First Ebola survivor leaves hospital

One of the first health healthworkers to contract Ebola virus disease is said to have been discharged from hospital after recovering from the disease. The patient is still unnamed but is thought to be the first doctor at First Consultant Medical Centre infected in the course of treating Liberian American Patrick Sawyer days before his […]

One of the first health healthworkers to contract Ebola virus disease is said to have been discharged from hospital after recovering from the disease.

The patient is still unnamed but is thought to be the first doctor at First Consultant Medical Centre infected in the course of treating Liberian American Patrick Sawyer days before his death from Ebola in Lagos.

Officials at the emergency operations centre coordinating anti-Ebola efforts in Lagos and the federal health ministry have confirmed the patient’s release.

But the would give no further details until it was formally announced by the health minister who’s considered the official information source in event of an epidemic.

It comes days after health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said at least five of the eight patients hospitalised for Ebola were responding to treatment.

The patient’s discharge is the first recovery from Ebola virus disease in Nigeria since the outbreak, which has claimed four lives.

Officials put its fatality rate at less than 30% in Nigeria compared with 55% in the three other affected West African countries–Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Across the countries, some 45% of people infected have survived the virus, despite the absence of wonder drugs to attack the virus.

Patients are treated for symptoms–antibiotics to control infections, electrolytes and fluid to minimise dehydration.

Over the weekend, authorities shelved plans to use nanosilver treatment after the drug provided Thursday did not meet clearance from the National Health Research Ethics Committee.