Ebola Patient in Spain News Update: Spain to Ramp Up Ebola Training; Infected Nurse Shows 'Slight Improvements'
The Spanish nurse who contracted Ebola while assisting Spanish missionaries with the virus showed some progress in her health, health officials announced on Sunday.
Government officials released a statement Sunday saying that 44-year-old Teresa Romero is showing signs of "slight improvement," reports NBC News. The statement also warned that Romero still remains seriously ill and further complications may occur.
The assistant nurse was infected with Ebola in a Madrid hospital last week after she was in contact with two Spanish missionaries who later fell victim from the deadly virus. As a result, Romero became the first person in the current outbreak to catch the deadly virus outside of Africa.
Health authorities suspect that Romero may have become infected when she accidentally touched her face with a gloved hand while she was in the process of removing protective gear.
On Monday, officials said that Romero's condition was still very serious and had not changed, reports Reuters.
Madrid's Carlos III hospital has received criticism from European infectious disease experts who question whether the hospital was prepared to deal with Ebola patients. Likewise, unions say that the health staff received insufficient training and equipment to deal with the disease.
According to a committee from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control who visited the health center, the hospital was not up to standards to handle an Ebola outbreak.
On Monday, Spain officials said it will ramp up training for health workers and emergency services dealing with Ebola cases.
Healthcare academic Fernando Rodriguez Artalejo said that a broader training program is under development.
"(It is for) doctors, nurses, nursing aides, security staff... police, firemen, anyone who has something to bring to the fight against this health problem," Rodriguez Artalejo said during a news conference.
The Spanish government has also defended its handling of the outbreak.
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