Without Comparison

Changes have put Ebola back on track, but political responsibilities should be clarified.

The fact that there has been a case of Ebola infection of a health worker in the United States and that the confidence in the American health care system has been affected by this should not mean that the government avoids its responsibilities for the very poor management of the crisis in Spain. In any case, it should mean that the authorities of both countries, and also the WHO, thoroughly review the protocols they have followed to date. The scientific committee appointed by the Council of Ministers has announced that it will contact the Atlanta Center for Disease Control and Prevention to exchange information. This is a good sign, and it indicates that the rescue plan President Rajoy undertook on Friday is starting to bear fruit. The situation now seems far more controlled and the assignment of the spokesperson role of the team to weighty and credible professionals is leading to a shift in public opinion.

Meanwhile, every day that passes without symptoms of the disease manifesting itself in the 15 people currently under observation leads to hope that the episode will remain confined to a single infection. Whatever the outcome, the crisis should serve as a lesson that allows us to deal with any new episodes. Ebola is far from being under control in Africa — it threatens to cause “failed states,” warned the WHO yesterday — and the possibility of the virus traveling anywhere in the world remains high. Hence the importance of reviewing the mistakes that have been made. An accidental infection is always possible, but the reactions of the United States and Spain should be compared: 90 minutes after having reported a slight fever, the infected person in Texas, whose identity has not been revealed, was already in solitary confinement; before it was confirmed through a second test diagnosis, the authorities had placed potential contacts under observation. Within hours, the car and living area had been disinfected, and the authorities were informing the neighbors in situ.

In Madrid, six days passed between the time the infected nursing assistant reported the first symptoms and the time she was admitted to a hospital and put in isolation; this led to a high number of contacts at risk, including the healthcare professionals who treated her at the hospital in Alcorcón. While in the United States there has always been a reliable spokesperson — Obama himself has spoken out in the face of the crisis — here, a situation of chaos and confusion developed which, instead of producing reassurance, has increased the level of concern. At no time has the minister of health risen to the challenge; and the minister of health in Madrid also demonstrated an intolerable insensitivity. While in America they have gathered round the infected individual, referring to her as a hero, here the exact opposite occurred. Far from valuing the sacrifice of the nursing assistant — who had volunteered to care for a high-risk patient — the minister tried to blame her. Every day that passes makes it highly unlikely that these two ministers will remain in their posts.