The patient, who is currently receiving intensive care at Bichat Hospital in France, is fighting a critical battle against a rare and life-threatening illness. Dr. Xavier Lescure, speaking on behalf of the French health ministry, provided this update to local media.
“The patient is experiencing the most severe form of cardiopulmonary symptoms,” Dr. Lescure informed during a press conference. He elaborated that the patient is reliant on an artificial lung and a blood bypass machine, which are being used in hopes of helping her survive this critical phase.
The aim of these medical interventions is to alleviate the pressure on her lungs and heart, offering them a chance to recuperate. Dr. Lescure described this approach as “the final stage of supportive care.” He also mentioned that the patient is over the age of 65 and has underlying health conditions, further complicating her medical situation.
The hope is that the device relieves enough pressure on the lungs and heart to give them some time to recover.
Lescure called it “the final stage of supportive care”.
She is older than 65 and has pre-existing conditions, he said.
With the evacuation of all passengers and many crew members completed, the MV Hondius is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will be cleaned and disinfected.
Despite the rise in hantavirus cases, the WHO says the risk of a wider outbreak remains low.
“At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”
The latest person confirmed to be infected is a Spanish passenger who tested positive after being evacuated from the ship, Spain’s health ministry said.
The passenger was in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.
No vaccine or specific treatment exists for hantavirus.
The fatality rate for the disease varies by type but can be as high as 50 per cent, although early detection and treatment improve survival rates.
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