MV Hondius guests begin monitored isolation
Passengers from the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius who were brought to the UK after a suspected hantavirus exposure are beginning a short quarantine period at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral — the same site used during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group includes 20 British citizens, one German resident of the UK, and one Japanese national. After being evacuated from Tenerife over the weekend, they are expected to stay at the hospital for at least 72 hours while doctors monitor them for symptoms.
Health officials stressed that none of the passengers currently show signs of hantavirus infection and reassured local residents that the virus is not spread through normal day-to-day contact.
The quarantine arrangements have revived memories of early 2020, when Arrowe Park became one of Britain’s first Covid isolation centres. Among those quarantined there at the time was Matt Raw, now 45, who had been evacuated from Wuhan with dozens of other British nationals.
Raw recalls the experience as strange but manageable. Guests stayed in student-style accommodation blocks containing shared kitchens, lounges, and bedrooms. He believes the current group may enjoy even more privacy because there are far fewer people involved this time.
Unlike the uncertainty surrounding Covid in 2020, Raw noted that hantavirus is already well understood by medical experts, which may ease some fears among the passengers.
Life inside quarantine, he said, was far from miserable. Residents had internet access, television, games consoles, and donated puzzles and board games to help pass the time. A courtyard allowed people to get fresh air, and many socialised together despite the unusual circumstances.
Food was another pleasant surprise. According to Raw, staff arranged supermarket deliveries and provided high-quality ready meals alongside standard hospital food. During his stay, he even became the unofficial cook for his suite.
Although the isolation eventually became repetitive, Raw said boredom was the biggest challenge rather than fear. He formed friendships that have lasted years beyond the quarantine period.
He believes the latest group of passengers will cope well if they stay positive and keep themselves occupied.
His advice: treat the experience like an unexpected holiday.
“Keep busy and the time passes quickly,” he said, reflecting on his own release from Arrowe Park after testing negative for Covid-19. He hopes the current passengers will receive the same reassuring outcome.
