Doctor with Ebola evacuated from DR Congo to London — Interia

A British doctor who contracted the Ebola virus while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was evacuated to London, United Kingdom. The patient was placed in the isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital, Interia reports.

According to the UK Department of Health, the medical evacuation was carried out in cooperation with the authorities of the DR Congo and international health partners. The doctor worked for a humanitarian organization and helped combat the epidemic. His identity has not been disclosed. Reuters reported on November 4 that the medic's condition was stable before the evacuation.

Treatment in an isolation unit

The Royal Free Hospital has a specialized unit for treating patients with dangerous infectious diseases. It is accessible only to personnel who have undergone appropriate training. A special tent with controlled ventilation is installed next to the patient's bed, while the unit has a separate entrance, its own laboratory and equipment for decontaminating waste.

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The UK Health Security Agency said that during transportation, the patient was monitored by specialists using full personal protective equipment. Agency representative Renu Bindra stated that the risk to the public remains low. The agency did not recommend that residents take additional safety measures.

Data on the outbreak in the DR Congo

As Interia notes, the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus. According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control cited by the publication, as of November 3, 10,668 infections and 5,198 deaths had been confirmed in the DR Congo. The epidemic affected eight provinces of the country.

The situation in the DR Congo is also complicated by a cholera outbreak. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that more than 60,000 cases of the disease and about 1,800 deaths have been recorded since the beginning of the year. Most cases were detected in the North and South Kivu provinces, where armed conflicts are ongoing.