Fauci’s Phantom Hantavirus Guidance
NewsGuard's Reality Check
Fauci’s Phantom Hantavirus GuidanceSocial media accounts falsely claim that Anthony Fauci is calling for face masks and social distancing in response to the hantavirus outbreak.
Welcome to Reality Check, NewsGuard’s nonpartisan newsletter that tracks the false claims and conspiracy theories that shape our world — and who’s behind them. Please support us by becoming a premium member or sharing our work. Follow us: X | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Bluesky New Virus, Old Bogeyman: Social Media Accounts Claim Anthony Fauci Calls for Face Masks and Social Distancing to Curb Hantavirus Outbreak
What’s happening: Social media users skeptical of health authorities claim that Dr. Anthony Fauci — formerly the government’s top infectious disease official and a favorite target of health hoaxsters — is calling for the return of face masks and social distancing in response to the hantavirus outbreak. Fauci told NewsGuard that he has said no such thing. Context: As of May 13, 2026, a hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius had sickened 11 people, including three who died, according to the World Health Organization. Officials have not determined how the outbreak on the ship began. Fauci, who led the U.S. government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, was a favorite punching bag of critics of the U.S. response to COVID-19. Indeed, he previously has been the target of 15 false claims related to public health identified by NewsGuard. Among them: An accusation advanced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that Fauci would profit from a COVID-19 vaccine; that Fauci ordered all unvaccinated people to be “locked down;” and that the New Zealand government charged Fauci with thousands of counts of negligent homicide. A closer look: Amid the hantavirus outbreak, social media users claim that Fauci is calling for face masks and social distancing to curb the spread of the virus. The claim appears to have originated on the X account “Hoops Crave,” which stated, “Dr. Fauci returns to the spotlight to address Hantavirus concerns: ‘It may be time to start wearing masks again [and] maintaining social distance.’” The post garnered 1.3 million views and 7,200 likes and was reposted by 1,600 users.
Actually: Before researchers developed a COVID vaccine in December 2020, Fauci did recommend face masks and social distancing to help curb the spread of the virus. But he hasn’t issued any public health guidance on hantavirus.
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