14 DAY TRIAL // This past Monday, Texas Health Resources issued a statement saying that, earlier that day, a local hospital had admitted a patient believed to have been infected with the deadly Ebola virus responsible for the ongoing epidemic in West Africa.
Despite the fact that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is yet to figure out whether or not the symptoms displayed by this patient are in fact the result of an infection with the Ebola virus, the person is being kept in isolation.
What is being done?
Information shared with the public says that this patient suspect of Ebola is currently looked after by staff at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. The patient's identity has not yet been shared with the general public.
Thus, all that is known about this patient is that, not too long ago, they traveled to one of the regions affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Hence, doctors fear that the symptoms they are displaying might be the result of an infection with the Ebola virus.
As explained by Texas Health Resources, the patient was put in isolation to make sure that hospital employees, together with volunteers at this facility and visitors, would not in any way be at risk to be affected by whatever is causing this person's symptoms.
“Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas has admitted a patient into strict isolation to be evaluated for potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), based on the patient’s symptoms and recent travel history,” Texas Health Resources says.
Furthermore, “The hospital is following all federal Centers for Disease Control and Texas Department of Heath recommendations to ensure the safety of patients, hospital staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors.”
Blood samples were collected as soon as the patient was admitted, and specialists with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now busy processing them. Word has it that the preliminary results of these tests will become available sometime today.
What does the CDC say?
For the time being, folks at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been rather shy about making any statements concerning the decision to admit this patient suspect of Ebola at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
However, they wish to stress that, despite the fact that the Ebola virus has until now infected thousands of people in West Africa, the fact remains that no cases of people affected by this disease have until now been documented in the US. Consequently, there is no reason for people to worry.