Ebola case confirmed in central Scotland
EDINBURGH, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- A female healthcare worker on Monday was confirmed as having Ebola after returning to Glasgow in central Scotland from Sierra Leone on Sunday night, the Scottish government said.The patient was admitted to hospital early Monday morning after feeling unwell and was placed into isolation at 7:50 a.m. (0750 GMT) after returning to Scotland via Casablanca of Morocco and London Heathrow, arriving at Glasgow Airport on a British Airways flight at around 11:30 p.m. local time (2330 GMT) on Sunday, said the press release.
The individual has been isolated and receiving treatment in a specialist unit for Infectious Diseases on the Gartnavel Hospital campus in Glasgow. All possible contacts with the patient are now being investigated and anyone deemed to be at risk will be contacted and closely monitored.
However, the risk to others is considered extremely low as the patient having been diagnosed in the very early stages of the illness, it added.
According to British and Scottish protocol for anyone diagnosed with Ebola, the patient will be transferred to the high level isolation unit in the Royal Free hospital, London, as soon as possible. This is where the facilities, staff and systems are in place to ensure the best quality and safest care.
While public health experts have emphasised that the risks are negligible, a telephone helpline has been set up for anyone who was on the Heathrow to Glasgow flight last night, said the press release.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Committee to ensure all necessary steps are being taken, and also spoke to British Prime Minister David Cameron.
"Our first thoughts at this time must be with the patient diagnosed with Ebola and their friends and family. I wish them a speedy recovery," said Sturgeon.
She said Scotland has the robust procedures in place to identify cases rapidly, and that the health service also has the expertise and facilities to ensure that confirmed Ebola cases are contained and isolated effectively minimizing any potential spread of the disease.
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