The public health nurse who contracted Ebola while volunteering in Sierra Leone, Pauline Cafferkey, has been released from the Royal Free Hospital in London.
Ms Cafferkey was discharged on 24 January, after being declared free from the virus. She said: 'I am just happy to be alive. I still don't feel 100 per cent, I feel quite weak, but I'm looking forward to going home. I want to say a big thank you to the staff who treated me – they were amazing. They were always very reassuring and I knew I was in the best hands. They saved my life.'
Ms Cafferkey was admitted to hospital on 30 December, after feeling feverish on her return from West Africa. She was initially reported to be in a critical condition, but gradually improved while being treated in an isolated unit at the Royal Free Hospital.
Dr Michael Jacobs, who led the team treating Ms Cafferkey, said: 'We are delighted that Pauline has recovered and is now well enough to go home. I am very proud of the staff who have been caring for her. It is because of the skill and hard work of the entire team that she is now able to go home.'
In West Africa, the Ebola epidemic is ongoing. Figures released by the WHO on 18 January stated that the virus had claimed 8641 lives, out of 21,724 confirmed cases.