Net of fear widens
Holidaymaker had spent time in Sierra Leone
A WOMAN was evacuated under police escort from an isolated hostel yesterday after she developed worrying symptoms as Scotland’s ebola scare deepened.
The hillwalker, who had become unwell while staying in Torridon Youth Hostel in Wester Ross, contacted a doctor and was isolated in a room overnight.
It later emerged that the woman is a nurse who had recently been to Sierra Leone, West Africa, to help in the battle against the deadly disease.
Yesterday, only hours after the first case of ebola in the UK was confirmed, an emergency plan swung i nto action to transfer the hillwalker to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) 175 miles away via a specially equipped ambulance.
Blood samples were taken from the patient in the ambulance bay at Raigmore Hospital,
‘It is frightening, a sign nowhere is really safe’
Inverness, en route to ARI and were later flown to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to be tested.
The patient, who has not been named, was one of a party of 30 people from England who were visiting to bring in the New Year north of the Border,
However, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stressed that the case was being treated as ‘low probability’.
Hostel manager Mat Webster said yesterday: ‘The lady was with a party of 30 who have taken over the hostel over Hogmanay and the New Year. It’s business as usual here. There is not a cordon round the building.’
The hostel is based in a remote area next to Upper Loch Torridon and is popular with hillwalkers and outdoor sports enthusiasts at this time of year.
At 1pm yesterday, the convoy of emergency vehicles arrived and minutes later, two medics emerged from the lead ambulance wearing hazmat [ hazardous materials] suits and respirators. They then brought out the patient, who was walking and wearing a mask over her mouth, to the transport.
Audrey Sinclair, who represents Wester Ross on Highland Council, described the incident as alarming.
She said: ‘This woman had been in West Africa and had become unwell and they are being very precautionary on the matter.
‘It is slightly different from the one in Glasgow where the woman had been working with ebola cases.’
Miss Ross added: ‘It is frightening – it is a sign that nowhere is really safe. If you are in a hotel, you are more remote from other guests but if you are in a hostel you are more in contact with people and sharing rooms.
‘There is a bigger chance of anything being spread that way so it is unfortunate it has been a youth hostel as opposed to a hotel. We’ve just really got to hope it is a false alarm.
‘It does set alarm bells ringing in the area, i n particular at the moment when there are a good number of tourists moving in to the area. I think it is an eye- opener that we think we are far enough away from the scene of what’s going on but it can just as easily happen here as anywhere.’
An NHS Highland spokesman said: ‘NHS Highland can confirm there is a woman in Torridon Youth Hostel who became ill yesterday and has recently returned from Sierra Leone.
‘ While t he woman i s being described as “low probability of ebola infection” as she has had no direct contact with people infected with ebola, given the seriousness of ebola the patient will be transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the region’s infectious diseases unit, via a specially equipped ambulance.
‘It is important to stress that this patient is not confirmed as having ebola but meets the criteria for testing having returned from a high-risk country within the last 21 days. The actions taken are precautionary.’
A spokesman for NHS Grampian said: ‘The patient is low risk but became unwell following her return from a country with an ebola outbreak within the last 21 days.
‘She has not had contact in the UK with the confirmed case from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
‘The patient is stable and is not giving any cause for clinical concern. The risk to the general public of contracting ebola in Scotland remains very low.’