The ambulance, escorted, Teresa Romero moved to Hospital Alcorcón the Carlos III. / Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno
In the Teresa Romero urbanization, on Avenida del Pinar (Alcorcón), some have packed up. A woman with a baby three months not pressed her apartment for days. Others spend hours at home trying to find out everything possible about Ebola. The concierge asked to clean his box was not working Friday stress. Some say that no one plays with their children in school. The calmer insist that it is impossible to become infected by touching the elevator button. But the virus has spread panic.
In this development they learned from the media that his neighbor had Ebola. They saw on television an ambulance, escorted by police, contact the hospital. It was on October 6. They have six days past, but there are still many gaps in a story marked by mistakes and a lack of information that has made Spain the first country with a case of infection outside Africa, where they have killed more than 4,000 people.
It all started on September 25, when the priest Manuel García old died in hospital Carlos III de Madrid. Teresa Romero, 44, a nursing assistant interim hospital La Paz, had volunteered to serve the missionary, medical director of the San Juan de Dios hospital in Sierra Leone. Teresa had participated in the Care Miguel Pajares, the first Spanish repatriated by the virus, who died on August 12
Fear is installed between some neighbors Alcorcon
It’s Thursday and the assistant, who was in the room García Viejo days to remove waste before the patient comes to collect infected material. Early research findings suggest that everything happens then, perhaps at the time in which Teresa protective suit is removed. It will be difficult to confirm, because the cameras watching the movements of professionals not recorded. There is a picture to prove the alleged error. Research Sources say that Teresa comes up three times in the last room and it was not recorded. They also believe that no one checked how the suit removed. The protocol did not require denounces Manuel Torres, nurse serving Teresa. The rule “was improvised on the fly”
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Infected by the virus but as yet without any symptoms, Teresa gets vacation. Their intent is submitted to a competition nursing assistant and then travel with her husband, Javier Limón. Nobody told him not to leave Madrid. The only instructions after the death of the priest came down to take your temperature twice daily and notify if he was wrong or rose fever. The red phone was the service number of occupational risk prevention of Hospital La Paz, which only works Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 15.00. After hours, according to team sources of health, had to go to their GP or emergency room. The center also occupational hazards tests conducted by telephone to the computer to verify that they were fine. The service told the board center staff as attending the meeting, which was called twice to Teresa before October 2 and had no symptoms. In any case, the protocol of the ministry of September 15 considered auxiliary and all colleagues who had attended the infected as “low risk” priest.
In the early days, Teresa has no discomfort . It comes to opposition on September 27 at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the Complutense University. Do not go on a trip because her husband has an accident. She wants to go see her mother in Galicia, but starts to feel bad
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Counseling and ministry refuse to give details about the early days
What happens between September 29 and October 6 is unclear. Those days are essential for the development of the disease, focusing most of the gaps. How many times called the auxiliary to health services? What do you say? Calls are not recorded and his exact words are not known. Yes there is, however, a record of the time that communicates with the service of occupational risk prevention of La Paz and the emergency services. It could clarify what happened. But the Community of Madrid, the Ministry of Health and the Hospital La Paz have refused to go public.
Required by this newspaper, the ministry refers to the community. The community, the health center. And from the hospital ensures that the Ministry of Health prohibits Madrid talk. Queen opacity. To complete the puzzle you must go to medical sources and merge the partial data that different decision makers have been contributing throughout the week.
Alberto Alemany, CEO of Primary Care in the Community of Madrid, Tuesday 30 ensures that the auxiliary phone calls the prevention of occupational risks relating a “vague symptoms.” Fever and asthenia. It is not known why the respondent, and whether they recommend you go to the health center said. What nobody does is tell you not leave home.
That’s what makes Teresa that day. You go to a clinic closer to home. No talk of Ebola and Dr. prescribes paracetamol, a fact that is fatal because of the subtle symptoms.
The next call of on record is October 2. Romero still bad and is recalled to service occupational risk prevention, a fact recognized by the Minister of Health Madrid, Javier Rodriguez. According to him, Thérèse has fever and feels bad. That same day, according to union sources, the hospital tells the Madrid Health Service, but nobody calls it that afternoon. The next day, someone from Madrid Health Service telephones Romero, according to the account of the counselor. This states that his temperature was 36.8. The patient is not able to confirm this version, but other sources indicate that she said she still had a fever, fatigue and back pain. It seems clear that he was not well: he had forbidden his brother José Ramón to go to visit
The next contact occurs already in the early hours of Sunday to Monday, from 5 to 6 October.. It is the third time the woman asks for help to the authorities and once again, the risk is minimized. Romero calls the emergency services who says Summa 112 and expresses his fears. But as the fever is less than 38.6 degrees setting the protocol was then, no one takes seriously the real possibility of Ebola infection.
They send medical home care comes with a technician. None protection leads. They wear mask and gloves, just in case, and make a contradictory decision: Ebola discarded but call for an ambulance. The orderlies then receive a very strange message: “Feverish, but Ebola is discarded.” Once in the house, Teresa tells her suspicions. Nervous, notified the coordinating center: neither they nor the vehicle are prepared to protect themselves. But all is in vain. They insist that with the Hospital Alcorcón. Way to go
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The virus soon took the form of hoaxes and false remedies on the Internet
In Hospital Alcorcón, a center not prepared for such an eventuality, Teresa Romero fears are confirmed: has Ebola. Juan Manuel Parra, deputy the attending emergency physician for 16 hours, some of them simply with a waterproof gown, double gloves, a hat and a mask. He learns by means of the auxiliary has tested positive for the virus. Days later denounced numerous irregularities. “The sleeves were short me” he says of the suit.
The news comes to political offices. Mercedes and Pilar Farjas Vinuesa, the two key senior positions in Health, entering the office of Ana Mato faced circumstances: there is a positive Ebola. After twenty trader-negative tests during the summer surprise coming from Africa is total. “We had been told that this could not happen and was happening,” said one senior on the feeling of those first hours. Mato calls the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, in Madrid, Ignacio Gonzalez and counselor, Javier Rodriguez. Then everyone, including Rajoy, are aware of the huge crisis we will face. Rajoy and Mato made the decision to bring the infected sacerdores, and they will drop the criticism. As confirmed positive with the second analysis, there is a crisis cabinet in the ministry and Mato decides to leave at a press conference at 20.00. Not so the counselor, who left to face one of their technicians. Starting friction between Health and the Community. Mato appears only 21 minutes, dressed in black, with contorted face, dodging questions. The wheel leaves everyone unsatisfied, also in the government and the PP. So black is criticized. There was wanted. Mato had no public agenda that day and what I was wearing something comfortable with a cowboy for a day under normal working. But it was not and criticism rages.
Days earlier, Mato had ensured that all the people who had attended the priest were “absolutely controlled”. Also the Director of Public Health, Mercedes Vinuesa had assured: “The risk for the Spanish population is virtually nil”
The next day that Teresa is transferred to the Carlos III, her husband, Javier Limón. admitted for risk of being infected, tells World that a sanitary authority has called you to authorize them to sacrifice your dog, Excalibur, found only on the floor of Alcorcón. A few minutes after that call, springing up like weeds campaigns to save the life of the animal. Scientists disagree on the press about what to do. Spain is divided on Twitter between those who believe that we must eliminate Excalibur and those who opt for their salvation.
At this point the virus has already taken a new dimension in the form of Internet hoaxes, false statements and remedies unfortunate policies. Ebola spread networks in places like Vallecas, Albacete and the Autonomous University. In all cases it is assemblies with false news
Officials downplayed the risk before and during the crisis
Meanwhile, Teresa fights the virus isolated in the Carlos III. The woman, sick and exhausted, the called multimedia. On Wednesday, 8 manifested COUNTRY: “The fault could be to take off the suit, is the most critical time, but I do not know”
A doctor at the hospital in La Paz, Germán Ramírez talks to. Teresa and then returns to the subject of the suit. “I said the possibility that he could have contact with the face.” The health states that “could have been an accident.” But that just passing as a truth revealed by the patient.
The excuse of human error is served on a platter to clear responsibilities. The Madrid director, Javier Rodriguez, download all the blame on Teresa. “It could have been lying about his fever,” he says, though it admits, puts it “from his harvest.” It is printing. The director reveals that the 27th, after going to the clinic, Teresa will shave. “Should not be so bad to go to the hairdresser,” says Onda Cero. Even members of his own party, the PP, criticize his statements.
That afternoon Teresa phone stops working. Picture your WhatsApp, inactive, is an image of St. James. Your state: On the street with Excalibur. Health authorities sacrifice the dog. At 18.27 hours the van comes with the body of the house of Alcorcón. “Murderers!”, Shouted the people gathered in front of the building.
Complaints about safety among health occur. Apart from allegations of medical emergency, the Hospital staff protest at Carlos III costumes that had been used to serve the priests were two levels below those that are considered safer, the type 4 with breathing apparatus. “The training we received was zero. Just a quick course on how to get the costume, “explains Manuel Torres nurse. Another statement of the Minister of Health Madrid turn to professionals: “To explain to you how to remove or put on a suit do not need a master. But some have a greater capacity for learning than others, “he says.
On October 9, the auxiliary worse. Another 16 people who had contact with her or the priest García Viejo are admitted to the Carlos III (a nurse who also attended the missionary was discharged yesterday). Criticism of crisis management make the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, which was booed when he visited the center, without the minister, on Friday noonday, put in command of the situation to the Vice President, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría . It is a stick for the team and Mato admission, implied an error. However, the minister appears to announce a change in the protocols: the temperature to warn of a possible case goes from 38.6 to 37.7 degrees. Not the only rectification. The follow-up of those who have been in contact with the patient is much higher. All recognize at this point that should meet the first call Teresa Romero more carefully and not assume the risk of those who had attended the priests was almost nil.
After attending thousands of cases in Africa where Ebola has killed more than 4,000 people, only two of the non-African professionals MSF have been infected (and survived). The comparison with Spain is devastating, two returnees, two dead, and now, an infected
With information. Vicente G. Olaya, Carlos E. Cue Ellen Sevillano, Pilar Alvarez, Emilio de Benito, Elsa García de Blas, Natalia Junquera, J. Gálvez Jiménez, Guillermo Altars, Alvaro de Cózar and Monica Ceberio Belaza.
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