Trump admin didn't want Ebola-exposed Americans, sent them to Berlin, Prague
Ars Technica • • world
Key Points:
- An American Ebola-infected surgeon, Peter Stafford, was treated in Germany after the Trump administration reportedly resisted allowing his return to the US, delaying his evacuation and care; his wife and children were also flown to Germany.
- Another exposed American doctor, Patrick LaRochelle, was transferred to Prague for monitoring, while his family, deemed unexposed, was flown to the US.
- The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, has rapidly escalated, with suspected cases doubling from 246 to 528 and deaths rising from 65 to 132 within days.
- The White House denied claims of refusing Stafford’s return, praising the German hospital’s care, while CDC officials avoided directly addressing questions about the US decision to send patients abroad.
- The US has imposed travel restrictions on arrivals from affected African countries, prompting criticism from Africa CDC, which warned that such measures may worsen public health risks and emphasized the importance of supporting outbreak control at the source.