UK Ebola patient given medical help in Sierra Leone

A British national who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone is being offered assistance by medical teams there, the UK’s Department of Health has said.

It comes amid press reports that the unnamed Briton – the first to contract the virus in this outbreak – was being assessed for transfer back to the UK.

Isolation units have been set up at the Royal Free Hospital in north London.

Health chiefs say the risk to the UK remains “very low”. About 1,400 people have died in West Africa since March.

The virus – one of the world’s deadliest diseases – is spread between humans through direct contact with infected blood.

The Department of Health said the Briton had been living in Sierra Leone, one the countries worst affected by the deadly virus.

Several Sunday newspapers report the person could be transferred to London – but this is yet to be confirmed.

The BBC’s Nigeria correspondent Will Ross said the patient would have a higher chance of survival if treated in the UK because the clinics in Sierra Leone are overwhelmed as the outbreak continues to spread.

Consular assistance is being provided to the British national but no further details about the patient have been given.

Meanwhile, Prof John Watson, deputy chief medical officer for England, said the overall risk to the public in the UK from Ebola continued to be “very low”.

“Medical experts are currently assessing the situation in Sierra Leone to ensure that appropriate care is provided,” he said.

“We have robust, well-developed and well-tested NHS systems for managing unusual infectious diseases when they arise, supported by a wide range of experts.”