The doctors were treating patients, who later developed Ebola. Doctors were unprotected, like they used to be, treating a lot of malaria patients. No Ebola patients in that time in this region. After the doctors found out they had been treating patients who developed Ebola, they warned the Dutch Embassy in Ghana. They will fly home by a military plane. The clinic has been closed, this closure is another local health disaster.
Director of RIVM (Dutch CDC), Jaap van Dissel, said via NOS National Radio, as long as the doctors don’t show any symptoms, they can’t infect others. After their return they will have a medical check. After that it will be decided what the next step will be. They could stay in isolation at home (less contacts than in a hospital setting) and monitored by telephone. As soon as they develop a fever and/or other symptoms, the next steps from the Ebola protocol will be followed.
More updates later.
TWO DUTCH DOCTORS MAY HAVE EBOLA
Two Dutch doctors may be returned to The Netherlands after possibly having contracted the deadly Ebola virus while working in Sierra Leone. Though there are no current symptoms with the doctors, there is still a fear that they may have the virus, the NOS reports.
The doctors, from Reewijk and Apeldoorn, work at the Lion Heart Medical Center in Yele in Sierra Leone. They were in contact with three patients last week, who were later found to have Ebola, and later died from the virus. The doctors did not wear protective clothing.
According to the director of the Medical Center, Pien Bax, the doctors went to the Dutch embassy in Ghana, which serves Sierra Leone as well, on Monday where they were told to return to The Netherlands. The Center in Yele has also been shut down for the time being. Bax emphasizes that there is no sign of Ebola infection with the two doctors yet.
The Dutch government will deliver the two doctors to The Netherlands, where they may have to be placed in quarantine. They cannot fly with a normal passenger flight as they may infect others. Anyone who has been in contact with them will also be tested.
In Bangkok, a 52-year-old Dutch man was admitted to hospital and placed in quarantine as he fears he may have Ebola. Thai paper The Nation reports that the man came off the plane with a high fever after a business flight from Nigeria.
There are currently 21 other people being inspected at the hospital in Bangkok who have been in contact with the Dutch man.
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