Two military healthcare workers who were admitted to the Royal Free hospital after injuries from needles led to fears they may have been exposed to the deadly Ebola virus have been discharged.
The pair were admitted on January 31 and February 2 after sustaining said to be unrelated injuries involving needles while treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone.
The hospital in Pond Street, Hampstead, confirmed yesterday they had “received appropriate observation, remain asymptomatic and have therefore been discharged from hospital”.
The pair had been kept in isolation but were not thought to have been sited in the same two-bed High Level Isolation Unit (HLIU) that successfully treated UK nurses Pauline Cafferkey and William Pooley. The unit is only for those confirmed to have contracted Ebola.
They are currently staying in private accommodation close to the Royal Free.
Professor Paul Cosford, Public Health England’s (PHE) director for health protection and medical director, said: “PHE is closely monitoring the individuals’ health and following all necessary precautionary processes and protocols.
“The individuals will receive ongoing monitoring and support while residing in appropriate private accommodation close to the Royal Free. The risk to the public from Ebola remains very low.”
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