With the Ebola epidemic raging in west-Africa, and increasingly more countries paranoid, with good reason, the epidemic may enter to their borders, the worst case scenario so far for the US has been avoided: namely an Ebola patient zero arriving on US shores. That may have changed overnight when CBS13 reported [2]that a patient admitted to Kaiser Permanente may have been exposed to the Ebola virus, and test are currently being done to determine whether the virus is present. Shortly thereafter, the California Department of Public Health released a statement late Tuesday saying it had no confirmed cases of Ebola in the state, but that a patient it describes as low-risk was being tested in Sacramento.
According to CBS, the unidentified patient was admitted to the Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center, and they have been placed in isolation. Outside of a written statement, the hospital has remained tight-lipped on orders from the administration, refusing to go on camera, and increasing its security presence. Public health officials from Sacramento County have remained silent on the issue.
The CDC has said that 60 people from California have been tested so far, with 10 of those tests being sent to the CDC for further review. All 10 of those tests came back negative. Hopefully this time will not be different.
With the test expected to take several days to complete, the US should know sometime around Friday whether or not whether Ebola has finally arrived in the US as well.
More from the report:
The medical center emphasizes all measures are being taken to protect the staff, and that the samples have been sent to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, who will test them. The tests are expected to take several days to complete.
Still, patients leaving Kaiser said no one told them about the possibility of an Ebola patient inside the hospital they had just left.
“I’m speechless; I had no idea,” said Diane Brock. Another patient leaving the emergency room agreed with that sentiment.
“They should let us know that and take better care of it,” she said. “If I got a virus from here, and took that home, I”d be upset.”
The CDC has told CBS13 that 60 people from California have been tested, with 10 of those tests being sent to the CDC for further review. All 10 of those tests came back negative.
A similar case happened in New York earlier this month, where a patient who recently visited West Africa was tested for the disease at Mount Sinai Hospital. Those tests came back negative.
More than 1,200 people have been killed by the virus in West Africa.
Below is the full statement from Dr. Stephen M. Parodi, Infectious Diseases Specialist, Director of Hospital Operations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
We are working with the Sacramento County Division of Public Health regarding a patient admitted to the Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be testing blood samples to rule out the presence of the virus.
In order to protect our patients, staff and physicians, even though infection with the virus is unconfirmed, we are taking the actions recommended by the CDC as a precaution, just as we do for other patients with a suspected infectious disease. This includes isolation of the patient in a specially equipped negative pressure room and the use of personal protective equipment by trained staff, coordinated with infectious disease specialists. This enables the medical center to provide care in a setting that safeguards other patients and medical teams.
The safety of our members, patients and staff is our highest priority. Our physicians and infectious disease experts are working closely with local and state public health agencies to monitor developments and share information.
And the statement from the California Department of Public Health
CDPH Reports No Confirmed Cases of Ebola in the State
Low-risk patient tested out of an abundance of caution
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is working with local health departments and health care providers statewide to identify patients who have traveled to countries affected by Ebola. CDPH is directing health providers to follow protocols established by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. People returning from the affected areas who may be at high risk for Ebola should be isolated and their blood sent to CDC for testing. Some low-risk patients, like the one from Sacramento, may be tested out of an abundance of caution. CDPH works with local health departments and hospitals to arrange for proper specimen shipment and Ebola virus confirmatory testing.
There are currently no confirmed cases of Ebola in California. There have been no patients admitted to California hospitals who are considered to be at high risk of Ebola according to CDC criteria.
If a person has travelled to an affected country and develops a fever within three weeks of their return, they should contact their health care provider and let the provider know of their travel history.
The risk of the spread of Ebola in California is low. Any patient suspected of having Ebola can be safely managed in a California hospital following recommended isolation and infection control procedures. Suspect cases of Ebola will be investigated by local health departments in consultation with CDPH.
State and local public health officials in California are monitoring the situation closely and taking steps to keep Californians safe. Our advanced health care system has appropriate protocols in place to prevent the spread of this often deadly disease.
Ebola is an infectious disease caused by the Ebola virus. Symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure and include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and abnormal bleeding. It is classified as a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) because of the fever and abnormal bleeding. Among the VHFs, Ebola is feared because of its high mortality. There are no specific treatments but supportive therapy can be provided to address bleeding and other complications.
For more information about Ebola, please visit CDPH’s website.
