A nurse who was placed in isolation after returning from an Ebola-affected area has tested negative for the virus, the British Columbia Ministry of Health said Tuesday.
Preliminary testing suggests the nurse, who returned from Sierra Leone on Christmas, does not have the deadly virus.
The Canadian Red Cross has confirmed the nurse鈥檚 identity as Patrice Gordon, a Family Nurse Practitioner from B.C.
According to the Red Cross, Gordon drove herself to the Kelowna General Hospital on Monday after showing cold symptoms and a slight fever. She was quickly admitted into an isolation unit and did not pass through any public areas of the hospital.
Red Cross protocol requires health workers who have spent time in Ebola-affected areas to monitor their temperature twice a day upon return to Canada, and to report any fevers to health officials. While in affected areas, workers must wear protective uniforms and follow strict health procedures.
A Red Cross press release said Gordon followed these guidelines and that the Kelowna, B.C. hospital also responded properly to the situation.
"While being in isolation at the hospital is not an ideal situation, she said that she appreciates and respects the protocols in place and is impressed with how smooth the response has been," the Red Cross鈥檚 Stephane Michaud said in the press release.
"Her concern right now is that attention on her will detract from what is happening in Sierra Leone and other Ebola-affected countries in West Africa."
The Red Cross says Gordon is one of 24 Canadian aid workers who have travelled with the organization to Ebola-affected West Africa. Gordon was deployed to Sierra Leone on Nov. 21. She worked in an area called Kenema, where Michaud said the nurse provided 鈥渓ife-saving support and care to those affected by Ebola.鈥�
The ministry statement says Gordon will remain in isolation for the next day or two, until further testing can be completed. However, the release says, "all signs point to this being a case of the flu or a similar illness."
