EBOLA Scare: Woman on West Africa flight collapses dies

GATWICK was struck with  an Ebola scare, weekend, after a woman collapsed and died after arriving from West Africa. The passenger, in her 70s, showed no

symptoms on the flight from Gambia but became unwell on arrival at the south England airport on Saturday. She had flown with Gambia Bird.

The woman was taken to hospital where she died, though subsequent tests for Ebola came back negative. There have been no confirmed cases in the UK thus far.

Dr Brian McCloskey, Director of global public health at Public Health England, said: “There was no health risk to other passengers or crew, as the passenger did not have symptoms during the flight. “It was considered very unlikely to be a case of Ebola but testing was done as a precaution, and was negative. The correct procedures were followed to confirm there was no reason to quarantine the airplane, the passengers or staff.”

Airport staff spoke of how the woman was apparently sweating and vomiting before paramedics, immigration and airfield operations turned up to take everyone’s details. The staff member said everyone’s just petrified. No, the woman who died at Gatwick did not have Ebola. “We’ve all seen how many people have died from Ebola, especially in Sierra Leone, and it’s terrifying.”

The flight, carrying 128 people, had reportedly travelled from Sierra Leone, then had stopped at Gambia before carrying on its journey to the UK. A spokesperson for Gatwick said: “As a precaution, the aircraft was isolated, as were relevant airline and airport staff. At every stage, we took advice from Public Health England, which cleared the aircraft for its return journey.”It comes as a second American aid worker prepares to be flown back to the US for specialised treatment at a Georgian hospital after contracting the virulent disease. Nancy Writebol, a Christian missionary, had been working in Liberia with another recuperating Ebola victim, Dr Kent Brantly, when she became infected.