(Photo by Center for Disease Control (CDC) via Getty Images)
A patient at Baylor University Hospital in Dallas has “screened positive” for Ebola, according to CBS Dallas.
Here’s what we know so far:
1. The Patient Is Now at the Same Hospital Where ‘Patient Zero’ Died
Baylor University Hospital quarantined the patient, administered tests, before transferring the potential victim to Texas Presbyterian. Baylor Health Care System released a statement expressly stating there has been no diagnosis of Ebola at the Baylor hospital. The medical center is not affiliated with Baylor University despite sharing a name.
Texas Presbyterian has become ground zero for Ebola patients in the Dallas area. On October 8, “patient zero,” Thomas Eric Duncan, died at the hospital after suffering from the virus. A week after the death, two nurses who helped to treat Duncan, were diagnosed with Ebola. Those nurses, Amber Vinson and Nina Pham, have now been moved on to Emory Hospital in Atlanta and NIH in Maryland.
2. The Patient Has Ebola-Like Symptoms
The “positive screening” means that the patient meets certain criteria for Ebola. The results of a blood test are pending. The patient is showing symptoms that could indicate infection. Above is the CDC’s screening assessment.
3. The Patient Went to Baylor Hospital on the Night of October 16
Baylor University Hospital is located at 3441 Gaston Avenue in Dallas, Texas. (Google Street View)
The patient is reported by CBS Dallas to have entered Baylor’s ER through a private entrance and did not interact with other patients. The patient arrived at the hospital at 8:30 p.m. Central time.
4. Texas Presbyterian Has Not Disclosed the Results of the Blood Test
(Getty)
Texas Presbyterian has not confirmed if they have received a new, possibly Ebola-infected patient. In a statement on October 18, Baylor said it had sent the patient to Texas Presbyterian.
News of another possible Ebola patient comes a day after Congress scrutinized Texas Presbyterian’s handling of Ebola patients. Under particular scrutiny were the hospital’s misdiagnosis of Thomas Eric Duncan on his first visit to hospital and the possible improper use of protective suits for medical personnel.
5. This Comes Amid a Spate of Ebola False Alarms
WEWS NewsChannel5 in Cleveland obtained this yearbook photos of Amber Vinson, who is from Akron, Ohio. (Twitter/@WEWS)
Since Thomas Eric Duncan’s diagnosis and death from Ebola on October 8 in Dallas, Texas, there have been spate of Ebola scares across the U.S. At the same time as the Baylor scare, a cruise ship is returning to port in Galveston, Texas, after reports of a sick patient with possible Ebola-like symptoms.
