The Conselleria de Sanidad has sent to the Centro Nacional de Microbiología the sample extracted from the woman under observation after having traveled on the same plane as one of the cruise passengers who died from hantavirus. The patient remains admitted since Friday at the Hospital de San Juan de Alicante, under strict isolation measures.
The analysis of the sample was registered in the laboratory at 3:00 in the morning, and the results of the hantavirus-specific PCR are expected to be available within 24 to 48 hours.
Admitted with mild symptoms and in isolation
The woman, 32 years old, presents with mild respiratory symptoms, mainly cough. Since her admission, she has remained in a negative pressure room, a system designed to prevent any possible transmission.
The transfer to the hospital was carried out from his home in an ambulance equipped with safety protocols, after the health authorities received an alert through the European Alert System, in coordination with the Ministry of Health.
Awaiting PCR and possible scenarios
The result of the test will be key to determining the next steps. According to the health protocol:
- If the PCR is negative, a second test will be repeated at 24 hours
- If both are negative, the woman will be considered contact in quarantine and could be transferred to the Gómez Ulla Hospital in Madrid
- If the PCR is positive, she would be referred to the High-Level Isolation Unit of La Fe Hospital in Valencia
The patient is under surveillance for having been a passenger on the flight on which one of the people affected by the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, who subsequently died, also traveled.
Health Monitoring and Control Message
From the Ministry of Health they underline that all protocols have been activated from the first moment, with the objective of guaranteeing the epidemiological safety of both the population and the healthcare personnel.
The patient remains isolated and monitored, while authorities insist that the situation is under control and that any developments in her evolution will be reported.