Ebola in the UK: Woman diagnosed with the virus in Glasgow Gartnavel Hospital
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The first case of Ebola to be diagnosed on British soil has been
announced tonight, after a health worker in Glasgow was confirmed to
have contracted the virus.
The female patient is an NHS nurse who had just returned from Sierra
Leone after a spell treating the victims of the potentially fatal
disease.
She is currently being treated at the specialist Brownlee Unit for
Infectious Diseases at Glasgow's Gartnavel Hospital, and is said to be
in a stable condition.
A spokeswoman for Save the Children confirmed toThe Independentthat
the female patient is an NHS nurse who worked at its Ebola hospital in
Kerry Town, near the capital Freetown. She added that the charity
believes the patient flew to Sierra Leone on 23 November.
The woman had returned to Scotland on Sunday night via Casablanca and
Heathrow, arriving into Glasgow Airport on a British Airways flight.
She was screened both in Sierra Leone and Heathrow, but at that stage
was not displaying any symptoms.
The woman sought medical help hours after her return to Britain when
she began to feel ill early on Monday morning, and was placed into
isolation at 7:50am.
In line with UK and Scottish protocol for patients diagnosed with the
virus, she will be transferred to the high level isolation unit in the
Royal Free hospital, London, as soon as possible, the Scottish
Government said in a statement.
After chairing a meeting of the Whitehall Cobra contingencies
committee in London, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said there would be
a review of the "procedures and protocols" adopted by NHS workers and
other government staff working in Sierra Leone.
"We are reviewing our procedures and protocols for the other NHS
workers who are working in Sierra Leone alongside colleagues from the
Department for International Development and the Foreign Office," he
said.
"They are doing a very, very brave job, under very challenging
circumstances. We want to make absolutely sure that we are doing
everything we can to keep them safe."
Passengers on the two flights the woman was on were now being
contacted as a "precautionary measure" although the risks of them
contracting the disease were "very low", said Mr Hunt.
She is believed to have been in contact with only one other person
after arriving in Glasgow, as well as hospital staff.
Anyone deemed to be at risk will be contacted and closely monitored
the Scottish Government added, but stressed: "the risk to others is
considered extremely low" as the aid worker was diagnosed in the very
early stages of the virus.
However, a telephone helpline has been set up for anyone who was on
the Heathrow to Glasgow flight last night. Those concerned can phone:
08000 858531.
Credit: Independent Uk