Why the two Flemish passengers may have to be in home isolation for weeks | News

Three deaths, 149 people on board and one cruise ship mooring in Tenerife on Sunday. For Helene (61) and Mark (69) — the two Flemish people on board — this is not where a home journey begins, but a painstaking medical process. First the UZA, then weeks in tailor-made home isolation: how they live, with whom, how they arrange their shopping – the Department of Care looks at it all one on one. How long they remain isolated from the outside world depends on what exactly happened on the ship.

It started as a dream trip from Argentina to Cape Verde, but the expedition with the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius turned into an international health crisis after an outbreak of the hantavirus killed three people. While the ship is en route to the Canary Islands, international authorities are preparing an unprecedented operation to evacuate and repatriate the 149 people on board. The MV Hondius is expected in the port of Granadilla on Tenerife on Sunday around noon.

That is good news for the two Flemish passengers, Helene (61) and Mark (69), because it means that they can finally return home. However, the first stop is not their own living room, but the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA). Joris Moonens of the Department of Healthcare, which will intensively supervise the two in our country, explains that the choice for this location was made very consciously: “The UZA is the hospital in Flanders that is most familiar with tropical diseases. They have the most experience, so it is logical that the two people on board receive their check-up there,” he says.

Because the incubation period for the hantavirus can be up to six weeks, Helene and Mark must then be in strict home isolation. The total duration has not yet been irrevocably fixed. “We want to see whether we can deduct the period they spent on the boat from those six weeks,” says Moonens. Whether that flyer will fly depends entirely on the circumstances on board the MV Hondius. If the isolation on the ship has been very strict and there has been demonstrably no contact with sick fellow passengers, the remaining time at home can be a lot shorter. However, if a real risk of contamination has persisted during the trip, the six-week counter will only start upon return home to rule out any risk.

Moonens emphasizes that this process will be handled very personally: “Because it only involves two people, we can offer tailor-made solutions,” he says. “The Care Department will look at where and how those two people live and what family situation they have. We will then consult with each other to determine how they can stay at home in the best conditions without contact with other people. Contact that can be avoided must be avoided. To the extent possible and human.” This also applies to visitors from outside. When asked if friends can come over, he answers briefly: “No, that is not the intention.”

The indoor organization will also be examined separately in both cases, and the department will provide advice on how best to isolate oneself from housemates. Individual solutions are also sought for practical matters, such as supply: “We will discuss one-on-one how this can be arranged. Can they arrange this themselves or do they need help? Do they have their own network that they can call on? We all have to agree on this individually with those people.”

In addition to physical health, attention is also paid to the mental well-being of those involved. “The passengers have gone through a period of great uncertainty and were confronted with deaths on board,” says Moonens. “That does something to a person and one person deals with it differently than the other. The hospital will determine whether psychological support is needed.”

Despite these drastic measures, the risks to public health remain extremely small, according to the experts. The World Health Organization (WHO) assures that the hantavirus is not a “new Covid” and is only transmitted through very close contact. Moonens insists that fear should not dominate: “I really cannot emphasize enough how low the risk is for these people. These are not infected or contagious people who return, these are normal people of whom we actually have no reason to think that they are ill today. In that sense, basic protective measures will be taken, such as wearing a face mask.”

If Helene and Mark do not develop any symptoms after the three to six week observation period, they will be declared safe. “If you have not developed the disease after so many weeks after possible contact, then you are safe and there is no longer a chance that the disease will develop again,” Moonens reassures.