Ebola victim: American finance consultant Patrick Sawyer, who died in Nigeria, with daughter Ava British airports and airlines are on high alert to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from reaching this country. Passengers thought to have the virus will be barred from boarding flights heading to the UK – and will be held at immigration if they appear ill on arrival. They will then be quarantined in highly secure isolation units, such as those at the Royal Free Hospital in North London. But because it takes up to three weeks for symptoms to appear, there are fears some victims will slip through the net.
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Passengers thought to have virus to be barred from taking flights to UK
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Will be held at immigration if they appear ill on arrival and quarantined
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Ebola has already claimed more than 670 lives in its worst-ever outbreak
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Virus kills up to 90% of victims and has spread to large towns and cities
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Can be spread through sweat and saliva and there is no vaccine or cure
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The Foreign Office said it had not advised against travel to affected areas, but it was monitoring the situation closely.
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Experts said the survival of anyone who catches the disease was ‘in the lap of the gods’.
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Public Health England said the outbreak was ‘clearly not yet under control’ and was the most ‘acute health emergency’ facing Britain.
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A charity warned that the outbreak was ‘speeding up rather than slowing down’ and the EU pledged £1.6million to stopping it spreading.
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There was speculation the RAF will be called to repatriate any infected Britons from West Africa.
He adds: ‘If the outbreak in @placeholder is not brought under control, then that would increase the risk to people here.’