Zululander still in isolation after Ebola scare
'Ebola is not spread through the air' – says NICD.
A MTUNZINI man, who tested negative for the Ebola virus on Friday, remains in the isolation unit at Addington Hospital as a precautionary measure.
Reliable senior health sources told the Zululand Observer that the middle-aged man ‘was being tested every six hours’ to ensure there was no change in his condition.
The Zululander, who had been working in Sierra Leone, was admitted to the Durban hospital on Thursday at about 1pm after displaying symptoms of fever, diarrhoea and vomiting on Wednesday.
He was transported via ambulance from Mtunzini to the specialised isolation unit.
The man, who is a fleet manager for a construction company in the West African country, had returned home earlier this month and according to sources, tested negative for the Ebola virus on 15 October.
He was reportedly told to contact the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) should he display any symptoms of the virus during the 21-day incubation period.
Despite reports on Friday that the man had contracted Ebola, the NICD said tests, which were conducted on the patient, returned negative.
‘The patient is in a stable condition in hospital,’ said NICD spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala.
‘Travellers without symptoms, returning from the Ebola-affected countries, pose no risk of infection to others.’
She said people working in the retail, security and mining sectors in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia were not at risk. Only those who handled blood, faeces, and vomit of infected people, without proper protection, were at risk.
Shabalala said the KZN Health Department arranged for his admission on Thursday, to allow further assessment and to check specifically for other infections including malaria, given the absence of risk factors and no direct exposure to persons with Ebola.
It is believed the Zululander will only be released from hospital within the next week after the incubation period is over.
Readiness
Addington Hospital is the only hospital in the province with the essential facilities to treat positive Ebola cases.
Questioned on the readiness of the province to deal with an Ebola threat, DA KZN spokesperson on Health and member of the provincial legislature, Dr Imran Keeka, said the isolation unit was properly equipped and had the capacity to deal with up to eight Ebola patients.
‘I have personally inspected this unit and it has the necessary resources and trained staff. Entrance to the unit is separate from the hospital.
‘The unit is adequately prepared but we will only know the readiness of the province when we deal with the first confirmed Ebola cases,’ Dr Keeka said.
