Ebola Virus Outbreak News Update: Death Toll Nears 8,000 in West Africa; More than 20,000 Cases Reported
The number of Ebola deaths in West Africa stands at 7,842, the World Health Organization reports. There are more than 20,000 reported cases as well. Among these is Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey who is currently undergoing treatment in the UK.
On Monday the Scottish government announced a nurse who had returned from Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Dec. 28 had tested positive for Ebola, according to the Telegraph. The nurse left Freetown on a Moroccan airline flight to Casablanca and then to London's Heathrow, where she transferred to a British Airways flight to Glasgow.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, said the nurse was tested before leaving Sierra Leone and in London but did not reveal symptoms until Monday, by which time she was in Scotland. However, she said there is no need to panic, as the disease cannot be transmitted through bodily fluids and Scotland has prepared for this situation.
"We have the robust procedures in place to identify cases rapidly. Our health service also has the expertise and facilities to ensure that confirmed Ebola cases such as this are contained and isolated effectively minimizing any potential spread of the disease," she said.
The Guardian reports the patient has been identified as Pauline Cafferkey, an NHS Scotland nurse with 16 years of experience. She was part of 30 NHS volunteers sent to Sierra Leone to help with the epidemic.
The government is also attempting to track down the 71 passengers aboard the British Airways flight from London to Glasgow, while Prime Minister David Cameron urged the public not to panic.
Cafferkey was transported to London's Royal Free Hospital on Tuesday, according to The New York Times. This is the same hospital where in August nurse William Pooley was also treated when his symptoms surfaced. However, he was originally being treated in West Africa and was sent to the U.K.
Authorities also announced two other people recently returned from Sierra Leone are being tested for Ebola. Sturgeon said one was being tested in Scotland after traveling to the Highlands and the other is the Royal Cornwall Hospital in southwest England.
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