The hantavirus outbreak on board the Hondius cruise ship has reignited fears and sparked a political confrontation in Spain. To shed some light on the true extent of this health crisis, we are joined by Dr Daniel López-Acuña, an epidemiology and global public health expert, and former World Health Organization executive. "This outbreak does not pose pandemic or epidemic threats. It is not the COVID infection," he reassures us.
Following the complex evacuation of the ship's passengers in Tenerife, all eyes are now on the 14 Spanish nationals who were on board and are currently in quarantaine in a military hospital in Madrid. Against this backdrop, Dr López-Acuña stresses the need of conducting sufficiently lengthy quarantines, stating that countries choosing "light versions of quarantine" are making a mistake.
In this week's broadcast, we also discuss architecture, given that Barcelona is the World Capital of Architecture for 2026. The event aims to showcase the city's urban diversity, with each district taking centre stage over the next few months through a variety of activities. To find out what it means to be the World Capital of Architecture, we are joined by architect Anna Ramos, Director of the Mies van der Rohe Foundation and one of the organisers, who gives us a sneak peek at the planned events ahead.
