THE Brit tour guide who was urgently airlifted from the rat virus cruise ship MV Hondius has admitted he has “no idea how long he’ll be in hospital”.
Martin Anstee, 56, is an ex-police officer who was working as an expedition guide on the cursed cruise ship when he caught the deadly hantavirus.
Brit Martin Anstee, 56, is being treated for hantavirus after being evacuated from the MV Hondius Credit: Facebook
Health workers in protective gear transfer suspected hantavirus cases in Cape Verde Credit: Getty
He is now being treated in hospital in the Netherlands, and told Sky News he doesn’t know how long he’ll take to recover.
Martin revealed that he is “doing okay” but that “there are still lots of tests to be done”.
He added that he’s “in isolation at the moment” as he is treated in a Dutch hospital.
Doctors said Mr Anstee’s condition had improved and he was now “serious but stable”.
The ex-police officer is now isolating in hospital after being evacuated from the cruise ship Credit: Instagram
When the Brit was evacuated from the MV Hondius on Wednesday, his condition was described as critical, but Spanish authorities later confirmed that he had improved.
He said doctors “should have a clearer picture” later this week.
His wife Nicola told The Telegraph : “It has been a very traumatic few days.
“The fear with this virus is it can deteriorate very quickly. I don’t believe he’s in imminent danger now, but it was horrible.”
Nicola first heard that her husband was ill on Sunday and said the whole family was relieved when they heard “he’s off the Hondius”, adding that “It’s quite important with this virus they get early medical care”.
She added: ““He’s relieved to be off the ship. He had it quite mild then it got a bit more serious and now he’s stable again.”
Martin was airlifted from the cruiser at the same time as two others, a 41-year-old Dutch doctor and a 65-year-old German.
Three people have died so far, a Dutch 69-year old man, his wife and a German who died on May 2. One body remains on the ship.
His condition has been described as ‘serious but stable’ Credit: Instagram
A person in a hazmat suit is escorted to an ambulance from a medical aircraft Credit: AFP
One French case of the virus has been found after the wife of the Dutch man flew from the remote island of St. Helena to Johannesburg.
The Dutch woman flew to South Africa before attempting to board a KLM flight home to the Netherlands.
But KLM refused to let her fly and removed the woman from the flight before take-off.
She was then hospitalised and died from the virus.
A KLM stewardess has since been admitted to hospital in Amsterdam showing symptoms of hantavirus, after being in contact with the woman who died.
The WHO confirmed yesterday that the cruise ship cases were caused by the Andes variant, the only strain of hantavirus that can spread from person to person.
The Brit says he does not know how long he will be kept in hospital Credit: Instagram
Authorities are now scrambling to find around 40 people who left the MV Hondius in St. Helena Credit: AFP
Investigators revealed the deadly virus may have been , after they visited an Argentine landfill site during a bird watching trip.
And authorities are scrambling to track those who could have been in contact with the virus after around 40 people disembarked the cruise ship early in St Helena.
Authorities have not revealed where those people are now – , but the whereabouts of others are unknown.
One passenger said they travelled to “all corners of “, Taiwan, Australia, and the Netherlands.
They all left the ship after the first passenger died of hantavirus and the race is on to trace anyone with whom they may have had contact.
British asymptomatic passengers still on the ship will self isolate for 45 days, Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Security Agency (UKHSA) suggested.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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