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Pauline Cafferkey speaking to the media in January of this year after she was released from hospital. Youtube

A UK nurse given the all-clear from Ebola last year is now in a 'serious condition'

Pauline Cafferkey was airlifted from Glasgow to London after a “complication” from the virus.

Updated 2.45pm

A BRITISH NURSE who contracted the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone has been transferred to an isolation unit in London after an “unusual late complication” with her illness.

Pauline Cafferkey was treated for the virus last December but was re-admitted to hospital in Glasgow on Tuesday after feeling unwell. While in hospital in Glasgow she was treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s isolation unit.

The nurse was moved to the Royal Free Hospital in London last night, where she is being treated by doctors who have experience of treating patients who have previously contracted Ebola.

A statement from the hospital says that she is in a “a serious condition”.

Sky News is reporting that Cafferkey was transported from Glasgow to London in a military aircraft under supervision.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital had earlier confirmed that her current condition is a complication of previous infection with the Ebola virus but is advising the public that the risk of infection is very low.

Germany Ebola Training Markus Schreiber / PA Images Markus Schreiber / PA Images / PA Images

The virus can only be transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person while they are showing symptoms.

“The risk to the public is very low,” the hospital said in a statement.

“In line with normal procedures in cases such as this, we have identified a small number of close contacts of Pauline’s that we will be following up as a precaution.”
Cafferkey contracted the virus last year and after three weeks of treatment in December 2014 was given the all clear and was discharged. It was thought that she’d made a full recovery.

Read: “This is big news”: 100% success for Ebola vaccine trial >

Read: ‘There is truly no reason to die from cholera but 9,000 people have since 2010’ >

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32 Comments
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    Mute Seán Ó hAnnracháin
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    Jan 31st 2021, 11:03 AM

    The health service isn’t “overlooked”. It’s just terribly ran and inefficient.

    106
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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Jan 31st 2021, 2:57 PM

    @Seán Ó hAnnracháin: Agree the Irish Health Service consumes 11% of our GDP v 9% average for other EU countries. Transparency needed on unit production. How many total manhours per procedure (direct and all indirect) v international benchmarks? Please publish.
    - 2 Tier Irish Health System is obscene.
    - Belfast buses from West Cork for cataract operations.

    11
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    Mute Darren Byrne
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    Jan 31st 2021, 11:03 AM

    Tidal wave of health and mental issue s will follow.
    The worse is yet to come.

    75
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    Mute The Risen
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    Jan 31st 2021, 11:19 AM

    ‘Overlooked’ as in intentionally underfunded to scare people into the arrms of private health insurance companies.

    “That’s the standard technique of privatization: defund, make sure things don’t work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital” – Noam Chomsky

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    Mute Gerard Anthony McBride
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    Jan 31st 2021, 11:34 AM

    @The Risen: Funding has increased by 1/5 over the past 5 years, so the HSE is definitely not being “underunded”, but epically mis-managed. But don’t let facts get in the way of your little rants.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jan 31st 2021, 11:36 AM

    @The Risen: it’s a thought but I don’t really think so there are a lot off buffoons in charge

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    Mute Derdaly
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    Jan 31st 2021, 11:46 AM

    @The Risen: nothing underfunded about our health service… It’s run by a bunch of interest groups who are more concerned with their share rather than the health of the nation. Top heavy management that wasn’t thinned out in the move from Health Boards to the HSE maintains the lack of value and continuing inefficiency of any investment. Hospitals owned or managed by “patrons” despite being funded and developed by the state limit the mobility and efficiency of trained staff. Working practices designed to ensure as much staff as possible are paid at higher levels and a ridiculous consultant contract all contribute to ensure that any individual procedure actually costs more than the equivalent in a private setting, any of the double jobbing consultants will confirm this.

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    Mute Damon16
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    Jan 31st 2021, 1:53 PM

    @The Risen: You say this because the HSE SHOULD BE a leftists’ wet dream – a big public sector (union dominated) organisation running our health system for the benefit of the public. But it’s a disaster. But that’s ok, because just blame the mean Gov or those evil capitalists. Hate to burst your bubble, but the HSE is the way it is because it is dominated by public sector vested interests (i.e Unions). There is no real accountability. There is no desire from within for change and any significant change is fought tooth nail because the status quo suits the special interests (i.e PS unions)- they’ve carved it out this way. At least if you’re paying for a service, the provider has an interest in providing you a good service. The HSE bureaucrat has no such interest, they are paid regardless.

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    Mute Shane Cormican
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    Jan 31st 2021, 11:09 AM

    All future governments will tie up the banking crisis borrowings with loans from Covid and will blame “Covid” for everything for years to come.

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    Mute sandra clifford
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    Jan 31st 2021, 1:03 PM

    What health service as its near impossible to even see a GP these days

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