Hantavirus Anxiety Sparks TikTok Pandemic Meme Revival

Hantavirus fears have triggered a resurgence of lockdown-era memes on TikTok, as users respond to reports of a cruise ship outbreak with nostalgia and gallows humor. The World Health Organization insists the outbreak is "not the start of a pandemic," but social media is rife with speculation. TikTokers are reviving classic dances from 2020, referencing memes like Gal Gadot's "Imagine" cover and a badly dubbed "Squid Game" scene. Creator Robert Tolppi performed an off-key rendition of John Lennon's song, echoing the infamous celebrity sing-along. Rats associated with the outbreak have inspired memes about Ratatouille and the black plague. One user staged a Roblox-animated dance battle between coronavirus and hantavirus. A Squid Game clip featuring Lee Jung-jae yelling "I've played these games before!" returned, as did a reference to Olympic breakdancer Rachael "Raygun" Gunn. The trend mirrors a similar meme wave from March 2020, when a hantavirus case in China briefly interrupted coronavirus discourse, according to KnowYourMeme. The beginning of 2026 also saw TikTok users nostalgic for 2016, resurrecting old memes and Instagram filters. Ivermectin discourse has also resurfaced, only to be debunked again.