British doctor infected with Ebola evacuated from DR Congo to London hospital

A British doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been flown back to the United Kingdom for specialist medical treatment. The BBC and the Guardian both reported that the unidentified patient was transported to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London. The BBC stated that the patient arrived via RAF Northolt and was taken by emergency vehicles to a specialist infectious diseases unit. The Guardian reported that the patient was brought home on a medical evacuation flight, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. [1][2]

The BBC reported that this is the first confirmed case of a United Kingdom national contracting Ebola during the recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak has resulted in more than 5,000 deaths so far. Officials from the government and Dr Renu Bindra, deputy director of the All Hazards Public Health Response team, stated that the health risk to the public remains low. [1][6]

The Guardian reported that the doctor had been helping with the response to the Ebola outbreak in Africa before testing positive. The patient is now being cared for in a specialized high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital. [2]

Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease, is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically begin between two days and three weeks after exposure. Early signs include fever, sore throat, severe headache, and muscle pain. These are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and potential internal and external bleeding. Outbreaks of the disease carry a mortality rate ranging between 25 and 90 percent, with an average rate of approximately 50 percent. [8][10]