Among the passengers of the MV Hondius cruise shipaffected by the epidemic outbreak ofhantavirusthey meet 14 Spanish citizenswhich will be transferred to the UATAN, an isolation room at the Gómez Ulla Central Defense Hospital in Madrid. The transfer will take place starting on Saturday, the expected day of arrival at Tenerife coastand has the objective of containing a possible outbreak among nationals.
The 14 Spaniards will remain under quarantine and surveillance medical during the time estimated by the doctors of the Madrid medical center. To do this, the protocols necessary to prevent the number of infected people from increasing. As the Minister of Health has warned, Monica Garciathese measures seek to “protect not only the people who arrive, but also the general population.”
These measures are especially pertinent to avoid infections in the event that there is “some asymptomatic patient” that may produce “any transmission to third parties.” Therefore, they will be transferred by plane to the Torrejón de Ardoz military base and from there to the High Level Isolation and Treatment Units (UATAN) located on the 22nd floor of the Madrid hospital.
What are the rooms like in the UATAN units?
These facilities have sufficient preparation to treat infected patients by nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical (CBRN) incidents and were devised after the crisis ebola virus produced in 2014. To this end, the center has eight rooms with double locks with monitoring systems. In addition, they have high-resolution cameras designed so that doctors do not have to approach patients for certain tests.
To avoid a possible escape of the virus, these rooms have a high level insulation system thanks to HEPA type filtration and negative pressure from the airlock. The bathrooms, for their part, have disinfection systems with automated dosing, essential, since one of the ways hantavirus is transmitted is through fluid contact. Likewise, the doors are sealed, are automatic and have security systems to ensure that only authorized personnel can enter and exit.
The professionals who work in these rooms belong to the units of Infectious Diseases and Microbiologyboth physicians, nursing and TCAE, as well as ICU and cleaning professionals. All this to be prepared for the possible detection of positive cases among patients and the complications that they may experience. It should be remembered that the virus incubation process It is around 45 days, so patients will have to remain under surveillance for more than a month.
Ways of contagion of hantavirus
As published by the Ministry of Health, this hantavirus epidemic outbreak is part of a family of viruses that spread mainly through contact or exposure to rodent droppings, urine, or saliva infected. These viruses can cause diseases such as pulmonary syndrome (HPS) or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which can cause death.
The main route of infection is the inhalation of infected particles, caused by the fluids and excrement of rodents. However, it can also be spread through contact with skin woundsmucous membranes or with the consumption of contaminated food and water. Likewise, it is also possible to contagion between humans in the event that one of these is infected.
As for the symptomatologythis resembles a flu-like state with fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, chills, headaches, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The Mortality is usually around 40%so it is especially worrying in elderly people or people with other pathologies that reduce their defenses. At the moment, the cruise ship has six infected people and three people have died from the virus.