12 Dutch hospital staff quarantined after hantavirus protocol breach

A dozen workers at the university medical center in Nijmegen will enter a precautionary quarantine after possible exposure to hantavirus, NL Times writes.

The 12 employees at the Radboudumc hospital were involved in the case of a patient who tested positive for the viral infection after spending time on the Hondius cruise ship, the hospital said in a statement.

The workers at the hospital did not follow a specific, strict protocol when handling the infected patient’s blood and urine. Despite the risk of infection being low, the workers will remain in “preventive quarantine for six weeks as a precaution,” the hospital wrote on Monday.

It has not been revealed whether the people at risk are nurses, orderlies, doctors, medical students, or if they hold other positions.