Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey fighting for her life at London hospital after condition deteriorates

Fighting for life: Pauline Cafferkey
Lisa Ferguson/Scotland on Sunday/PA Wire
Robin de Peyer15 October 2015

A nurse who was readmitted to hospital for a second time after contracting Ebola is now fighting for her life after her condition deteriorated.

Pauline Cafferkey, 39, is being treated in an isolation unit at London’s Royal Free Hospital after suffering a late complication of the illness last week.

The hospital said in a statement today: “We are sad to announce that Pauline Cafferkey's condition has deteriorated and she is now critically ill.

"She is being treated for Ebola in the high level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital."

Ms Cafferkey, from Glasgow, had spent almost a month at the hospital with Ebola after contracting the disease in Sierra Leone last December.

She was flown to the hospital from Scotland in a military aircraft last week after complaining of feeling unwell.

She had become ill earlier in the week and was treated at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow before being transferred.

Her family criticised doctors after Ms Cafferkey was sent home after attending a GP out-of-hours clinic last Monday night when she began to feel unwell.

Ms Cafferkey was admitted to hospital the following day, before being transferred to Hampstead's Royal Free Hospital.

Referring to doctors sending her sister home, Toni Cafferkey told the Sunday Mail: “At that point me and my family believe they missed a big opportunity to give the right diagnosis and we feel she was let down. Instead of being taken into hospital, she spent the whole of Tuesday very ill.

"I think it is absolutely diabolical the way she has been treated."

Scientists agree that bodily tissues can harbour the Ebola infection months after the person appears to have fully recovered.

Ms Cafferkey contracted Ebola while working as a nurse at the Save the Children treatment centre in Kerry Town.

A report from the charity in February said she was probably infected as a result of using a visor to protect her face rather than goggles.

It said she was unable to use the standard protective goggles because she could not get them to fit properly.

Ms Cafferkey won an award at the Pride of Britain Awards in central London on September 28.

She met the Prime Minister's wife Samantha Cameron the following day at Downing Street, alongside other winners.

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