Salvador Peiró
Epidemiologist, researcher in the Health Services and Pharmacoepidemiology Research Area of the Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO) and Director of Gaceta Sanitaria, the scientific journal of the Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS)
The decision to take the vessel on board is entirely reasonable from the point of view of public health, healthcare and international cooperation. We are not dealing with a pathogen capable of spreading within the community, and Spain’s health and public health services are well equipped to manage this situation.
Proper management is based on the treatment (in isolation) of cases, the monitoring of close contacts and the epidemiological assessment of the outbreak’s progression, without the need for general measures at the population level. Transferring the vessel to a healthcare setting with epidemiological and care capabilities improves outbreak control and the management of potential cases, reduces uncertainty and allows for the implementation of measures proportionate to the risk.