Health

What you need to know before taking weight-loss drugs

Weight-loss drugs are not the quick fix solution that many people believe, especially if you hope to keep the pounds off in the long-term.

Sarah Le Brocq has direct experience of the transformative effects of weight-loss drugs. She has lived with obesity for most of her adult life and tried numerous diets. “Anything that came out, I thought, ‘I’ll try that because that might work for me’.” Unfortunately, the weight always came back, she told the BBC’s Inside Health.

After taking weight-loss drugs for more than two years, she has lost almost eight stone (51kg/112lb). “All of a sudden I wasn’t thinking about food anymore,” she says. “I’ve just got more energy, I’m doing things I couldn’t do before… it’s kind of given me a new freedom in life again.”

Millions of people like Sarah are now accessing medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide, better known by their popular brand names Ozempic and Mounjaro. The numbers of people on weight-loss medication is only likely to increase as new drugs appear on the market too, including pills rather than the current jabs.

It’s clear that these drugs are opening up a new era in the treatment of obesity. The condition, is now a “mitigatable” issue, David Cummings, professor of medicine at the University of Washington tells me. “They are the closest thing I’ve seen to miracle drugs”.

Other academics, however, warn that we risk losing sight of the need for behavioural change, especially as weight tends to be regained quickly when people stop taking the drugs.

So what should anyone planning to use weight-loss medication consider before they start?

How they work

Weight-loss drugs work by suppressing an individual’s appetite by mimicking hormones that tell our body when it is full. The most common are known as glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, or GIP.

The drugs bind to specialised molecules on the surface of our cells known as GLP-1 and GIP receptors, which play a key role in telling our body when it has had enough food.

Typically someone taking these drugs will begin to lose weight within the first few weeks. Although the drugs are only approved for weight loss in people with obesity, there is a rapidly growing private market for those not considered clinically obese.

Their popularity has been rising because they are extremely effective, with weight loss of between 14-20% in 72 weeks. But about 10-15% of people lose very little weight, so called “non-responders“.

GLP-1s are like “a chemical shield” that protects individuals against our “modern obesogenic environment, filled with cheap, calorie-dense foods”, says Naveed Sattar, a professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow and leads the UK Government’s Obesity Healthcare Goals programme. He has also consulted on medical trials with several companies who produce weight-loss drugs but does not own any shares.

“There’s food everywhere,” he says – and within half an hour anyone “can pick up the phone and order 10,000 calories of food”.

If you stop, you’ll gain weight

If someone living with obesity starts to take weight-loss drugs, they need to consider that they may be on the drug long-term, says Cummings, who runs a weight management programme for individuals with obesity who have BMIs of 50 and above.

A common question he is asked by his patients before they start taking a weight-loss drug is how long they will be on it. Typically, they stop taking the drugs after about a year, he says. One analysis of scientific studies involving more than 9,000 patients indicated the average treatment duration was 39 weeks. People believe they can continue to lose weight using their willpower, he says, but the evidence suggests that is not the case.

People stop for various reasons, either due to the expense of treatment, their insurers stopping coverage or individuals not wishing to be on drugs for a prolonged period of time, Cummings has found.

And when people do stop the drugs, their weight tends to rebound. A recent study found that weight regain happens up to four times more quickly after stopping weight-loss drugs compared to someone ending a weight-loss programme that focuses on changing their behaviour.

Another study found that those on weight-loss drugs gained 1.5kg (3.3lbs) eight weeks after they stopped the medication, with their weight continuing to climb with the more time that passed. The same study also found that other health concerns, such as high blood pressure, also returns. New research has also found that people who stop taking weight-loss drugs gain back around 60% of the weight they lost a year later.

It returns quickly because of something researchers call “food noise“, which consists of persistent and intrusive thought around food, says Sattar.

Hormones play a role too. When an individual tries to lose weight, it triggers a powerful hormonal response that tells your body to regain the weight you lost. Cummings explains that because of this, the brain interprets a calorie drop as an energy deficiency, so after stopping weight-loss drugs, hormones that stimulate appetite increase while the rate at which you burn energy – the metabolic rate – decreases. “If these biological defences are strong enough, they can blunt the drug’s effectiveness,” he says.

Lifestyle change

Sattar has observed that for a small proportion of people who make lifestyle changes, it may be possible to reduce the dose or use the drug intermittently instead. Some really do make “fundamental changes in their diet”, he says.

“Others might need it at a lower dose than they would when they started. But the majority will probably still need some dose of the drug because the [food] environment is still the same.”

There’s also increasing concern that individuals are taking weight-loss medication as a substitute for making life-style changes – even though evidence shows that modifying lifestyle in combination with weight-loss drugs is what will lead to greater weight loss.

Experts have recently cautioned in a scientific review of the evidence that when there’s a lack of behavioural and lifestyle support for those on weight-loss drugs, it can leave individuals vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies. “We need to make sure people are getting enough protein and are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need,” says Marie Spreckley a nutrition and behavioural scientist at Cambridge University and lead author of the report. “You don’t want to have longer-term unintended consequences, like frailty and muscle loss. We don’t want to replace one health concern with another.”

Because these medications cause a dramatic appetite reduction, patients tend to eat less overall, she and her colleagues note. This can lead to a “missed opportunity” if patients are not supported long-term and their food choices remain poor.

No quick fix

The World Health Organization has therefore stated that medication alone won’t “reverse the obesity challenge”. Early interventions, screening and creating healthier environments are also needed, the organisation has stated in its guidelines on using GLP-1 drugs.

This is easier when people are still taking the drugs, Sattar says. “You have more mental space to think about your diet.”

But behavioural change is extremely challenging, says Amanda Daley, a professor of behavioural medicine at Loughborough University in the UK. She says there needs to be better communication with patients about how quickly they can regain weight once they stop taking GLP-1 medication.

Obesity is a chronic, relapsing condition, she says, which means it cannot be “cured” with a drug alone. That’s why additional support and “wraparound care” is key to ensure patients make dietary changes as well as increasing their physical activity.

It’s unclear whether private providers are providing this crucial additional support, she says, which she finds concerning since so many people access the drugs privately and it is hard to monitor continuation of care.

Micro-nudges help change behaviour

To overcome some of this – researchers at Stanford have looked at how they can help support and encourage lifestyle changes. In one recent study, researchers tested whether small nudges – or “microsteps” – could help encourage healthy behavioural change for those taking GLP-1 medications.

The tiny changes focused on nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress management. Crucially, the microsteps were small and manageable, such as swapping sugary drinks for water, no longer drinking coffee after lunch, taking a deep breath when stressed or popping outside for five minutes.

They found these helped improve behavioural expectations. It’s this “expectation” that’s a first necessary step for behavioural change, says Maya Adam, a clinical associate professor of paediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine, who was involved in the study.

“Achieving your best health involves a lot more than pharmacotherapy alone,” she says. “We found that giving people these little nudges may be very effective.” She calls these steps “too small to fail” because even small daily changes and habits make a real difference over time.

Side-effects

These kind of interventions are crucial to help give people the tools they need to enact change, Daley says, especially considering the known side effects. These include gastrointestinal issues. There has also been an observed increase in pancreatitis and gallstones. Muscle loss is another concern, especially among individuals who are not exercising. Recently a study found links to bone and joint conditions too.

While we now have several years of data on the effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs, we don’t yet know what the long-term outlook will be or whether the results will wear off over time. There is also a lack of data on how these drugs affect pregnancy outcomes or future generations, as the advice is not to take weight-loss drugs during pregnancy.

But given the negative health outcomes for those living with obesity, the side effects pale in comparison, both Sattar and Cummings say. This is particularly the case for individuals with multiple weight-related conditions. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the leading causes of death worldwide – and all are linked to obesity.

A changing landscape

What is clear is that the landscape for weight-loss medication is rapidly evolving.

There are other health benefits too beyond weight loss. In one major study involving two million people, the drugs were linked to better heart health, fewer infections, lower risk of drug abuse and lower incidences of dementia. It’s also been shown to improve sleep apnoea, arthritis and substance abuse.

BBC

Health

Celebs Who Beat Skin Cancer and How They Prevent It Now

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, with an estimated 1 in 5 Americans receiving a skin cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.

And skin cancer cases are rising, with the American Academy of Dermatology Association reporting that “melanoma rates in the United States have been rising rapidly” in recent years.

Melanoma is “one of the better-known types of skin cancer,” Verywell Healthreports, but “it’s not all that common. It makes up about 1% of skin cancers. In the U.S., there are about 106,000 cases per year and about 7,100 people die from it annually.”

The most common skin cancer, Verywell Health explains, is basal cell carcinoma, which is diagnosed in approximately 4 million Americans a year. Although treatable if caught early, the outlet reports “if these cancers are not recognized and treated, they can lead to disfigurement, complications and even death.”

Although the American Cancer Society estimates that the average age for a skin cancer diagnosis is 66, celebs of all ages are sharing their diagnoses — and hoping it motivates others to use sunscreen and avoid tanning — as sun exposure is widely regarded as a leading cause of skin cancer.

“Repeated sunburns can lead to irreversible DNA damage and immune suppression. These factors can lead to the development of skin cancer,” Krista M. Rubin, NP, from the Mass General Cancer Center Melanoma Team, told PEOPLE.

“There is clear-cut evidence that excessive UV radiation is a carcinogen,” she says.

As Rubin tells PEOPLE: “There are no benefits to being in the sun without sunscreen and any exposure to the sun without sun protection is not advised.”

Here’s what Kevin Jonas, Hugh Jackman, Christie Brinkley, Gordon Ramsay and others have shared about their skin cancer diagnoses, and why they want everyone — and their families — to be safe in the sun.

Gordon Ramsay

The celebrity chef shared on Instagram in August 2025 that he had surgery to remove basal cell carcinoma from the side of his jaw, and he included photos of the bandage underneath his ear and the resulting stitches.

“Please don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend ❤️,” he urged his followers in the caption.

Hugh Jackman

“Put some sunscreen on,” the Deadpool & Wolverinestar pleaded with his followers in an Instagram reel in April 2023. Appearing with a bandage on his nose, Jackman revealed that he’d had biopsies done for basal cell carcinoma.

The actor’s first skin cancer diagnosis came in 2013, after then-wife Deborra-Lee Furness told him “to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right!”

The actor has since had multiple skin biopsies done on his nose — using his health struggle as an opportunity to urge his fans to “please get skin checks often, please don’t think it won’t happen to you.”

After the 2023 biopsy, Jackman urged fans to “put some sunscreen on.” He added, “You’ll still have an incredible time out there. Please be safe.”

On The Howard Stern Show in December 2025, he revealed he’s had “like six skin cancers,” and he knew that growing up in Australia put him more at risk.

The Greatest Showman star continued, “Even after the first one I had, I was like, ‘Ah, but it’d still be good to get a tan when I go away.’ I’m like, what was I thinking? You’re an idiot.… Be the pasty skin guy. Who cares?”

Kevin Jonas

The Jonas Brothers guitarist shared an Instagram reel of himself “getting a basal cell carcinoma removed from my head,” he explained in a June 2024 post.

The Camp Rock alum posted a close-up of the mark on his skin, calling it an “actual little skin cancer guy.”

It “started to grow, and now I have to get surgery to remove it,” Jonas explained, ending his post with a plea for his fans.

“Make sure to get those moles checked, people!”

Christie Brinkley

Brinkley shared that she’d had basal cell carcinoma removed from the side of her face, sharing that the “good news” is that it was caught “early.”

“I got serious a bit late so now for this ole mermaid/gardener, I’ll be slathering on my SPF 30, reapplying as needed, wearing long sleeves and a wide brim hat,” she said in a March 2024 Instagram post about her diagnosis — something she discovered while accompanying her daughter to a dermatologist appointment.

The supermodel shared that, at the end of her daughter’s appointment, she asked the doctor, “ ‘Do you think you could just look at this?’ … He looked and he goes, ‘We’ve got to do a biopsy immediately.'”

While Brinkley is now in the clear, she urged her followers to “make your own good luck by making that check-up appointment today. And slather up my friends!”

Michelle Monaghan

After a melanoma diagnosis about 15 years ago, Michelle Monaghan made it her mission to raise awareness about sun safety, as well as what to look for in order to catch skin cancers at an early stage. In recent years, as she noticed an increase of tanning bed content on her teenage daughter’s social media feeds, she took her awareness campaign to the next level by writing a book on the topic, A Kids Book About Sun Safety, to help educate children early about how important SPF is. (As she pointed out in a 2022 video, “80% of sun damage happens before the age of 18.”) She hopes that her book encourages parents to impart to their kids that SPF application “is as much of a part of their health routine as brushing your teeth or going to the dentist.”

Andy Roddick

Tennis star Roddick showed off a visibly inflamed face during a May 2024 episode of his podcast Served, sharing that it was due to a “face laser thing” he’d had as a treatment for skin cancer.

“I’ve dealt with various types of skin cancer since I stopped playing,” said Roddick, whose last professional match was the U.S. Open in 2012.

“[I] had a squamous cell tumor taken out of my lip, probably like five or six years ago,” he continued.

Roddick added, “I think I’m going to be a general kind of hatchet job for the rest of my life. [I] won’t go into the ‘woe was me’ part of it, because nothing is wrong, everything is good but — use sunscreen.”

Roddick, who shares son Hank, 11, and daughter Stevie, 9, with wife Brooklyn Decker, 39, urged his fans to, “Put sunscreen on your kids, especially if they are tennis players.”

“The problem won’t present itself when the kid is 8, but it might present itself when that kid is grown and is 38.”

Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Arroyave has candidly shared the scars of her ongoing struggle with melanoma, revealing in January 2024 that she was finally told by her oncologist that she was “all good. Some atypical areas, but no melanoma. We’ll have to keep a close watch on you, but all good now.”

In September 2024, Arroyave was diagnosed with her 13th melanoma.

“Skin checks are essential,” she has said. “We’ve seen how quickly it can turn from one melanoma to 12. So when your doctor says, ‘See you in three months,’ it’s three months.”

Harry Jowsey

Perfect Match star Jowsey revealed that he’d had skin cancer removed from his shoulder in an April 2024 TikTok video.

Although he joked “If you’re a freckly little frog like me, go get a mole map and get your body checked because you never know,” Jowsey admitted that the diagnosis was “very scary.”

The former Dancing with the Stars contestant urged his followers to get their “skin checked, wear your sunscreen and be a little bit more responsible.”

Alexa Bliss

The WWE star revealed bandages on the side of her face in a March 2023 Instagram post — with a warning to “younger me.”

“You should have stayed out of tanning beds,” Bliss said, adding, “All clear now though!”

The Masked Singer alum shared more details on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing “There was a spot on my face yes — that had gotten worse.”

A biopsy confirmed it was basal cell carcinoma, and Bliss shared that “During my procedure doc also found other squamous cells. Was a quick and easy procedure. Glad I always get my skin checked😊.”

Janelle Brown

Sister Wives star Janelle Brown shared that at first, she thought she had a cold sore on her lip.

“It never developed and just stayed,” she wrote in a March 2021 Instagram post. ”Over the next year or so it slowly increased in size.”

The mark, she said, looked like scar tissue, and when she finally got it checked out, the diagnosis was “basal cell carcinoma, skin cancer, non malignant, but it still needed to be removed.”

She shared that she’s always been vigilant about using sunscreen, writing, “You have to know that I am very very careful to always apply sunscreen. I have always burned so easily so really cannot go out, ever, without some sort of protection.”

She ended her post urging her followers to always see their doctor of they notice something on their skin.

“I hope this share will be helpful to some. I am sharing to say that, even if it seems like it couldn’t be skin cancer, it doesn’t hurt to have your doctor look at it 💗”

Jamie Campbell

“I would never, ever have considered putting on sunscreen to drive,” Campbell, a Toronto Blue Jays sportscaster for Sportsnet, told TODAY.

But as Campbell shared, his dermatologist told him that he had precancerous skin growths — the result of sun exposure from his car window.

The red marks came from photodynamic therapy, which he explained entailed applying a cream, called a photosensitizing agent, to his face for three hours.

The cream kills precancerous cells under red light, something Campbell told TODAY felt like “someone holding a blowtorch to your face.”

He said he shared his story to alert others about the hidden dangers of not wearing sunscreen — even when you’re just driving.

“The benefit of me doing this is that I have heard from many, many people who have changed their habits,” he told TODAY.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York

On the heels of her breast cancer diagnosis, which caused the Duchess of York to undergo a mastectomy in June 2023, she shared that she’d been diagnosed with malignant melanoma at the start of 2024.

“The Duchess wants to thank the entire medical team which has supported her, particularly her dermatologist whose vigilance ensured the illness was detected when it was,” a representative said in a statement. “She believes her experience underlines the importance of checking the size, shape, color and texture and emergence of new moles that can be a sign of melanoma.”

In March 2024, PEOPLE reported that the Duchess had learned the skin cancer had not spread — but would need to be vigilant with checkups every 12 weeks.

Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins

Blevins — the top streamer on video game platform Twitch, where he’s known as Ninja — shared that he’d been diagnosed with melanoma at a routine dermatological skin check appointment made by his wife Jessica.

“I’m still in a bit of shock but want to keep you all updated. A few weeks ago I went in to a dermatologist for an annual skin/mole check that Jess proactively scheduled for me. There was a mole on the bottom of my foot that they wanted to remove just to be careful,” Blevins wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), in March 2024.

“It came back as melanoma, but they are optimistic that we caught it in the early stages. I had another dark spot appear near it, so today they biopsied that and removed a larger area around the melanoma with the hopes that under the microscope they will see clear non-melanoma edges and we will know we got it,” he added.

“I’m grateful to have hope in finding this early, but please take this as a PSA to get skin checkups,” said Blevins, who shared in April 2024 that he was “officially cancer free.”

People

Health

Fakeeh University Hospital Achieves One of the World’s Highest Standards in Maternal and Newborn Care

Recognition by WHO and UNICEF reflects the hospital’s commitment to safe, compassionate, and family-centered healthcare across Dubai and the UAE

Dubai , UAE, May 13, 2026

Fakeeh University Hospital has earned Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) accreditation, officially recognized by the UAE Ministry of Health, Public Health and prevention department on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

one of the world’s most respected standards in maternal and newborn healthcare. The accreditation reflects the hospital’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality, and family-centered maternity services, while fostering a supportive breastfeeding environment and advancing maternal and child wellbeing through specialized healthcare programs, education, and continuous patient support.

Widely regarded as one of the leading global benchmarks in maternity and neonatal care, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative recognizes healthcare institutions that demonstrate excellence in breastfeeding support, newborn nutrition, maternal wellbeing, patient education, and family-centered care through internationally approved clinical protocols, continuous staff training, and rigorous quality assessments.

The accreditation follows the implementation of internationally recognized practices under the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” framework developed by WHO and UNICEF, aimed at protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding while empowering mothers through education, guidance, and continuous care throughout their maternity journey.

The achievement reflects extensive collaboration across multiple departments within Fakeeh University Hospital, with physicians, Nursing and midwifery teams, lactation consultants and clinical support services, and operational staff working together to ensure every mother and newborn receives safe, personalized, and compassionate care from the very beginning of their healthcare journey.

As part of its patient-centered maternity approach, Fakeeh University Hospital promotes early skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, helping strengthening the health of the baby and the mother-baby bonding.

Commenting on the milestone, Dr. Mohaymen Abdelghany, Group CEO of Fakeeh Health and CEO of Fakeeh University Hospital, said:

“Receiving this accreditation is a meaningful milestone for Fakeeh University Hospital because it reflects the standard of care we strive to deliver to every mother, every newborn, and every family who places their trust in us.

“At Fakeeh Health, we believe that exceptional maternity care goes beyond medical excellence. It is about creating a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment where mothers feel reassured, respected, and genuinely cared for throughout one of the most important journeys of their lives.

“This achievement is the result of the dedication and collaboration of our physicians, nurses, midwives and multidisciplinary teams who work every day to uphold the highest international standards while always keeping patient care at the center of everything we do.”

The hospital’s support for mothers extends beyond delivery through ongoing education, lactation guidance, and postnatal care designed to help families navigate the early stages of parenthood with confidence and reassurance.

The accreditation further strengthens Fakeeh University Hospital’s position as a leading institution in patient-centered maternity and neonatal healthcare, reflecting not only clinical excellence, but also a deeper organizational commitment to delivering healthcare built on trust, empathy, safety, and international best practices.

Fakeeh University Hospital continues to advance its maternity and neonatal programs through multidisciplinary expertise, advanced medical technologies, and family-centered healthcare initiatives designed to improve long-term outcomes for mothers, newborns, and families across the UAE.

About Fakeeh University Hospital
Fakeeh University Hospital is an academic, tertiary-care hospital in Dubai, committed to delivering advanced, patient-centred healthcare supported by education, research, and innovation. The hospital offers a comprehensive range of specialised medical services and plays a leading role in introducing cutting-edge treatments and technologies to the region.
For more information, visit: https://www.fakeeh.health/

Health

Hantavirus ship heads to Netherlands after passengers flown home

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The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak headed to the Netherlands on Tuesday, May 12, after its last passengers disembarked in Spain’s Canary Islands, with at least seven of the evacuees testing positive for the virus. Three people died after the rare virus that usually spreads among rodents was detected on board the MV Hondius, sparking a global health scare. Among living patients, seven cases have been confirmed and an eighth is listed as “probable,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

French officials said one woman who tested positive was hospitalized and in stable condition in intensive care. No vaccines or specific treatments exist for the virus, but health officials have said the risk to the public is low and dismissed comparisons to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Dutch-flagged ship was expected to arrive in Rotterdam on Sunday evening, according to its operator, where it will undergo disinfection procedures. More than 25 crew members and medical staff were still on board the ship, which is carrying the body of a German passenger who died during the voyage, but all passengers have now disembarked.

“Mission accomplished,” exulted Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia Gomez, on the quay of the port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife. “Between yesterday and today, we have evacuated the 125 passengers and crew members from 23 countries, who have either already returned home or are in the process of being repatriated. The ship, as you can see, has just weighed anchor. It left the port today at 7 pm,” she said.

The final cohort of 28 evacuees traveled on chartered buses to Tenerife South Airport and boarded two flights that landed in the Netherlands early on Tuesday. One plane carried mostly crew members – 17 Filipinos, a Dutch national and a German – as well as a British doctor and two epidemiologists. A second flight transported six other passengers – four Australians, a New Zealander and a Briton living in Australia – who would stay in a quarantine facility near the airport before being repatriated.

Wearing white medical overalls and fface masks, the evacuees disembarked from the air ambulance clutching white bags of their belongings and walked into Eindhoven airport’s terminal. Spanish authorities said the cruise ship, which was originally only authorized to anchor offshore for the evacuation on health and safety grounds, had docked in port because of unfavorable weather.

At a press conference at the port, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is due to meet the Spanish prime minister in Madrid on Tuesday, sought to reassure the passengers. He said they were in good hands now and that the situation could have become difficult if they stayed on the ship but added that this “is not another Covid.”

Search for contacts

Among the completed repatriations, a French woman – one of five evacuees from France placed in isolation in Paris – started to feel unwell on Sunday night, and “tests came back positive,” Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said.

A Spanish passenger has also tested positive, the health ministry in Madrid said, adding that results for the 13 other Spanish evacuees were so far negative. Spain’s health ministry defended the rigour of the evacuations, where medical teams escorted passengers from the ship to an airport on Tenerife under close supervision and following health checks.

“From the start, all the measures adopted have aimed at cutting the possible chains of transmission… all measures for prevention and control of transmission have been applied,” it said in a statement. In total, seven cases have been confirmed among living passengers, health officials have said.

Other suspected cases and potential close contacts with infected people are being investigated, with health authorities in several countries tracking passengers who had already disembarked from the ship, plus anyone who may have come into contact with them.

In a video shared on Monday by operator Oceanwide Expeditions, captain Jan Dobrogowski paid tribute to the “unity and quiet strength” of everyone on board and highlighted the “courage and selfless resolve” of the crew.

The MV Hondius left Argentina, where hantavirus is endemic, on April 1 for a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde. The WHO believes the first infection occurred before the start of the voyage, followed by transmission between humans on board the vessel. But Argentine health officials have questioned whether the outbreak originated in the southern city of Ushuaia, based on the virus’s weeks-long incubation period and other factors.

Le Monde