The White House has strongly rejected a Washington Post report alleging that the United States initially refused to allow an Ebola-infected American missionary doctor to return home. The report, citing five unnamed sources, claimed that the evacuation of Dr. Peter Stafford was delayed due to concerns within the Trump administration about public reaction to a possible Ebola case entering the US. The doctor was eventually flown to Germany, where he is now receiving treatment at Berlin's Charité hospital.
White House spokesman Kush Desai called the report “absolutely false” and dismissed the newspaper's credibility. “The Trump administration’s overriding and sole priority is the health and safety of the American people,” Desai wrote in an email. “The Charité in Germany is internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading centres for the treatment and containment of viral diseases such as Ebola and is on a par with the top clinics in the United States.”
Dr. Stafford's Case and the Outbreak
Dr. Peter Stafford, a missionary doctor, had been working in Bunia, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, when he treated a patient with severe abdominal pain. The case was initially misdiagnosed as an inflamed gallbladder, but the patient died the next day, most likely from Ebola, and was buried before a test could confirm the cause. Eight days later, Stafford began showing non-specific symptoms—fever, pain, shivering, and extreme fatigue—consistent with the virus.
The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has been confirmed as the Bundibugyo strain, which has a fatality rate of 25 to 50 percent. There are no vaccines or targeted treatments available for this strain. So far, there have been nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths, though the true number of infections is likely higher. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Treatment in Berlin and Family Quarantine
Stafford's wife and four children have also been admitted to the Charité's special isolation ward, following a request for assistance from US authorities. The German Federal Health Ministry confirmed their transfer overnight. Satish Pillai, a US scientist at the University of California, San Francisco, explained that Germany was chosen as the first treatment location because Europe is closer to Africa than the United States and offers access to first-class medical care. The disease can lead to shock and multiple organ failure within days.
The decision to send Stafford to Berlin rather than the US echoes a previous controversy. During the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the first two American patients were flown to Atlanta for treatment. At the time, Donald Trump criticised that decision, as shown in an August 2014 post on X (then Twitter).
Air France Flight Diverted to Canada
Meanwhile, an Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was diverted to Canada after US border authorities denied it entry into US airspace. The diversion occurred because a passenger on board had previously been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, triggering tightened US entry rules linked to Ebola. The incident highlights the heightened security measures around the outbreak, as the US has imposed Ebola screening at airports while European medics head to Africa to assist with containment.
The White House maintains that the decision to treat Stafford in Germany was based purely on medical logistics, not political considerations. However, the Washington Post report has reignited debate about how the US handles infectious disease cases, especially given the current administration's past rhetoric. The story continues to develop as European health authorities monitor the situation closely.
