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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDozens Declared Free of Ebola Risk in Texas; No Longer Ebola in Spanish Nuring Assistant
At least one chapter of the Ebola saga neared a close Sunday, as most of the dozens of people who had direct or indirect contact here with Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who died of Ebola, had been told by officials that they were no longer at risk of contracting the disease.
Mr. Duncans fiancée, Louise Troh, who nursed him in their cramped apartment while he suffered from diarrhea and who was put under state-ordered quarantine, was set to be declared Ebola-free by officials at the end of Sunday. So, too, were the paramedics who drove an ailing Mr. Duncan to a hospital and health care workers who drew or processed his blood. And a mandatory quarantine was lifted for a homeless man who later rode in the same ambulance as Mr. Duncan before it was disinfected.
The 21-day monitoring period ended Sunday and Monday for nearly all the roughly 50 people. It concludes as federal health officials are tightening the guidelines for the protective gear worn by health care workers treating Ebola patients.
* * *
All of those whose monitoring was coming to an end had been potentially exposed to Mr. Duncan before he was admitted and put into isolation at the hospital on Sept. 28. They have been released from monitoring in stages. At least 14 of them had been released by Saturday. Others were released Sunday afternoon and some, like Ms. Troh, were released midnight Sunday. A few others may be released after Monday, officials said.
Its a significant hurdle for us to get over, Mayor Mike Rawlings said. It brings a little bounce in our step, because we know the science is working.
The Ebola virus has an average eight-day to 10-day incubation period, but federal health officials recommend monitoring exposed people for symptoms for 21 days.
Dozens of others continue to be monitored. On Sunday, federal officials released updated numbers and said they were monitoring 149 people total, including the contacts of Mr. Duncan as well of Ms. Pham and Ms. Vinson. Most of those 149 are health care workers who treated Mr. Duncan. But some of them are passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight that Ms. Vinson took from Cleveland to Dallas the day before she showed symptoms. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said passengers on that flight, and those on Ms. Vinsons first flight from Dallas to Cleveland, were at low risk.
* * *
In Spain, officials said Sunday that tests showed that a nursing assistant who had been infected with Ebola has no traces of the virus left in her bloodstream. The medical worker, Teresa Romero, 44, contracted Ebola after caring for priests who got Ebola while doing missionary work in West Africa. Officials said Ms. Romero must undergo at least one more Ebola test to make sure she is virus free.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/us/ceo-of-texas-hospital-group-at-center-of-ebola-scare-apologizes-for-mistakes.html?_r=0
drm604
(16,230 posts)And it underlines what we've been told repeatedly. It's not that easy to transmit Ebola.
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)him. I am sure they have been doing so all along, just thinking with their own fears eased, now...
frazzled
(18,402 posts)This is very good news.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)it is looking like out of a 125 contacts, Duncan infected two. Both of them were health care workers who treated him up to the day he died.
No one has been infected by Ebola in the US outside of a hospital. And both contracted it from someone at the final stages of a patient's life, and were handling their bodily fluids.
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)The midterms I guess?
morningfog
(18,115 posts)But, yes, the midterms are on deck.
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)There's always one.
LisaL
(44,972 posts)But it's ridiculous for you to be making these claims, considering that over a 100 people are being monitored in OH.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)dionysus
(26,467 posts)greatlaurel
(2,004 posts)I hope Mr. Duncan's family can mourn him in peace and heal as best as they can. Best wishes to them and all the health care workers.
Avalux
(35,015 posts)Now we just need to wait out Pham and Vinson's contacts; hopefully none of them will become infected.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)42 is based on the fact that even if you think you have everyone something might crop up out of the blue so it's 21 days (incubation period) and another day nothing else crops up.
But this is wonderful news.
LisaL
(44,972 posts)There is over 100 people being monitored in OH because Amber Vinson flew there and then back to TX.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)OldRedneck
(1,397 posts)Of course Fox, the GOTP, O'Lielly, and the rest of the GOTP lie machine will jump right on this.
Right??
calimary
(81,085 posts)Last edited Mon Oct 20, 2014, 12:42 AM - Edit history (1)
Bless her heart. What a struggle - what an ordeal that poor nurse must have gone through. I hope maybe samples of her blood might be useful for treating others. I believe blood type is a critical factor here - why Dr. Kent Brantly hasn't donated to more than three Ebola patients so far. Not a doctor here. So I wouldn't be able to say, and I don't know how much blood plasma in a donation might go into a transfusion into a patient. I think you can only donate a pint every six weeks or so.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)calimary
(81,085 posts)But - I'm not any kind of medical specialist so I'm the last one to know for sure. When I donated blood, there was a time when they came after me every six weeks. I have a semi-rare blood type and I guess their supplies were down. And they'd say something about how the soonest one could donate again would be six weeks later.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)KMOD
(7,906 posts)I have been wondering about his condition. I guess he's among the cleared. But now what? Probably just back to the streets.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)it can't possibly have helped his situation to go through this.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)Mr Blitzbag will not be pleased.
Response to morningfog (Original post)
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