This South African national shared a space on an airplane with a passenger who was later diagnosed with hantavirus. After their stay in the Catalan capital, they returned to their country, and Spanish health authorities have already contacted their counterparts to ensure the relevant tests are carried out.
“"This is not a confirmed infected person, but simply a passenger who coincided with a positive case in the same space. It is very unlikely that they will test positive."
In parallel, another passenger from the same flight, residing in Alicante, has been isolated as a precaution after presenting mild symptoms upon returning home. This woman was seated two rows behind the infected person, who unfortunately passed away. She will undergo an initial test, and even if the result is negative, she will have to repeat it and remain in quarantine in Madrid.
The Secretary of State for Health emphasized that the probability of the woman from Alicante testing positive is also low, given the distance from the infected person. Despite this, her contacts in Alicante are being traced in case any treatment is necessary.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reiterated that the global public health risk is low, with only five confirmed cases (including the three fatalities) and three suspected cases. The organization has sought to distance any comparison with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“"Based on what we know, on the dynamics of this outbreak, and on how it is spreading - and not spreading - among people on the ship and also among people who have already disembarked, we continue to consider the risk to be low for the general population, and moderate for people on the ship."
