Ten more cruise passengers to be flown to UK for hantavirus monitoring
TL;DR
Ten passengers from the MV Hondius, affected by hantavirus, will be flown to the UK for self-isolation. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed none are showing symptoms, and assessments are ongoing at a Merseyside hospital.
Key points
- Ten passengers from MV Hondius to be flown to the UK
- UK Health Security Agency confirms no symptoms present
- Clinical assessments and testing ongoing at Merseyside hospital
- Passengers include British, German, and Japanese nationals
- Self-isolation period of up to 45 days after discharge
Mentioned in this story
Ten people from the UK Overseas Territories of Saint Helena and Ascension Island who were on the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius will be brought to the UK to complete their self-isolation.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said they were being moved to the UK as a "precautionary measure" and that none of them were showing symptoms.
Meanwhile, clinical assessments and testing of passengers who were on board the MV Hondius are "well under way" at a Merseyside hospital, health officials said.
The passengers - which include 20 British nationals, a German national who is a UK resident and a Japanese passenger - are more than 24 hours into a 72-hour isolation period at Arrowe Park Hospital.
Once discharged, they will be asked to self-isolate for up to 45 days.
On Monday, Prof Robin May, chief scientific officer at UKHSA, said the evacuees were "healthy and asymptomatic".
In a later update on Monday evening, he added: "We want to reassure both passengers and the wider public that robust arrangements are in place, and that everyone involved will be looked after every step of the way."
The 10 people from Saint Helena and Ascension Island are being moved because the NHS in England was "well equipped to respond if they become unwell", the UKHSA said.
Three people have died following the outbreak on the cruise ship, two of whom were confirmed to have the virus.
They include an elderly Dutch man, who died before he could be tested, and his wife, who died after disembarking. A German woman also died on board the ship.
On Tuesday morning, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "our work is not over" to contain hantavirus after the cruise ship outbreak.
He said "there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak", but added that "given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks".
Eighty-seven passengers of the Dutch MV Hondius, which was docked in Spain's Canary Islands, have been repatriated over the past few days, the ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said.
During Tuesday's press briefing, Ghebreyesus said some of the passengers were "facing mental breakdown" after being on board the ship for weeks "in what must have been a very frightening situation".
He added that the WHO's view was that to keep people on board the ship during the quarantine period "would have been inhumane, and unnecessary".
The group isolating at Arrowe Park were flown to Manchester from Tenerife on Sunday.
An initial 72-hour hospital isolation period is due to end on Wednesday. They are currently staying in flats, with food and other essentials provided, alongside ongoing care from UKHSA and NHS teams.
Public health and infectious disease specialists will assess whether the individuals are then able to self-isolate at home for up to 45 days, or whether another location should be arranged.
Two British nationals have also returned home on repatriation flights to the United States, while another British national is due to return to Australia, the UKHSA said.
Another two British nationals with confirmed cases are currently being treated in the Netherlands and South Africa.
Meanwhile, a British man on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, with suspected hantavirus, is in a stable condition and in isolation.
Two more Britons are continuing to voluntarily self-isolate at home in the UK, having disembarked the vessel at St Helena on 24 April alongside dozens of other passengers before the first case of hantavirus was confirmed.
MV Hondius began its journey on 1 April in Ushuaia, Argentina, with about 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries reported to have initially been onboard.
The ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said on Monday that all guests who were still on board when the outbreak was confirmed have now been repatriated to their home countries.
It added that the ship was heading to the Netherlands with 25 crew members and two medical professionals on board, as well as the body of the German passenger who passed away.
Q&A
What is the reason for flying passengers from the MV Hondius to the UK?
The passengers are being flown to the UK as a precautionary measure for hantavirus monitoring and to complete their self-isolation.
How many passengers from the MV Hondius are being monitored for hantavirus?
Ten passengers from the MV Hondius are being flown to the UK for monitoring.
What are the self-isolation requirements for the passengers after being discharged?
Once discharged, the passengers will be asked to self-isolate for up to 45 days.
Are any passengers from the MV Hondius showing symptoms of hantavirus?
No, none of the passengers are currently showing symptoms of hantavirus.
