Written by :
Published on :
$2 million has been traded in just over 24 hours on whether there will be a Hantavirus pandemic in the USA
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially serious viral infection spread mainly through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, urine, or saliva
Three passengers have died in an outbreak on board a Dutch cruise ship
Not everyone is thrilled that the prediction market Polymarket is offering trading on the Hantavirus and a possible pandemic in the U.S. similar to that of the Covid outbreak in 2020.
But $2 million has been traded thus far with the market available for just 24 hours (opened May 6). 10% of those at Polymarket believe there will not be a pandemic.
Startling on X reacted:
"People betting on pandemics feels dystopian, honestly."
HighlyUnSpokenPodcast writes:
"Hantavirus pandemic odds on Polymarket got me side-eyeing every mouse now."
Disco Biscuit had this to add:
"It is becoming increasingly clear that polymarket is another arm of the control system - driving % chance of outcome via the greed mechanism."
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially serious viral infection spread mainly through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, urine, or saliva.
People usually become infected from sweeping or cleaning areas with rodent droppings or breathing in contaminated dust. Rodent bites can less commonly cause the virus as well.
While considered difficult to catch, Hantavirus is deadly. About 1 out of every 3 diagnosed patients dies.
Health authorities across four continents Thursday were tracking down and monitoring passengers who disembarked a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship before its deadly outbreak was detected, and trying to trace others who may have come into contact with them since then.
On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first passenger had died on board, more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship without contact tracing, the ship’s operator and Dutch officials said Thursday.
Three passengers have died in the outbreak — a Dutch couple and a German national — and several others are sick. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
