11, followed two weeks later by his 69-year-old wife. A German man has since died too.
The entire ship was concerned about the deaths from the very beginning. That’s what Helene Goessaert (61) from Vilvoorde (Flemish Brabant), who is currently still on board, says. “We knew early on that the man who later became the first to die wasn’t feeling well. We were also told when his wife started to get ill.”
It’s no surprise that the news spread like wildfire, says Helene. After all, it’s a small ship. “There are only 110 passengers. This isn’t a real cruise, but an expedition,” she emphasizes to VRT NWS. “Besides, I’m traveling alone, so you end up talking to people a lot.”
The deaths of fellow passengers were a shock. “You don’t set out on a trip thinking that one of your fellow passengers won’t make it. Two of them were Dutch, too, so you naturally have more contact with them.”
Down-to-earth attitude stands her in good stead
Around the world, all eyes are now on this one ship. Reports have come in from passengers who are struggling with the situation, especially now that they’re stuck there for the time being.
Helene doesn’t see it that way. “Of course, I can’t speak for my fellow passengers, but we’ve had rough seas more often than not on this ship. So I think the people on board can handle a bit of rough weather.”
“This isn’t exactly a luxury cruise, is it? Most people are used to dealing with a certain amount of uncertainty.”
Quarantine
The question now is when the passengers will be able to disembark. In the meantime, we can only hope that no new infections occur. “We’re all in the same boat, literally. We know the risks, so everyone is giving each other space.”
For Helene, it’s a relief that the organisation is handling the situation well. “We receive updates at regular intervals. The information is accurate. As for the rest, we’ll just have to wait and see. Today we received fresh fruit and vegetables. That was very important for us,” she concludes.