Ebola case confirmed in Glasgow - patient in isolation in Gartnavel Hospital.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-30628349

Oh joy! The perfect end to the perfect year!

A healthcare worker who has just returned from West Africa has been diagnosed with Ebola and is being treated in hospital in Glasgow.

The woman, who arrived from Sierra Leone on Sunday night, is in isolation at Glasgow's Gartnavel Hospital.

All possible contacts with the case are being investigated, including on flights to Scotland via Heathrow.

The woman will be transferred to specialist high level isolation in London as soon as possible.

At a news conference in Glasgow, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stressed that the risk to the general public was very low.

She added that the patient was thought to have had contact with only one other person since arriving in the city, but that all passengers on the flights the woman took will be traced.

Alisdair MacConachie, of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said the woman was "not showing any great clinical concern".

NHS Scotland said infectious diseases procedures had been put into effect at the Brownlee Unit for Infectious Diseases at Gartnavel.

Thankfully, the woman hasn't had time to return to work.

The patient returned to Scotland from Sierra Leone late on Sunday via Casablanca and London Heathrow, arriving into Glasgow Airport on a British Airways flight at about 23:30.

Oh no! She travelled while she was infectious!

Is it still the season for gift giving?

Santa certainly wasn't very good to her, was he? I see she's going to be moved south:

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/304953-health-worker-treated-for-ebola-in-brownlee-unit-at-gartnavel-glasgow/

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "All possible contacts with the patient are now being investigated and anyone deemed to be at risk will be contacted and closely monitored. However, having been diagnosed in the very early stages of the illness, the risk to others is considered extremely low.

"According to UK and Scottish protocol for anyone diagnosed with Ebola, the patient will be transferred to the high level isolation unit in the Royal Free hospital, London, as soon as possible. This is where the facilities, staff and systems are in place to ensure the best quality and safest care."

A British Airways spokesman said: "We are working closely with the health authorities in England and Scotland and will offer assistance with any information they require.

"Customers who flew from London Heathrow to Glasgow on BA1478 which departed at 2100 on Sunday December 28 and have concerns should contact the special number 08000 858531 set up by the Scottish Government.

"The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and the risk to people on board that individual flight is extremely low."

A spokesman for the Royal Free Hospital said it was not yet clear when the patient would be transferred to London.

"The Royal Free London can confirm that it is expecting to receive a patient who has tested positive for Ebola.

"The patient will be treated in the high level isolation unit (HLIU)," he said.

The unit is run by a dedicated team of doctors and laboratory staff and access is restricted to specially trained medical staff.

A specially designed tent is set up around the patient's bed so the infection can be contained while they are treated.

The last UK case made a full recovery, and donates blood for research, etc, so I don't think there will be any panic here.

Quite, Bonny. There will be much relief when recovered.

No danger of the Mail causing panic with that restrained cover.

One of their most understated?

The nurse, a Mrs Cafferkey of North Lanark, has now been moved:

http://news.sky.com/story/1399619/ebola-nurse-pauline-cafferkey-in-london-hospital

That disgusting Hopkins woman has been making her usual troll remarks - anything to get a few bucks from the Mail - totally ignoring the fact that the UK government designated the Royal Free Hospital in London as the official Ebola treatment centre.

For once, Westminster was being sensible, as it was far more likely Ebola would appear in a huge population centre like south east England, and not North Lanark, of all places.

Er, doesn't that mean she was infectious THEN?

Are the workers that stupid?

At Heathrow? Yes, quite possibly.

Unbelievable!!

Not good news:

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/305249-scots-nurse-with-ebola-now-in-critical-condition-in-hospital/

The condition of Scots nurse Pauline Cafferkey who was diagnosed with Ebola has deteriorated and is now critical, the Royal Free Hospital in north London said in a statement today.

Mrs Cafferkey, a public health nurse who had been volunteering in the stricken West African country, was diagnosed with the deadly virus after returning to Glasgow from Sierra Leone via Casablanca in Morocco.

A brief statement on the hospital's website said: "The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is sorry to announce that the condition of Pauline Cafferkey has gradually deteriorated over the past two days and is now critical."

More at link.

At last, some good news:

http://news.sky.com/story/1414262/ebola-nurse-leaves-hospital-after-recovery

Ebola Nurse Leaves Hospital After Recovery
Pauline Cafferkey, who was critically ill for a time, says she is looking forward to going home after weeks in an isolation unit.

A nurse infected with Ebola while working in Sierra Leone has said she is "happy to be alive" as she left hospital after making a full recovery.

Pauline Cafferkey is now free of the deadly virus after more than three weeks in a specialist isolation unit, where for a time she was critically ill.

She admitted she still felt "quite weak", but said she was looking forward to going home.

She also thanked staff at the Royal Free Hospital in London, whom she credited with saving her life.

Ms Cafferkey was diagnosed with Ebola after returning to Glasgow and was initially admitted to the city's Gartnavel Hospital on 29 December, before being transferred to the Royal Free the following day.

She appears to have found the miracle cure:

She said listening to music and having "lots of Irn-Bru" had helped in her recovery.

That's really good news and good for her and Irn Bru.

Hope they pay her for that incredible advertising.

I know, it's amazing! Lots of Scots swear by Irn-Bru for all sorts of ailments, but Ebola is a new one! I suspect it may be because it's very easy to drink and has a good balance of salts and sugars, so possibly helped a little bit with hydration.

The company couldn't buy PR like that!

Ah yes, that may be why. Maybe they could pay her to be the new face of the drink.