A UK hospital unit has reportedly been placed into lockdown after it received a patient with suspected Ebola virus, it has been claimed. The person presented themselves at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s Acute Receiving Unit around 6am on Tuesday. The facility was quickly sealed off to the public.
It is understood the person had recently returned to the UK city from overseas travel to a country impacted from Ebola, The National has reported, and attended hospital after developing concerning symptoms. Following an assessment, the person was reportedly immediately confined for testing, treatment and further examination. Untill confirmed, there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Scotland. The UKHSA Returning Workers Scheme (RWS), which aims to protect and monitor the health of those who may travel from the UK to affected areas for their work, has reportedly been activated.
A hospital source told The National: “Obviously Ebola is a deadly and contagious illness, and emergency measures had to be put in place immediately to protect both staff and any members of the public.
“The person came to the Acute Receiving Unit, where people are sent by their GP or the health board’s 101 number to avoid having to present at accident and emergency. This was quickly shut down and sealed off from the rest of the hospital.
“The person was assessed there and then taken elsewhere in the hospital. I believe they were put into confinement while the tests to establish if they have Ebola or something else are carried out.”
Public Health Scotland said: “There are currently no confirmed cases of Ebola in Scotland and the risk to the general public remains low.
“Public Health Scotland is working closely with UKHSA, to assess routes by which travellers may enter the UK from affected countries. The risk from people arriving in the UK from affected areas is low and the NHS has safe procedures in place for detecting and managing any such cases.
“PHS and NHS boards across Scotland have well established protocols for assessing and testing travellers arriving in the UK from areas affected by Ebola where necessary.
“Where required, contact tracing will occur and contacts may undergo clinical assessment and precautionary testing.
“The UKHSA Returning Workers Scheme (RWS) which aims to protect and monitor the health of those who may travel from the UK to affected areas for their work, has been activated.
“Organisations deploying workers to affected areas where they may be exposed to Ebola through their work, should register those workers with the scheme.”
According to the NHS, Ebola is a serious, rare infection usually found in certain parts of Africa. It’s caught by coming into contact with the body fluids of an infected person or wild animal.
There is currently an Ebola outbreak affecting parts of Africa. However, the NHS says the risk to people in the UK is low.
Outbreaks of Ebola have been recorded in both the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
There have been almost 700 confirmed cases of bundibugyo Ebola virus, the majority of which are in DRC.
Some 138 people have died, including two in neighbouring Uganda.
Also, one case has been discovered in France.