The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has continued to grow in severity. The latest WHO figures show that the disease has claimed 1427 lives out of 2615 cases, as of 20 August. Reports indicate that the experimental drug Zmapp has been successful in treating three doctors in Liberia, who rapidly showed signs of improvement after being given the drug. The drug has never been tested on humans, and was only approved by the WHO after intense debate. A British nurse, William Pooley, has been flown to London after becoming the first Briton to contract the disease.
The RCN's Peter Carter praised Mr Pooley's courage, saying 'William Pooley demonstrated incredible bravery and commitment in volunteering to provide nursing care in Sierra Leone for those with Ebola, and we wish him a speedy recovery. The dedication of frontline healthcare workers like William is essential for containing the spread of this virus. The risks they face are considerable but they are doing the best they can for their patients.'