A group of twelve hospital employees in the Netherlands are facing quarantine measures after failing to adhere to strict personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines while treating a patient who had been on the hantavirus-affected cruise ship, the MV Hondius. The Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc) in the Netherlands confirmed that these staff members put themselves at risk of contamination by not following the specified protocols when handling the blood and urine samples of an infected individual from the virus-plagued vessel.
Although the likelihood of infection is considered low, the twelve healthcare workers will undergo a preventive quarantine for six weeks as a precautionary measure, according to the hospital. The infected patient, who was evacuated from the troubled Dutch ship and has been in the hospital since Wednesday, had their blood processed with standard safety precautions. However, due to the virus’s nature, a stricter procedure should have been followed during the processing, as confirmed by a hospital spokesperson.
Additionally, it was revealed that the most recent international regulations were not followed during the disposal of the patient’s urine on Saturday, May 9. The medical center assured that the isolated staff members will receive necessary support while emphasizing that the risk to the general population is minimal. Dr. Bertine Lahuis, the board chair of Radboudumc, expressed regret over the incident and stated that a thorough investigation will be conducted to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The patient at Radboudumc was one of three individuals medically evacuated from the MV Hondius, with the others being transported to different medical facilities in the Netherlands and Germany. Tragically, three individuals succumbed to the hantavirus following an outbreak on the Dutch vessel, including two from the Netherlands and one from Germany. The remaining passengers on the ship were finally allowed to disembark on Monday after enduring weeks of uncertainty.
