Nebuliser user: I told the nurses everything

The man who used a nebuliser in hotel quarantine that is suspected of spreading COVID-19 says he is angry the Victorian government is disputing his story.

The man insists he revealed on his admission to the Holiday Inn that he had a medical condition and used a nebuliser. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ David Crosling

The man who used a nebuliser in hotel quarantine that is suspected of spreading COVID-19 says he is angry the Victorian government is disputing his story, insisting he had detailed conversations with nurses in which he disclosed he had the device.

The man said no one from the government agency that manages hotel quarantine, COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria, had contacted him to discuss what he told nurses before the agency’s chief insisted there was no evidence that staff were told about the nebuliser.

In the wake of public denials by the government, the man, who is in hospital being treated for coronavirus, insisted he revealed on his admission to the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport in early February that he had a medical condition and used the device: “I told them I had asthma, I told them I have respiratory issues, especially with long periods of time in airconditioning.

“They asked what I took, I gave them a history of my medication, and I did say I had a nebuliser and nebules. They said we don’t have nebules but do I have enough nebules, and I said yes. And that was the end of the story.

“They were more interested in interacting with my 12-week-old baby than what they were in terms of actually taking a detailed medical history.”

CQV commissioner Emma Cassar said on Saturday that her agency had conducted an audit of hotel quarantine admission forms and found no record of the nebuliser being declared.

“I can categorically say there is no evidence from our officers that he has raised this with our health team,” she said.

The man said he had received a call last week from chief health officer Brett Sutton, who did not ask detailed questions about what he had told hotel quarantine staff about the nebuliser. But he was disappointed not to have received a call from CQV to check what he had told nurses.

“I find it really frustrating,” he said. “None of them have tried to call me. They’ve got my number, they know exactly where I am.”

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley declined to shed further light on the matter on Sunday.

The man said he had used the nebuliser on his sixth day in quarantine but did not tell staff.

He also used the device on the day he received results of his COVID-19 test, and that evening told staff when they were taking his medical history.

Five hours later, he was told he was not allowed to use it.