Hantavirus fears soar as UK evacuees 'isolated' in hospital next door to visiting families
Fears are growing that the deadly hantavirus, which has already killed three people aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, could break out at Arrowe Park Hospital
Concerns over a Hantavirus outbreak are mounting as 22 Britons evacuated from the rat-borne disease-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius are being housed at a Merseyside facility, just a short distance from families of premature babies and patients in intensive care.
The Britons, who were evacuated on Monday (May 11) from the ill-fated vessel at the centre of an international healthcare scandal, have been required to undertake a 42-day isolation period upon returning to the UK, beginning with a 72-hour stay at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral.
While the medical evacuation came as a relief to those who had been stranded aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise liner, Merseyside residents have remained deeply uneasy, with anxieties growing that the deadly Hantavirus could breach containment measures.
Outbreak fears struck particularly close to home for new mother Kim Childs, who has been residing in hospital accommodation near the Wirral facility for the past month to remain close to her prematurely born daughter, who continues to receive treatment in Arrowe Park's intensive care unit (ICU).
The 32 year old recently found herself with new neighbours, as those evacuated from the rat-virus infected vessel were placed in the adjacent rooms. Not only must she worry about her daughter's fragile condition, but she now fears she could inadvertently expose her vulnerable child to infection after being housed alongside the isolating cruise passengers.
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It is understood that all that separates her from potential Hantavirus exposure is a taped-up door.
"I have got a baby in the ICU. She was born 14 weeks premature and has respiratory issues. If I catch this disease, I am going to be infecting all these babies in the ICU," she told The Telegraph.
"It takes time to get the virus. We are not going to know if we have caught something until it is too late," she said, adding: "I am very worried."
The 32 year old mother claimed those residing in the Wirral building had been "left in the lurch" by healthcare authorities, and had not been supplied with any PPE or masks to protect them from the virus that has already claimed the lives of three cruise passengers.
To compound matters further, the new mum only discovered on Sunday that passengers who had been exposed to the virus would be relocating next door.
"We could have made other arrangements if they had told us earlier. They have thrown us in the lurch. They haven't told us anything," she said.
With her daughter required to remain in hospital for the next 10 weeks, she and her partner, Matthew Blythin, find themselves stranded as travelling back and forth from their home in Chester is simply not feasible.
"We have to live here, we have no other choice," she said, before revealing that returning to their own rooms at the hospital accommodation has become increasingly problematic, with the couple facing confrontations with security personnel each time they attempt to enter the now heavily guarded premises.
"Our names aren't on the list so we have to argue each time," she added.
She's not alone amongst locals with concerns, with residents from across Merseyside sharing similar fears that the hantavirus infection will break loose.
Birkenhead's 59 year old Jackie Edwards told The Telegraph she believed officials had downplayed the danger posed by the virus.
Speaking outside the Wirral hospital, she said: "I think they are keeping a lot of it under wraps. If they start dropping like flies then I will be worried."
Chester resident Alexander Ward described the cruise passengers' arrival as frightening. "I am not very happy myself. I have got pneumonia, so it could affect my life.," he said.
The 27 year old roofer had spent four days in hospital when he learnt that the cruise passengers would be accommodated alongside him.
He discovered this when coaches transporting the exposed individuals arrived. "If it is airborne, which it looks like it is, then it could kill me.
"It could kill a lot of patients if it leaks," he said, before adding: "They should be on an island."
