Airport worker worried about possible hantavirus exposure
I have a question for the virologists or infectious disease experts here.
I work at one of the biggest airports in Europe. Today, two passengers from Buenos Aires missed their connecting flight. They were speaking to my colleague at the gate while I was sitting nearby.
They were elderly people and obviously sick. The man’s nose was literally dripping and he kept wiping it with his sweater, and the woman had several coughing fits while sitting at the gate.
I kept my distance the entire time, around 4 meters / 13 feet away, except maybe for a very brief moment.
How likely would it realistically be for them to have hantavirus? And if they did, how likely would transmission be in a situation like this?
I really don’t want to make assumptions based on where someone is from, but I have extrem anxiety about this lately, especially because I work at an airport with thousands of international passengers every day.