Two repatriated Dutch aid workers were discharged Monday 15 September from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) after a 24-hour observation period. They were admitted Sunday 14 September as a precaution after having had unprotected contact with patients who turned out to be infected with the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. Fortunately, the care providers are not showing any disease symptoms at the moment and are thus not contagious, even if they would prove to develop Ebola at a later stage. They have decided to spend the time in which they might develop disease symptoms at a secluded location. During this period, the Municipal Health Service in their region will meticulously monitor their health on a daily basis, such as body temperature and disease symptoms which include diarrhoea, vomiting and muscular pain.
Ebola
This disease is contagious through direct unprotected contact with a patient or body fluids of a contagious patient. The spreading of Ebola is combatted by recognising and separating sick people to prevent new contagions. Anyone who has been in direct contact with a patient will be monitored for 21 days to see whether they become ill. As long as they have no disease symptoms (fever, vomiting, diarrhoea), they are not contagious. People who do display symptoms are immediately admitted to hospital, in isolation from other patients. If Ebola is confirmed by means of laboratory diagnostics, the people with whom they have had direct contact from the moment they became ill, will also be monitored for three weeks.