Photo: Shutterstock Monica Garcia, the Spanish Minister of Health, has last night informed the public that one of the Spanish passengers who had been isolated at Gómez Ulla Hospital "tested provisionally positive on the PCR performed upon arrival."
"The individual remains isolated, asymptomatic, and in good general condition, under continuous clinical monitoring and in accordance with established safety and epidemiological control protocols. The other 13 passengers have tested provisionally negative. In the coming hours, we will know the definitive results," added Garcia.
UPDATE: "The patient who yesterday tested provisionally positive has been confirmed as positive for hantavirus. As for the rest of the people who remained under study at Gómez Ulla Hospital, the definitive tests have confirmed a total of 13 negative results.
The patient presented yesterday with low-grade fever and mild respiratory symptoms, although he/she is currently stable and without any evident clinical deterioration.
Regarding the U.S. citizen, the HSC has reported that the inconclusive, and subsequently negative, case analyzed in Cape Verde has tested negative."
Javier Padilla, Spain's Secretary of State for Health, commented on the provisional positive PCR result of the Spanish passenger:
"It must be taken into account that he was already isolated, he was well isolated, he was isolated with all the precautionary measures that were necessary, in the same way that the transport was done with all the precautionary measures that were necessary."
"They were even greater than what could be considered for a contact. We were implementing measures, thinking more about cases than contacts. Before considering other things, let's think about how this person must be feeling after being on a cruise, they have gone through all this and now they find themselves with a positive and they are taken to a high isolation unit, which although it is the best in terms of treatment of the disease, Surely it also has an important psychic and emotional impact, of which. Without a doubt, we will also take care of it."
The news follows France's decision to place five repatriated MV Hondius passengers in isolation after one of them started showing hantavirus-like symptoms during the evacuation flight. French authorities also imposed strict quarantine rules and medical monitoring.
Yesterday, the HHS announced that an 18-year-old American-British citizen was transferred, along with other passengers, to the Center for Infectious Diseases at the University of Nebraska in Omaha.
The young man arrived on the rescue flight organized by the US State Department, and joined 15 other passengers staying at the medical center for medical evaluation, treatment, and monitoring.
The two additional passengers who developed mild symptoms during the flight and tested mildly CPR positive were transferred to the Emory University Infectious Disease Center in Atlanta.