Criteria for discharge of patients with Ebola virus diseases in high-income countries

During the recent epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in west Africa,1 several health-care and aid workers infected with EVD were evacuated to Europe and the USA, where local transmission occurred in occupationally exposed health-care workers. Preparation for discharge requires an organised and evidence-based approach to ensure that the patient, health-care workers, family, and community are protected at all times. The risk of infection to others after discharge in the community and of unexpected late clinical events for the patient make discharge policies difficult to formulate.