Rats do carry viruses such as Hantavirus and Arenavirus plus Salmonella, Tuberculosis E. Coli, Leptospirosis, (Weils Disease), Hepatitis, Cryptosporidiosis, and several other not so well known ones.
However, it is still early days in the development of vaccines for Coronavirus (Covid-19) and that means that there are currently no positive results as to the origins of the current pandemic though most experts believe it originated in animals. Bats or Snakes in Chinese food markets are thought to be the most likely source. Regardless of the origin it looks almost certain that it will affect every country in the world in terms of both the health of the population and the economic well-being of the country.
Obviously humans are carriers of the virus and this is where we must all play a part in restricting the spread of the disease. As ever simple personal hygiene plays a massive part in this and below is an extract of the current government guidelines to help protect ourselves and our families.