The World Health Organization has raised global alerts about the outbreak of the Hantavirus, which has already claimed the lives of three people on board the cruise ship MV Hondius. Bitcoin investors remember Black Thursday in March 2020.
The parallel with the onset of Covid-19 reopens doubts about a possible sharp reaction from the cryptocurrency market.
What is the Hanta virus and why does it concern the World Health Organization?
Hantavirus is a serious viral disease transmitted Through contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents. The death rate may reach 50% in the Americas, and there is no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed this yesterdaySeven people on board the MV Hondius fell ill, and three of them diedOne person is in critical condition and three are suffering from mild symptoms. Cruise ship Leave From Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2016.
The most disturbing element comes from the World Health Organization itself. The organization did not rule out person-to-person transmission between close contacts on the cruise ship.Although they are keeping the overall risks low for now.
A 69-year-old Dutch woman disembarked in St. Helena on April 24 and died after flying to Johannesburg. The World Health Organization is now tracking more than 80 passengers and six crew members who traveled on the same regional flight.
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Hantavirus, COVID-19, and Bitcoin: Similarities and Differences to Black Thursday 2020
For Bitcoin investors,The scene evokes bitter memories. When the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, global markets collapsed.
This episode was codenamed “Black Thursday.”Bitcoin bottomed at around $4,000 and lost more than 50% of its value in 48 hours.. The total market capitalization was halved within a few days.
The narrative of Bitcoin as “digital gold” has been temporarily shattered. The asset served as a source of liquidity, and investors liquidated their positions to reduce risk. Only gold and Treasury bonds were able to partially withstand the first wave of global panic.
However, Bitcoin has seen a historic rebound.It only took a month and a half to recover the price lost after the March 12 crashlaunching one of the largest bullish rallies in its recent history.
The current context is different from that which precipitated Black Thursday.The World Health Organization assesses the global risk of Hantavirus as low and limited to the cruise ship environmentwith no clear community spread on the mainland yet.
Hantavirus is also not as easily transmitted as SARS-CoV-2. Human-to-human transmission is exceptional and requires very close contact. thisIt significantly reduces the likelihood of a global pandemic capable of paralyzing economies.
Bitcoin as well More mature at this stage. It boasts massive corporate treasuries, approved spot ETFs, a White House-backed strategic reserve, and a larger institutional presence than it did in March 2020, when it was still a fringe asset.
However,MerchantsThey are watching closely.A worsening outbreak or more deaths could trigger a bout of risk aversion in the markets.Initially affecting volatile assets like Bitcoin and less liquidAlternative currencies.
“For God’s sake, let BTC go up for a month without war or coronavirus.”He shoutedonchainmonk on X
What should investors be watching now?
The key will be the speed of the health response.If the WHO can contain the outbreak and rule out sustained human-to-human transmission, the impact on financial and cryptocurrency markets will likely be limited and very short-lived.
Conversely, a global escalation would generate immediate macroeconomic uncertainty. Bitcoin could suffer an initial shock similar to that of March 2020, although the depth and duration will depend on the monetary response and recent institutional inflows.
this post Fear of Hantavirus raises fears of a Bitcoin collapse. Will it happen again in 2020? appeared first on BeInCrypto.
