Clinical assessments and testing are “well under way” for passengers from the cruise ship hit by deadly hantavirus who are isolating at a UK hospital, health bosses have said.
Twenty British nationals from the MV Hondius, together with a German who is a UK resident and a Japanese passenger, were taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral on Sunday after the ship docked in Tenerife.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Monday evening that clinical assessments and testing at the hospital were well under way.
Arrowe Park will house the group for three days in total before they are sent home to continue isolating for a further 42 days. If people cannot go home, they will be placed in other accommodation to see out the isolation period.
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at UKHSA, said: “Clinical assessments and testing are now under way at Arrowe Park and the staff there have once again shown outstanding dedication and professionalism in providing the highest standard of care. We are enormously grateful for everything they are doing.
“Passengers will continue to receive the full support of our teams and NHS specialists throughout their stay and beyond.
“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 captain of the MV Hondius, Jan Dobrogowski, praised the crew and passengers for the way they have managed on board.
In a video message, he said: “I’ve decided to take this time to thank every single guest and crew member on board here, as well as our colleagues back home. The past few weeks have been extremely challenging to us all.
“What touched me the most, what moved me the most, was your patience, your discipline and also (the) kindness that you showed to each other throughout.”
Professor May told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme each individual’s circumstances were different and people were being supported to find the best place for them to continue isolating.
He said: “We’re assessing on a kind of case-by-case basis whether their home is the best place for them or, perhaps, if they live in a very shared accommodation, it might need to be somewhere else. And we’re discussing that with them.
“It’s going to be a very long period of time. During that period we’ll be supporting very closely with ongoing testing, still checking for virus and antibodies, but also, of course, emotionally, because this is clearly not what any of them would have wished.”
US officials said on Sunday that an American among the 17 being flown to Nebraska from the ship tested positive for hantavirus, but has no symptoms.
On Monday, it was confirmed that an 18th American patient has dual British nationality and is among those isolating in Nebraska.
Three people have died linked to the outbreak. One British man with hantavirus is still being cared for in Johannesburg and is thought to be improving, while another is in the Netherlands.
Another British national has hantavirus and is isolating where he lives on the remote South Atlantic Island of Tristan da Cunha.
Over the weekend, six paratroopers, an RAF consultant and an Army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were parachuted on to Tristan da Cunha to help care for him.
Strict infection control measures were in place throughout the journey to Arrowe Park, with passengers, crew, drivers and medical teams all wearing personal protective equipment such as face masks.
The UKHSA said strict measures remain in place at the hospital.
