- She went to hospital in Tooting, south London, with a high temperature
- Undergoing 'series of tests' at St George’s Hospital today, officials say
- Patient is being treated in isolation in hospital's clinical infections unit
A patient admitted to a London hospital last night is being tested for Ebola, it has been confirmed.
The
person, believed to be a woman, has a history of travel in west Africa
and is described as suffering from a ‘haemorrhagic fever’.
It
is thought she presented herself to St George’s Hospital in Tooting,
south London, with a high temperature. The patient is being treated in
isolation in the clinical infections unit.
Today,
a woman visiting her father at the hospital told how the accident and
emergency department was cordoned off following the arrival of the
patient being tested for Ebola.
The
visitor had popped out to phone a relative as she saw her father, who
had been taken in to A&E. But when she returned, the corridor was
blocked - and staff were not letting people through.
The
woman, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘When I went back in, the
A&E section was closed off with a big sign saying "do not enter"
with staff standing nearby to make sure no-one got through.
‘I heard
someone saying something about a woman having Ebola. I was worried as I
had to get back to my dad and the corridor was now blocked. A&E is
split into major and minor and it was the major that was cordoned off.’
A
spokesman from St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust said: ‘A patient has
been admitted to St George’s Hospital with a haemorrhagic fever and is
currently undergoing a series of tests, as a precaution one of which is
for Ebola.
‘The
trust has followed national guidance and moved the patient to our
clinical infections unit where they are being cared for in isolation,
away from other patients.
‘Infection
control procedures remain in place while we await the results. We are
confident that all appropriate actions have been taken by our staff to
protect the public and the patient.’
The
A&E section was closed off with a big sign saying "do not enter"
with staff standing nearby to make sure no-one got through
Visitor to St George's Hospital
And
a Public Health England spokesman said: ‘PHE can confirm it will
undertake precautionary tests relating to a patient presently at St
George’s Hospital in Tooting, who has a history of travel to West
Africa.
‘Ebola
is considered unlikely but testing is being done as a precaution, as is
our usual practice in these circumstances. We are confident that all
appropriate actions are being taken to protect the public’s health.
‘It
is important to remember that as yet, there has not been a case of
Ebola diagnosed in the UK and the infection can only be transmitted
through contact with the bodily fluids - such as blood, vomit or faeces -
of an infected person.
‘We
have advised all front line medical practitioners and NHS call handlers
to be alert to signs and symptoms of Ebola in those returning from
affected areas and following such advice we would expect to see an
increase in testing.’.... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2818515/Patient-history-travel-west-Africa-tested-Ebola-London-hospital-walking-haemorrhagic-fever.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
