LATEST: the WHO judges the risk of contamination for the passengers and crew of the MV “Hondius” to be “moderate”
Sources confirm that the following story has emerged from the international scene.
The five French people on board the MV “Hondius” will be repatriated “within twenty-four to forty-eight hours” after the boat’s arrival in the Canaries. The five French people on board the ship affected by an outbreak of hantavirus infection “will be examined when they arrive in the Canaries, and re-examined” then in France, after their repatriation “in the twenty-four to forty-eight hours which will follow” the arrival of the boat off the island of Tenerife, explained on Friday, Xavier Lescure, medical manager of Coreb (Operational Epidemic and Biological Risk Coordination), structure responsible for coordinating their monitoring. They will be repatriated in “a specifically chartered plane, with on-board staff who will be protected” and “they will obviously not be mixed with tourists”, this infectious disease specialist, head of the network charged by the health authorities with strengthening the preparation of the health system for emergency situations linked to epidemic and biological events, told Agence France-Presse. These five French people did not present any worrying symptoms on Thursday, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Those who may present “the slightest symptoms” will be hospitalized in a reference health establishment to have a test, and will not leave “until we have the result”, assured Mr. Lescure. “If they test positive, they will remain hospitalized until we know a little more about the natural history of the disease,” he explained. Asymptomatic patients will still be “re-examined and tested upon arrival” in France before being able to return home. “They will be monitored by the reference structures of each sector” and “they will unfortunately not be able to have a normal life for six weeks”, explained Mr. Lescure, speaking of “quarantine adapted to the constraints of everyone”. “There will be isolation, there will be physical restrictions”, even if “for the moment, we do not know if we are going to impose a work stoppage for everyone”, he explained. Furthermore, “we are in the process of exploring the eight low-risk contacts who were on the plane which repatriated the deceased patient” coming from Saint Helena, recalled Xavier Lescure. French health authorities announced Thursday that, among these eight French contact cases, one had been isolated due to “mild symptoms”, while awaiting a test. The results of the test are not yet known, said Mr. Lescure.
Analysis and Perspective:
This development could have far-reaching consequences for global politics in the months ahead.
As the situation continues to evolve, analysts are closely watching for further developments.
We encourage our readers to follow this developing story for the latest information.
Source: This article was originally published in another language by International : Toute l’actualité sur Le Monde.fr. and has been translated and adapted for our global English-speaking audience. Read the original article here.