#Ebola Updates

Samaritan's PurseDr. Kent Brantly caring for an Ebola patient in Liberia before he became infected.

Woman Inbound From Gambia To London Dies On Arrival

GATWICK was struck with  an Ebola scare, weekend, after a woman collapsed and died after arriving from West Africa. The passenger, in her 70s, showed no symptoms on the flight from Gambia but became unwell on arrival at the south England airport on Saturday. She had flown with Gambia Bird.

The woman was taken to hospital where she died, though subsequent tests for Ebola came back negative. There have been no confirmed cases in the UK thus far.

Dr Brian McCloskey, Director of global public health at Public Health England, said: “There was no health risk to other passengers or crew, as the passenger did not have symptoms during the flight.

 “It was considered very unlikely to be a case of Ebola but testing was done as a precaution, and was negative. The correct procedures were followed to confirm there was no reason to quarantine the airplane, the passengers or staff.”

Airport staff spoke of how the woman was apparently sweating and vomiting before paramedics, immigration and airfield operations turned up to take everyone’s details. The staff member said everyone’s just petrified. No, the woman who died at Gatwick did not have Ebola. “We’ve all seen how many people have died from Ebola, especially in Sierra Leone, and it’s terrifying.”

The flight, carrying 128 people, had reportedly travelled from Sierra Leone, then had stopped at Gambia before carrying on its journey to the UK.

 A spokesperson for Gatwick said: “As a precaution, the aircraft was isolated, as were relevant airline and airport staff. At every stage, we took advice from Public Health England, which cleared the aircraft for its return journey.

”It comes as a second American aid worker prepares to be flown back to the US for specialised treatment at a Georgian hospital after contracting the virulent disease. Nancy Writebol, a Christian missionary, had been working in Liberia with another recuperating Ebola victim, Dr Kent Brantly, when she became infected.

NAFDAC Warns About False Claims Of Cure To Ebola

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Monday warned that the agency is battle ready to clampdown on people making false claims that they have products that can cure Ebola virus disease.

The Director – General of the agency, Dr. Paul Orhii who gave the warning in Lagos restated that Ebola virus disease has no cure for now and there is no definite drug that can cure the disease.

Reacting to alleged rumours of online advertisement for Ebola drugs and cure said NAFDAC will not take lightly any such advertisement of a disease that is currently ravaging the  West African countries.

Orhii warned that anybody making false claims that he or she has products that can cure Ebola virus disease (EVD) to stop it or face the wrath of the law.

His words, “The honourable . Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi has stated categorically that there is no cure yet for Ebola

He lamented that unscrupulous people are trying to take advantage of the EVD outbreak in the region to deceive vulnerable people by making claims that they have a remedy for the disease.

He said those who claim they possess a cure for Ebola should do so only after it has been certified. “They should go through the normal ‘scientific’ process,” he added.

He said for now, EVD has no known cure adding that “It would be a good thing if the cure is found in Nigeria but things must be done according to lay down rules.”

Nigerians are desperate and will be ready to buy anything if they have the virus. If anyone has a cure let him come to the agency. We will follow up but we are not going to allow anybody to take advantage of the sick. We will arrest anybody found making false claims.”

Vanguard.

ATLANTA — A plane carrying the second American Ebola patient has departed Liberia and is on its way to Atlanta.

Nancy Writebol's plane left around 9:30 p.m. EDT. She is expected to land in Atlanta Tuesday.

Channel 2 Action News was there when the plane carrying Dr. Kent Brantly landed at Dobbins Air Force Base and arrived at Emory University Hospital on Saturday.

Brantly could be seen walking out of the ambulance with the help of a healthcare worker.  His family said they are pretty optimistic about his recovery.

Brantly remains in isolation at Emory Hospital. Channel 2’s Dave Huddleston had a chance to talk with his wife. 

Hospital officials have said his health is improving and they are optimistic it will continue to improve while they treat him inside a special isolation section of the hospital. 

 

Writbol's son Jeremy talked with Channel 2 Action News about how she's doing. 

"Still fighting, still weak but able to sit up and receive treatment and even eat a little bit and taking fluids," Jeremy Writebol said.

In a statement from Brantly's wife, who has had the chance to see her husband, she said in part, "We are confident that he is receiving the very best care. 

We are very grateful to the staff at Emory University Hospital, who have been so nice and welcoming to us. I was able to see Kent today. He is in good spirits."

Writebol and her husband, David, had been in Liberia since August 2013, sent there by the Christian organization SIM USA and sponsored by their home congregation at Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"They take the Great Commission literally," said their pastor, the Rev. John Munro, referring to the instruction from Jesus Christ to "make disciples of all nations."

At the hospital where Brantly treated patients, Writebol worked as a hygienist whose role included decontaminating those entering or leaving the Ebola treatment area. Munro said David Writebol fulfilled administrative and technical duties.

A few weeks before she was diagnosed, Jeremy Writebol, Nancy's son, said a doctor visited the Monrovia hospital where she worked and praised the decontamination procedures as the best he'd seen. Jeremy Writebol said she was "really pleased by knowing that" and never thought she would be infected, despite her proximity to the virus.

David and Nancy Writebol have engaged in foreign missions for 15 years, spending five years in Ecuador and nine years in Zambia, where Munro said they worked in a home for widows and orphans.

 wsbtv.com