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Spanish Nurse With Ebola Says She Followed Safety Rules Spanish Prime Minister Defends Handling of Ebola Case
(about 1 hour later)
MADRID — An auxiliary nurse who is Western Europe’s first Ebola case said she had followed the full safety protocol while treating an infected patient and did not have “the slightest idea” how she could have gotten the virus, a Spanish newspaper reported Wednesday. MADRID — Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy defended his government’s handling of Western Europe’s first Ebola case on Wednesday, telling Parliament that he was confident Spain could contain the virus.
The nurse was reached by telephone by the newspaper, El Mundo, late Tuesday in an isolated unit of Carlos III Hospital in Madrid, where she is being treated and where she previously helped look after a missionary who died of Ebola on Sept. 25 after being sent back from Sierra Leone. “We will overcome this,” Mr. Rajoy said. He pledged “total transparency” about how the authorities handled the case and said he understood Spaniards’ concerns. An auxiliary nurse tested positive for the illness on Monday after helping tend to a missionary who died from the virus after being sent back from Sierra Leone.
In the brief conversation, the nurse, identified by El Mundo as María Teresa Romero Ramos, said she felt “a little better” since being hospitalized on Monday. She offered no clue as to what could have led to her infection, saying that she stuck to the protocol. “What I am asking is that we let the professionals work,” Mr. Rajoy said. “What we have to do is be vigilant but stay calm.”
Mr. Rajoy said that Spain had “one of the best” health care systems in the world and that any criticism of the handling of the case should not spiral into a broader political crisis. Some opposition lawmakers have been calling since Monday for Health Minister Ana Mato to resign.
Pedro Sánchez, leader of the Socialists, the main opposition party, told Mr. Rajoy that his government “should not cover up information.” Concerning Ms. Mato’s response, Mr. Sánchez said that “it’s more than clear that your health minister, when she has spoken, has triggered more uncertainty and more anguish among public opinion.”
The government is facing criticism not only over the events that led to the auxiliary nurse’s infection but also over why it then took nearly a week for her to be tested for Ebola, after she informed a medical center on Sept. 30 that she felt feverish.
She told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo that she had followed the full safety protocol for treating an infected patient and did not have “the slightest idea” how she could have gotten the virus.
The auxiliary nurse, identified by El Mundo as María Teresa Romero Ramos, was reached by telephone by the newspaper late Tuesday in an isolated unit of Carlos III Hospital in Madrid, where she is being treated and where she previously helped look after the missionary, who died on Sept. 25.
In the brief conversation, Ms. Romero said she felt “a little better” since being hospitalized on Monday. She offered no clue as to what could have led to her infection, saying that she stuck to the protocol. She has been a health care worker for 15 years, according to Spanish newspapers, which variously gave her age as 40 or 44.
Her husband separately told El Mundo that his wife had mostly stayed at home after going on vacation the day after the missionary, Manuel García Viejo, died. During that vacation period, however, the nurse also attended a public exam, alongside many other candidates, in an effort to further her career. Her husband has shown no signs of having the disease but has also been kept in quarantine as a precaution.Her husband separately told El Mundo that his wife had mostly stayed at home after going on vacation the day after the missionary, Manuel García Viejo, died. During that vacation period, however, the nurse also attended a public exam, alongside many other candidates, in an effort to further her career. Her husband has shown no signs of having the disease but has also been kept in quarantine as a precaution.
The husband has also led calls for the Madrid health authorities not to euthanize the couple’s dog, Excalibur, who was left at their home. The authorities said in a statement on Tuesday that they had ordered that the dog be put down as a precautionary measure, but there has been no confirmation that the order was carried out. A social media campaign has sprung up to spare Excalibur until it can be proven he has Ebola. One of the top hashtags on Twitter worldwide on Wednesday morning was #SalvemosaExcalibur.The husband has also led calls for the Madrid health authorities not to euthanize the couple’s dog, Excalibur, who was left at their home. The authorities said in a statement on Tuesday that they had ordered that the dog be put down as a precautionary measure, but there has been no confirmation that the order was carried out. A social media campaign has sprung up to spare Excalibur until it can be proven he has Ebola. One of the top hashtags on Twitter worldwide on Wednesday morning was #SalvemosaExcalibur.
On Wednesday, Spanish authorities continued their efforts to draw up a full list of people who might have had contact with the nurse. So far, about 50 people are being monitored for possible symptoms of Ebola. They include several staff members at a hospital in Alcorcón, on the outskirts of Madrid, where the nurse lives and where she was initially treated on Monday before testing positive for Ebola and being transferred to Carlos III Hospital. Spain’s government chose Carlos III Hospital to handle Ebola patients. On Wednesday, the Spanish authorities continued their efforts to draw up a full list of people who might have had contact with the nurse. So far, about 50 people are being monitored for possible symptoms of Ebola. They include several staff members at a hospital in Alcorcón, on the outskirts of Madrid, where the nurse lives and where she was initially treated on Monday before testing positive for Ebola and being transferred to Carlos III Hospital. Spain’s government chose Carlos III Hospital to handle Ebola patients.
The government is facing criticism not only over the events that led to the nurse's infection but also over why it then took nearly a week for the nurse to be tested for Ebola, after she informed a medical center on Sept. 30 that she felt feverish.
The case is worrisome because Spain is a developed country that is expected to have the rigorous infection controls needed to fight the spread of Ebola.The case is worrisome because Spain is a developed country that is expected to have the rigorous infection controls needed to fight the spread of Ebola.
Ms. Romero has been a health care worker for 15 years, according to Spanish newspapers, which variously give her age as 40 or 44.