Serious questions are being raised over hantavirus quarantine procedures across Europe, as the head of the World Health Organisation urges countries to prepare for more cases. While health officials insisted today that the 'rat virus' outbreak 'is not Covid,' time will tell on just how far the disease has spread. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director-general, explained the virus has an incubation period of six to eight weeks, meaning some people may not yet show symptoms.
Mask Mayhem
Some passengers who disembarked from the virus-hit MV Hondius were spotted without a properly fitting facemask, just hours after the ship docked in Spain's Canary Islands. One passenger, believed to be from the Netherlands, was photographed waving to reporters from the back of a bus after pulling off his mask. In a separate photograph, another passenger from the vessel can be seen with a facemask dangling from his ear, despite everyone else in the immediate area being fully kitted out in PPE. According to local media, a Spanish healthcare worker from the state-deployed medical support team was spotted on Sunday stepping off one of the buses provided by the military's emergency response unit, before stripping off his PPE in the middle of a public area.
With local residents concerned that the area could become the epicentre of yet another pandemic-era catastrophe, WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus was questioned by journalists over the relaxed approach to quarantine measures. He appeared unconcerned, saying: 'I saw that in the picture [of a maskless passenger] also. [The mask] was hanging on his ears. You know, so many of these passengers are elderly, and you can imagine how uncomfortable it could be - especially when you have FFP2 masks.' He stressed the importance of remembering that the majority of passengers who disembarked the vessel are predominantly elderly and already face 'many health challenges' that come with advancing years.
PPE Failures
A dozen hospital workers in the Netherlands had to be put into quarantine this week after they skipped strict PPE protocols when dealing with a patient who had been aboard the MV Hondius. The Netherlands' Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc) confirmed on Monday that 12 of its staff members had risked contamination when they failed to follow specific, strict protocols when handling the blood and urine of an infected person who had been aboard the virus-plagued vessel. Despite the risk of infection being low, the 12 healthcare workers will remain in 'preventive quarantine for six weeks as a precaution,' the hospital said.
The patient infected with the rat-borne virus has been in hospital since Wednesday after being medically evacuated from the ship. Blood was drawn from the patient and processed using standard safety precautions. 'Due to the nature of the virus, this blood should have been processed according to a stricter procedure,' a hospital spokesperson confirmed on Monday. 'In addition, it became clear on Saturday, May 9, that the most up-to-date international regulations had not been followed during the disposal of the patient's urine. Despite the fact that the chance of actual infection is very small, these measures have a significant impact on all those involved. We regret that this has happened at our university medical centre,' she said, adding a careful investigation is coming to 'learn from this and to prevent it from happening in the future' once again.
'Not Infectious'
It has been revealed that passengers on the cruise ship were initially told that the environment was 'not infectious' when they were informed that a fellow passenger had died. Staff aboard the Hondius gathered passengers together following the first death linked to the virus, with the captain of the ship telling them: 'It is my sad duty to inform you that one of our passengers sadly passed away last night. Tragic as it is, it was due to natural causes we believe and whatever issues, I am told by the doctor with were not infectious. So, the ship is safe when it comes to that. Of course it is a very, very sad circumstance that will have an effect on our operation. The ship is safe,' a staff member on board the ship said. 'This gentleman unfortunately succumbed to natural causes. We'll do everything we can to continue in a safe and dignified way.'
'Taped-Up Door'
Twenty Brits have began 45 days of self-isolation in the UK after being evacuated from MV Hondius. The passengers, who have all tested negative for Hantavirus so far, are currently isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, where they will stay there for 72 hours, before being asked to self-isolate for a further 42 days at home. Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) told the BBC that all of the evacuees are 'healthy and asymptomatic.'
But families at the hospital have expressed serious concerns that a 'taped-up door' is the only barrier separating them, their critically ill loved ones, and a possible hantavirus infection. Kim Childs, 32, whose premature baby is being treated in intensive care at Arrowe Park Hospital, said she was worried after virus-exposed passengers were moved into accommodation next door. Ms Childs, from Chester, said families staying in the accommodation block had been 'left in the lurch' and claimed they had not been given masks or PPE. She told The Telegraph: 'I have got a baby who was born 14 weeks premature and has respiratory issues. If I catch this disease, I am going to be infecting all these babies in the ICU.' She added: 'It takes time to get the virus. We are not going to know if we have caught something until it is too late. I am very worried.'
Ms Childs said she only learned the passengers were moving in after hearing it from a passerby and could have made other arrangements if she had been informed earlier. Meanwhile, Jackie Edwards, 59, said: 'I think they are keeping a lot of it under wraps. If they start dropping like flies, then I will be worried.' Alexander Ward said he found the cruise passengers' arrival scary. 'I am not very happy myself. I have got pneumonia, so it could affect my life,' he said. The 27-year-old roofer had been in hospital for four days when he found out the cruise passengers would be staying alongside him. He only found out when coaches arrived. 'If it is airborne, which it looks like it is, then it could kill me. It could kill a lot of patients if it leaks,' he said, before adding: 'They should be on an island.' Worried locals elsewhere on the Wirral, meanwhile, have questioned why those onboard have not remained isolated at sea. Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at UKHSA, said: 'Clinical assessments and testing are now underway at Arrowe Park and the staff there have once again shown outstanding dedication and professionalism in providing the highest standard of care. We are enormously grateful for everything they are doing.'
