The cab driver who transported the Chinese woman suspected of having SARS to a Dublin hospital at the weekend has been asked to remain in quarantine for 10 days.
The driver, who says he will follow the advice given him by his health board, expressed concern at the directive yesterday given that the woman he transported has, according to the Eastern Regional Health Authority, since tested negative for SARS. Known only as George, the cab driver spoke on yesterday's Liveline programme on RTÉ radio. He said he got a call from a Dún Laoghaire hostel last Friday night to take the Chinese woman who had a headache to St Vincent's Hospital.
"During the trip I came to the realisation that there was a little bit more the matter with her than just having a headache. She did seem to be a bit coughy, she showed symptoms other than having a headache similar to a cold or a bad flu," he said.
She had recently arrived in Ireland from Guangdong province, where the SARS virus is believed to have begun in November. Concerned the woman might have SARS, he decided not to just drop her off at the hospital door. "I approached the people in the hospital prior to the girl having to go to the general admissions and queue" and she was seen within minutes.
When her later tests proved negative, he decided, as a courtesy, to inform his health board that he was going back to work yesterday. "They made a request that I would continue to stay indoors," he said.