A patient with exposure to the Ebola virus while in Sierra Leone has arrived safely at the NIH Clinical Center Thursday for observation and to enroll in a clinical protocol. The patient was transferred from an overseas location via private charter medevac in isolation and admitted to the NIH Clinical Center at approximately 12:42 p.m. EST.
The patient is an American nurse who was volunteering services in an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone. Out of an abundance of caution, the patient has been admitted to the NIH Clinical Center’s special clinical studies unit that is specifically designed to provide high-level isolation capabilities and is staffed by infectious diseases and critical care specialists. The unit staff is trained in strict infection control practices optimized to prevent spread of potentially transmissible agents such as Ebola.
No additional details about the patient are being shared at this time.
NIH is taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our patients, NIH staff, and the public. This situation presents minimal risk to any of them.
