Many doubts and lack of information about the protocols that the countries of origin of those traveling on the cruise with hantavirus will follow, and they are 23 nationalities.
In Europe, these protocols are beginning to be designed. For example, Germany will not impose quarantine on its 7 compatriots if they do not present symptoms and keeps under observation a passenger transferred to Dusseldorf who had contact with the hantavirus through a third party, although she has not presented symptoms. The German authorities have not considered it necessary to use the isolation area designated for infectious diseases at the hospital.
In Belgium, quarantine will not be mandatory either and in France, with 5 affected – one of them direct contact of one of the sick – they are studying with the WHO the steps to follow. The 5 French people on the cruise are well and, according to the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, France is already working with the WHO to organize “a possible repatriation” under strict sanitary conditions and define the protocols to prevent its spread.
In the United Kingdom, 45 days of self-isolation are recommended
The most numerous on the cruise are Filipinos, there are 38 crew members of this nationality, whose government has not even commented. The 23 Britons on board must voluntarily self-confine themselves for 45 days in their homes.
The United States health authorities are keeping under observation an undetermined group of passengers who would have arrived by their own means to the states of Arizona, California and Georgia, all asymptomatic, and that is what will be done in principle with the 17 Americans on the cruise.
And passengers from the Netherlands who are repatriated from Tenerife will follow different protocols depending on whether they present symptoms or not: those who do not present symptoms may be repatriated directly. Once in the country, the National Institute of Public Health and Environment has indicated that medical monitoring will be carried out, although a generalized mandatory quarantine has not been imposed for everyone, since each case will be evaluated individually. The Netherlands is also monitoring the evolution of the more than 300 passengers who traveled on the deceased Dutch woman’s flight.
