This Friday, during the evening, the first two cases in Europe have been detected. The two cases are French, one in Bordeaux, the other in Paris. If by chance, the virus were to spread and reach the kingdom, are our hospitals ready?
Suspected patients should be placed in solitary confinement
Michèle Gerard is an infectious disease specialist at CHU Saint-Pierre. Reassuring, she explains that “the different hospitals have been warned and given the criteria to diagnose the virus”.
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If a patient is suspected of having the virus, samples will be taken and sent to the KUL hospital, the reference hospital for samples. And pending the results, the patient will be placed in solitary confinement in the hospital where he presented.
If the case is confirmed?
In this case, explains Michèle Gerard, “either the hospital has the means to isolate the patient at the air level, or he will be transferred to the reference center for emerging viral infections, in this case, the CHU Saint-Pierre, with a specially chartered ambulance”.
Strict measures for those around you
Regarding the entourage of a patient potentially carrying the virus, a hygiene inspector is mandated. He will be responsible for drawing up a list of all the people “who have had risky contact with the patient”, according to the definitions established by the World Health Organization, underlines the expert.
On the other hand, in Belgium, the patient’s contacts are not isolated. They will, however, be closely watched. To know, “a visit of the hygiene inspector twice a day with personalized contacts”.
If relatives also show symptoms of the virus, then they will be subject to the same protocol as the patient.
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