Ebola virus disease: latest guidance for returning staff

06 Jan 2015

Public health recommendations for returning workers who are contacts of Ebola virus disease (EVD) but who have no symptoms

Public Health England has issued a set of recommendations for people returning from areas affected by Ebola virus disease, organised by the following category and job roles:

• Category 0 (in the last 21 days, no known contact with Ebola case, no laboratory contact, or travel to area of Ebola transmissions)
    
• Category 1 (no direct contact in the last 21 days)
  
  Includes:
  UK MoD/NHS Aeromed staff undertaking a controlled patient transfer under extant SOPs
  Laboratory staff in a Level 4 laboratory assured to be operating to UK standards
  A person who has visited an Ebola affected area, but had no direct contact with an Ebola case (or body fluids)
    
• Category 2 (direct contact in the last 21 days - low risk of exposure)
  
  Includes:
  Water, sanitation and hygiene staff (including co-ordinators, water engineers, hygienists and laundry staff)
  Epidemiologists (especially in the community)
  Health advisors (in Ebola treatment centres (ETCs) or the community)
  Contact tracers in the community
      
• Category 3 (direct contact in the last 21 days - high risk of exposure)
  
  Includes:
  Healthcare workers providing patient care
  Morgue workers
  Burial teams

If you fall into any of the above categories, please read the recommendations for asymptomatic returnees at:

• Public health recommendations for returning workers who are asymptomatic contacts