The Balearic Health Authorities are looking for passengers who took a flight from Geneva to Barcelona and from Barcelona to Palma on January 29 and may have come in contact with a British Expat from Majorca who has been diagnosed with coronavirus 2019-nCoV.
"A very thorough investigation will be done and everyone who is contacted is given very precise information on what to do," said Maria Antònia Font, General Director of Public Health.
The patient, his wife and two daughters, who have not been named, were admitted to an isolation unit at the Son Espases Internal Medicine Plant last Friday. The samples were sent to Madrid for analysis and came back positive for the father and one of his daughters was diagnosed with flu.
“A few days ago he did present some very mild symptoms that have already disappeared, so he is in the final phase of the process. One of his daughters has flu which is getting better, but she still has vomiting, fever and a sore throat.
All four members of the family are still in isolation and another set of samples will be taken from them this week and sen to Madrid for analysis.
The incubation period of the virus is 14 days and the first symptoms occurred on January 29.
"People don't need to be worried, it is a respiratory virus and this is a mild case, with a symptomatology of just 24 hours during which the immune system itself has reacted well, it has no gravity and could have gone through a simple flu," said Jordi Reina, Chief of Virology at Son Espases.
People with flu-like symptoms who have traveled to China within the last 14 days or have been in contact with someone who’s been diagnosed with the virus, are advised to notify the 061 Emergency Services who will tell them what to do.
The Minister of Salut, Patricia Gomez, said she had been in permanent communication with the Minister of Health, Salvador Illa, and the President of the Government, Francina Armengol.
"It is very important to convey confidence in the Public Health system," she said and insisted that the privacy of the family from Marratxí will be guaranteed.
The Director of the Centre for Coordination of Alerts & Emergencies at the Ministry of Health, Fernando Simón, said coordination and communication between Madrid and the Balearic Islands "has been total.”
The authorities are also tracking down anyone who came in contact with a German man who has the virus and is in hospital in La Gomera in the Canary Islands.
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May I repeat my comment from last week. I feel that testing for temperature on those entering Mallorca from Inbound Flights. Plus testing all the people arriving from Cruise Ships for temperature increase. An epademic is developing in many Countries. This temperature testing needs to start now. Before the main Tourists start to arrive.