The US CDC Tuesday confirmed a patient travelling from Liberia in Texas to be diagnosed with Ebola. The patient, whose identity and nationality has not been revealed yet, is the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. According to reports, the patient initially told a nurse he had travelled in Africa but was sent home anyway, which raises concerns about US preparedness for the spread of the deadly virus.
An official from the hospital mentioned that there was a miscommunication among hospital staff and therefore the patient was sent home. However, after leaving the hospital man came in contact with open community four days, and he even came in contact with schoolchildren before he was finally isolated in a hospital, officials said Wednesday. ‘I know that parents are being extremely concerned about that development,’ said Texas Governor Rick Perry.
‘These children have been identified and they are being monitored and the disease cannot be transmitted before having any symptoms.’ He arrived in Texas on September 20 and did not exhibit symptoms until September 24, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Tom Frieden said Tuesday. He sought medical care on the 26th, but was sent home because the medical team ‘felt clinically it was a low-grade common viral disease,’ said Mark Lester, executive vice president of Texas Health Resources.
‘He volunteered that he had travelled from Africa in response to the nurse operating the checklist and asking that question,’ Lester added. ‘Regretfully, that information was not fully communicated throughout the full team.’ He was returned via ambulance to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas on September 28, and was placed in strict isolation.
The patient is currently in serious but stable condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. The incubation period for Ebola is between two and 21 days. Patients are not contagious until they start to show signs of fever, aches, vomiting and diarrhea. As US officials scrambled to track down people the man encountered while sick, the worldwide death toll from Ebola jumped higher, to 3,338 dead and 7,178 infected since the beginning of the year, the World Health Organization said.
Meanwhile, the United Nations announced its first suspected victim of Ebola, a Liberian man who worked for the UN mission in Liberia and died of a probable but unconfirmed Ebola infection last week. In response to the fast-moving outbreak, the World Bank boosted its aid to the campaign by adding 170 million toward expanding the health-care workforce and buying needed supplies for care and treatment.
Here are some preventive measures for people who cannot avoid traveling.
- If you’re taking medication for any infectious diseases and if you’re currently suffering from viral flu, you should avoid traveling before complete recovery. When you’re suffering from an infection, your immunity weakens. This could be a good opportunity for the virus to attack you.
- Older people, young peers and pregnant women should not travel at all. They have a high risk of acquiring infection.
- Those who are traveling should be extra careful about their diet. Eat a balanced diet. Avoid junk food and under-cooked food, especially meat.
Following precautionary measures for travelers.
- In any case, avoid handling items that you suspect have been contaminated, especially blood or body fluids.
- Avoid contact with other people and avoid visiting hospitals where treatment for Ebola is being given. Read more about Ebola Virus Travel Tips — Precautions you should take
With inputs from PTI
Photo source: Getty images
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