- Breitbart News Daily
- May 12, 2026
Dr. Quay was recently featured on Breitbart News Daily for a timely discussion on hantavirus, public health preparedness, and the lessons learned from COVID-19.
During the interview, Dr. Quay explained that while hantavirus can be serious, the current situation should not be viewed as another COVID-like pandemic threat. He emphasized that hantavirus is difficult to transmit from person to person, has a long incubation period, and does not spread with the same speed or efficiency that made COVID-19 so disruptive.
The conversation also addressed the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare form that has shown limited human-to-human transmission in close-contact settings. Dr. Quay explained that the risk to the broader public remains extremely low, while noting the importance of early medical intervention, isolation protocols, and specialized treatment facilities for exposed individuals.
The interview then turned to a larger issue: how the world can better prevent future pandemics. Dr. Quay warned that the lessons of COVID-19 must not be forgotten, especially when it comes to high-risk virology research and the need for stronger safeguards around gain-of-function experiments.
Learn More from Dr. Quay
These themes are central to Dr. Quay’s new book, The Code as Witness, which examines how the COVID-19 genome reveals evidence about the pandemic’s origins and what must be done to reduce the risk of future outbreaks.
