Why did they bring him here ?

[sadie3]

news.sky.com/story/988835/two-dead-after-contracting-mystery-virus

A severely-ill patient from the Middle East is being treated in a London hospital suffering from a mystery respiratory virus that has killed two patients in Saudi Arabia.

The 49-year-old man is in intensive care after being transferred to the UK via air-ambulance from Qatar where he was taken ill a few weeks ago having recently visiting Riyadh.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the infection is a new type of coronavirus different from any previously found in humans.

No other country in the world would accept someone with a deadly unknown virus and fly them to one of their hospitals.

And how do you know that?

yanbu
I am surprised that someone who has infection that is contagious would be able to travel.

Dec 2012 end of the world, this is beginning of the end folks.

How horribly xenophobic OP.

Really stinky attitude.

The guy is Qatari and probably looking for the best treatment money can buy. Hopefully he has found it in one of our truly wonderful hospitals.

The research/knowledge to be gained will no doubt be far greater than any perceived risks or else immigration/nhs would not have agreed to let him fly here in the first place.

I'm a little in about your post tbh.

I hope they can treat him, and I wish him the very best for recovery. I hope his family have been able to come over and be with him during what must be a very worrying time for them.

Oh he's from the Middle East!
This is a terrorist plot to spread an evil pandamic across the UK.!!!
Get your OFRS ready everybody.

Catsdontcare maybe this is the start of the end-the world is supposed to be ending on 21st december!
I do hope the man gets better, i truely do but surely putting the uk at risk isn't a good idea, what if the people treating him catch it and give it to their families & so on and so forth? It will be catastrophique

If the world ends in December that means I don't have to give birth again. Hooray.

And we won't have to buy any Christmas presents.

The man is able and willing to pay. There is a chance our NHS may be able to help him. This is wonderful and I hope he is healed and goes home to his family.

I'm also extremely grateful to the non-UK countries who accept British Citizens who need to travel abroad for treatment.

It is totally appropriate that we act in a humane and civilised manner.

LadyBeagleEyes
Of course - does this virus turn people to zombies too.

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A lot of foreign patients who should pay leave the country without ever paying their medical bills. Hope that isn't the case here - and obviously hope he recovers - but don't assume foreign patients are a money-making opportunity for the NHS.

I am rather amused that people think if the man was left to be treated in another country then the uk would be immune to risk. Swine flu anyone? A serious virus is a worldwide concern

The world will not end in December: the Mayan Calender was never renewed due to all the Mayans being killed by conquistadors and their germs! Including the calender maker, one Tchuknik who was all set for a new calender that included chocolate inserts

Seriously, it makes sense for this poor person to be treated and his illness studied, we need to start work on a cure/vaccine now before it reaches anywhere near epidemic levels.

Threeorangesocks:
"I am surprised that someone who has infection that is contagious would be able to travel."
He didn't fly in on easy jet. He came in a private plane. It sounds like he was transfered to the uk because no one knew what was wrong with him and we don't quarenteen humans, only animals.

Where do you think he should have gone OP?

Wow! DM reader much????

hmm, he is in quarantine now

Well brandy he should have been left in the Middle East and the army should have built a big wall around that part of the world and we would be all safe forever. Obvious innit?

Of course peole can be quarantined too "Quarantine can be applied to humans, but also to animals of various kinds."

I don't think it's at all unreasonable to ask why he's been brought here, and who's footing the bill.

Quarantine in a hospital is different from quarantine for animals when they arrive from outside of the country, animals are usually held for a time to ensure they're not incubating any viruses.

Edam if the man was flown in specifically for treatment he will have paid for the privilege already, I don't think (& I'm willing to be corrected) the uk flies in random people with interesting illnesses purely for altruistic purposes as a norm. He sounds like a rich influential person who can afford the best care and has paid & will no doubt pay the balance at the end of his treatment. A non British national would not get a private flight to a uk hospital at the tax payers expense. I don't think a British national would either come to think of it.

edam there was an article last week about the bills foreign tourists and those coming here for treatment,rack up. some hospital trusts are now asking for payment up front...iirc chase farm was one!

Am genuinely curious to know how he got clearance from an airline and the port health authority etc to travel if he is so ill?

I haven't seen this story apart from this thread.
But surely if he has a notifiable disease and been brought over here in a private plane, then put into quarantine it must be serious.
So who better than the experts in the health service to treat it?
Where should he go, the Middle East clearly doesn't have the expertise.

Claypole - I'm sure he didn't hop on a BA flight and ask to be taken to the nearest hospital when arriving at Heathrow

This is nothing new - it happens all the time! Our hospitals provide some of the most advanced techniques in the world to all sorts of paying customers.

It is only newsworthy as this particular man is suffering from a never seen before virus.