select search filters
briefings
roundups & rapid reactions
before the headlines
Fiona fox's blog
The condition of the British nurse who is being treated for Ebola at the Royal Free Hospital in London is improving, and is no longer critical.
Dr Ben Neuman, Lecturer in Virology, University of Reading, said:
“When good things happen to brave people, it is worth celebrating. Pauline is a hero and we have all been hoping that she would pull through. Although she is not out of the woods yet, the longer she fights the more her body can stockpile the immunological firepower she will need to finish off the virus.
“We still don’t have any sure-fire answers to Ebola, and for every person who recovers there are two or three more in West Africa who will not. There’s little medical science can do to change the outcome, but with each successful recovery we move one step closer to finding a way to stop the virus. Some people may be born better equipped to fight the virus than others – a lot of it probably depends on genetics. With so many question marks around Ebola treatments, I am thankful that it looks like Pauline’s immune system had the answers.”
Prof. Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology, University of Nottingham, said:
“This is really good news – the team at the Royal Free have done a fantastic job.
“We will never know if investigational drugs and convalescent plasmas contributed to her improvement, but it does once again highlight the huge benefits that modern well-resourced critical care interventions can bring to those suffering from severe Ebolavirus infection. Although we’ve only seen a small number of cases in the West, the survival rate is well above that observed for those who remain in West Africa. The major factor being the standard of care and resources available – that’s why treatments and vaccines might still be important in the longer term fight in West Africa.
“Hopefully this is a sign that Pauline is well on her way to full recovery, although it might be some time until she tests negative for the virus, and is allowed out of isolation.”
* https://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/news-media/news/ebola-patient-improving/
Declared interests
None declared
All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink: