BEIJING: A person in China has died due to a virus called named ‘hantavirus’, spreading panic at a time when the whole world is battling the novel coronavirus pandemic that began in China.

The novel coronavirus has killed over 18,000 people around the world. The outbreak is yet to be come under control.

On Tuesday, hantavirus was one of the top trends on Twitter after Chinese state media tweeted about one person in China dying due the virus.

However, hantavirus is not a new virus. IT has been infecting humans for decades.

People get infected when they breath in hantaviruses or when they touch a mouse or rat urine, droppings, or nesting materials and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. (With inputs from Agencies)