According to Metro news, the supposed
victim, who had travelled from Sierra Leone, was not transferred to a
specialist unit at the Royal Free Hospital, the only fully-equipped
‘Ebola-proof’ isolation unit in the UK.
Instead, he
was treated by staff at Lewisham hospital equipped with aprons, masks and
gloves, rather than biohazard suits, insiders said.
A hand-out photo released by the UK Department
of Health of staff from North East
Ambulance Service and the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, north east
England taking part in a national exercise to test Britain's readiness for an
Ebola outbreak. Dozens of medical professionals from hospitals, the ambulance
service and Public Health England were involved in the eight-hour exercise in
locations across the country.
Actors will
simulate symptoms of the deadly virus to test the response of emergency
services, while some staff will wear personal protective equipment.
The man was
later found not to have the virus. The
insider at Lewisham hospital said: ‘The hospital is unprepared. Staff were
panicking and scared for their safety.’ The
outbreak has killed 3,000 people in West Africa, and infected Westerners who
had travelled to the region as well as the health workers treating them.
A Dallas
nurse who was part of the treatment team for Thomas Eric Duncan, became the
first person to contract the virus in the United States over the weekend,
despite wearing protective clothing.
Symptoms of
the virus can take up to 21 days after infection to appear – and the virus is
fatal in up to 70 per cent of cases, according to the World Health
Organisation.
Researchers
at Boston North eastern University predict there is a 50 per cent chance Ebola
will arrive in Britain within the next 16 days, due to Britain being a major
transport hub.
Metro UK
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