04/02/2015

Ebola Nurse Linked To Visor

A UK nurse who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone is believed to caught it by wearing a visor instead of goggles while treating patients, according to an investigation by Save the Children.

However, the charity said it is impossible to be completely certain how Pauline Cafferkey caught the virus.

It said the different protocols used for removing visors and goggles, was the most likely explanation.

Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the Children, said: "I am delighted for Pauline Cafferkey and her family that she has fully recovered from Ebola. Pauline is a dedicated humanitarian who worked tirelessly and selflessly in the fight against Ebola.

"We will never be 100 per cent sure how Pauline contracted Ebola, but the independent panel found that it is most likely, though not conclusive, she acquired her illness while working at the Ebola Treatment Centre at Kerry Town in Sierra Leone. It thought it unlikely that Pauline contracted the disease while in the local community.

"The panel found that the Save the Children procedures, equipment and protocols at the ETC are safe and meet all required standards and that training is of a good standard.

"Working under such intense and challenging conditions, however, cannot be without risk. Although there is no conclusive evidence, the panel suggests that Pauline’s use of a visor, within a context geared to the use of goggles, was the most likely cause of her contracting Ebola."

(CD/IT)

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