U.S. Ebola Measures: Americans to Receive Medical Care in Europe

The U.S. government has announced that any American citizens contracting Ebola will receive advanced medical care in Europe rather than being brought back to the United States. This decision is part of an ongoing strategy to prevent the entry of Ebola into the U.S., amid the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A facility has been established in Kenya to accommodate Americans exposed to Ebola. This facility is set to open with 50 quarantine beds and will expand to include isolation and biocontainment units for those testing positive. However, individuals who fall ill will not remain in Kenya nor will they be sent back to the U.S. Instead, they will be transported to unspecified European countries for treatment.

The [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] is working with the Department of State to identify where that facility or facilities might be, stated a senior administration official. The administration cites shorter flight durations to Europe as a key advantage for transferring Ebola patients there for necessary care.

The surgeon who tested positive for Ebola after working in a Congo hospital was airlifted to Germany. Officials emphasize the benefits of shorter transport times, emphasizing the preference for European facilities over transporting patients directly to the U.S.

At a recent Cabinet meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared, We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States. Correspondingly, the CDC has barred noncitizens who have visited Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days from entering the U.S.

Officials affirm their commitment to ensuring the highest quality of care for American citizens. This commitment extends to U.S. doctors being stationed at the Kenyan facility and the hospital in Germany treating the infected American doctor. The Laikipia Air Base in Kenya houses the quarantine camp, approved through discussions with the Kenyan president.

The current Ebola outbreak in Congo is attributed to the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or treatment available. According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak includes 1,077 cases and has resulted in 246 deaths.

Recently, seven Americans exposed to Ebola were evacuated to Europe, including the doctor currently in a German hospital. His family remains quarantined in Germany, while another doctor is confined in the Czech Republic. Administration officials are not informed of any other Americans currently needing transport to the Kenyan facility.