Tom PowellTHE European Commission has demanded an explanation from Spain as to how a nurse treating Ebola patients was not diagnosed with the virus until a week after she began feeling unwell.
The Spanish nurse, 44, has become the first person in Europe to contract the deadly virus after helping to treat two repatriated priests who both died.
An investigation has been launched to determine exactly how she contracted the disease while working within the strict safety guidelines, and why she went a week before being placed in isolation.
She reportedly contacted doctors to say she was suffering from a fever and fatigue on September 30, but did not present herself to her local hospital until the early hours of Monday morning.
The European Commission sent a letter Monday to the Spanish health minister to obtain clarification of how this happened despite all the precautions taken to prevent an outbreak, a spokesman said.
“There is obviously a problem somewhere,” said spokesman Frederic Vincent.
Spain’s health minister, Ana Mato, announced that an emergency protocol has been put in place and authorities are working to establish the source of the contagion at the Madrid hospital.
All 30 medical staff who treated the two priests are now being monitored, as well as the nurse’s husband.
Health authorities are attempting to find all of the people she could have come in contact with since she contracted the disease.
She is reportedly in a stable condition.
Elena Moral, leader of the CSIF-AGCM public workers’ union, told Spanish public radio: “The precautionary measures that should have been taken were not effective. The necessary training was not given and we must find out who was responsible.”
Just routine Spanish incompetence, nothing new or suprising at all.
The pictures in the article linked below sum it up, Tim.
“http://vozpopuli.com/actualidad/50636-asi-sigue-sanidad-el-protocolo-por-ebola-aislamiento-improvisado-en-el-hospital-de-alcorcon”
Jesus, I just looked at those photos Rob. They give me such a warm and safe feeling inside… Spain really is the third world. Actually I think that might be an insult to the third world….
According to the British press she has also been on holiday since treating the Priests but the Authorities won’t say where.
I don’t think victims of Ebola should be flown around the world to their respective countries. Why put millions at risk to save one person. Time for the UN to step in and organise some field hospitals in Africa or there will be a situation like the Black death again!
Spain seems to be at all time low and everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. It always seems to be “someone else’s fault” and nobody takes any responsibility for anything.
Amazingly, Spain didn’t even have a “emergency protocol” in place, even after Ebola cases were rising for months.
Once again, the authorities here could not organise a very large drinking party in a brewery. We are all doomed.
The authorities should say exactly where the nurse went on holidays so anyone in that area or anyone who was there while she was there can go to the hospital should they feel any symptoms . Sticking your head in the sand isn’t going to help and looking for someone to blame isn’t going to overt catastrophe . Why Spain decided to bring this virus to its shores not once but twice I will never know .
It’s taken Rajoy’s government just three years to undo 30 years of work and return Spain to the status of a third-world backwater. Congratulations Mr. Rajoy!
As sad as it is the world health authority should put west Africa in total lock down nothing out at all if medic’s go in they stay there untill this situation is over. Under absolutely no circumstances should any ill person be repatriated they must be treated in situ and on pain of death stop the locals eating “bush” meat which it is reported was and is the cause
All I have heard from the Spanish government are desperate attempts to cover their asses, as per usual. The PP administration has dragged Spain down to the level of a third world country whilst stuffing as much cash into their own pockets as possible.
It was the PP governments fantastic idea to bring these two half dead priests infected with Ebola back to Spain, probably at the behest of Opus Dei. An idea that Rajoy and his cronies probably thought would score humanitarian points with the electorate if all went well and the men survived.
It all went to s**t and now the government of Spain have the face to tell a poor nurse that they will get a court order to put down her dog…
There is not an expletive bad enough to describe the filth that currently govern Spain.
West African people need help not lockdown. It’s not airborne, so more medics and advisors need to go to there to help contain this.
‘Human-to-human transmission can only occur via direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person’
It’s always good to keep populations in fear.
Well over here in the UK we get all the lurid headlines with the usual proviso that no one is checking our borders of who is coming in from where, also funny how the Calais migrants are not on public display this week although some are having a holiday in Folkestone.
Well said Derek – the US is sending thousands of military medical staff to help out, and I understand both the UK and Spain are sending staff too. If you just try “lock down” (you think borders there are solid??) and allow the situation to get far worse, then you will find carriers flying into Heathrow and Madrid from neighbouring countries, and disappearing into the cities.
As for the jeers of “third world country”, after the 1000s of deaths at east Staffordshire, what would you then call the UK? There is no comparison between a third world country and western countries like Spain or the UK.
“It’s not airborne”
Not yet.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/12/health/ebola-airborne/
Looks like it’s time to block all travel from Spain, as some people have recommended is done, with people from other infected countries.
Surprise? The ruling (fascist) Popular Party repatriated two priests – at great expense – and voila. It’s not just typical spanish incompetence -the vatican/pope still have this country by the cojones and now the black plague is on its doorstep.
May not be airborne but on a flight lots share the same toilet and we all know there are lots of bodily fluids around!