What Will Happen When Ebola Hits The UK?

What would happen in the first 12 hours of a case reaching these shores?

If I for instance became ill with ebola-like symptoms the first thing I would do is phone NHS 111.

The operator would ask me a number of questions - the most important being whether I had been to West Africa, or been in contact with anyone who had ebola.

If I answered "Yes" I would be told to isolate myself in a room immediately and avoid contact with anyone; including my own family.

A local health protection team, or medics in a special ambulance with protective gear - known as Category Four - would then come and take blood and also if possible a urine sample.

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For the next several hours or so it is a waiting game.

The samples would be triple packed in leak-proof receptacles, in accordance with World Health Organisation guidelines, and then they would be transported to Porton Down near Salisbury.

The laboratory there is where the UK does all its testing for ebola and the results should be ready in about seven hours.

At the moment scientists are carrying out between 10-15 tests every week. So far all have proved negative.

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But if my test was positive I would automatically be transported to one of Britain's High Level Isolation units - these are in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield and Belfast.

If I refused treatment I would be forcibly isolated under the Public Health Act.

At the same time Public Health England would be informing the relevant people including the Health Secretary and the Prime Minister.

If it was the first case in the UK it's likely the Government would call what is known as a COBRA meeting at the cabinet office in Whitehall.

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It is an emergency response committee and in this case it would be chaired by the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

Meanwhile, as my treatment started I would be asked questions about who I had had contact with whilst symptomatic.

Those people would then be contacted and monitored by a medical team. It is, experts say, not that easy to contract.

The ebola virus is not spread through ordinary social contact such as shaking hands or travelling on public transport.

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Only people who have come into contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person are at risk.