DALLAS -- There are now two Dallas nurses being treated for the Ebola
virus, and News 8 has learned that the second patient flew on an
airplane Monday with a low-grade fever of 99.5 degrees.
Family members say 29-year-old nurse Amber Vinson has joined nurse Nina Pham, 26, in isolation at Texas Presbyterian Hospital. Martha Schuler, the mother of Vinson's former stepfather, confirmed her identity Wednesday morning.
The CDC announced during a teleconference Wednesday afternoon that Vinson is stable and will soon be moved to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
The Centers for Disease Control says Vinson was a passenger on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143, which flew from Cleveland to Dallas-Fort Worth on Monday -- the day before she was admitted into the hospital.
The center is now contacting all 132 passengers on that flight, which landed around 8:16 p.m., as a precaution and is asking them to call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
Frontier Airlines says the plane stayed at DFW International Airport overnight, and has since been cleaned. It traveled to Cleveland on Tuesday and was cleaned again. The airline says Vinson traveled to Ohio from Dallas-Fort Worth on Flight 1142 on Oct. 10.
"The safety and security of our customers and employees is our primary concern. Frontier will continue to work closely with CDC and other governmental agencies to ensure proper protocols and procedures are being followed," the airline said in a press release.
Wednesday morning, Mayor Mike Rawlings confirmed that Vinson lives alone without pets at The Green in the Village Apartments, in the 6000 block of Village Bend near Skillman, just north of Lovers Lane.
Police and Dallas Fire-Rescue teams were at the complex early Wednesday, cleaning common areas and knocking on doors, communicating with neighbors. Reverse 911 calls were sent out at 6:15 a.m. to people who live in the area.
"We rallied together and we decided that we needed to move quickly like we did Sunday morning," Mayor Rawlings said.
He added that the state has hired a company to come in Wednesday afternoon and clean Vinson's apartment and car.
Like Pham, Vinson had also been involved in caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who died of Ebola one week ago at Presbyterian. More than 70 hospital employees had been involved in that effort and are still being monitored.
Officials said Vinson reported a fever on Tuesday and was immediately isolated at the hospital. The Ebola diagnosis was made late Tuesday by testing at a state laboratory in Austin. A separate test was being administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and was expected to confirm the Texas test.
Presbyterian Hospital said Tuesday that Nina Pham's condition had improved to "good." Her dog, who had been moved to an undisclosed location, is also doing well.
Health
care officials had signaled that additional cases of Ebola were to be
expected in the wake of Thomas Duncan's death, and Dallas County Health
and Human Services director Zachary Thompson reiterated that position in
an interview on News 8 Daybreak Wednesday.
"I've got to remind Dallas County residents: Let's not get into the fear factor and panic," he said. "It should be contained within the health care workers, and hopefully we don't see any more cases, but don't be surprised."
Mayor Rawlings said during a press conference that he hopes to minimize rumors and maximize facts.
"The only way we are going to beat this is person by person, moment by moment, detail by detail," he said.
He added that city leaders are not fearful and that there is hope if we do what is right and take care.
"It may get worse before it gets better, but it will get better," he said.
The CDC
issued a reminder Wednesday that the Ebola virus is known only to spread
via direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, or
exposure to objects like needles that have been contaminated. The
illness has an average 8-10 day incubation period, although it can range
from 2 to 21 days.
People are not contagious during the incubation period before symptoms appear.
Dallas
County Judge Clay Jenkins said Wednesday that the 48 people who had
contact with Thomas Eric Duncan outside the hospital are still healthy
without symptoms of Ebola. Their incubation period for being monitored
for symptoms ends on Sunday.
While Thompson said Wednesday that Dallas should consider isolating health care workers before symptoms of Ebola show up, Jenkins disagreed.
"This is not gonna be a situation where we're gonna put protective orders on 75 health care workers. The system right now is working," he said.
The workers are being provided another place to stay, away from their families, while they are in the incubation period.
Executive President of Texas Health Resources Dr. Daniel Varga said Wednesday that the hospital has an isolation unit set up which can handle up to three patients. A new area has also been opened to screen patients for Ebola.
"No one wants to get this right more than our hospital," Varga said.
Texas Governor Rick Perry released the following statement on Wednesday upon the news of Vinson's diagnosis.
"The diagnosis of a second health care worker in Dallas reaffirms what a formidable foe this virus is.
I am in daily contact with Dr. Brett Giroir and Dr. David Lakey and earlier today spoke with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell to ensure state and federal management of this issue is tightly coordinated.
This is the first time that our nation has had to deal with a threat such as this. Everyone working on this challenge – from the medical professionals at the bedside to the public health officials addressing containment of the infection – is working to end the threat posed by this disease. These individuals are keeping the health and safety of Texans and the needs of the patients as their most critical tasks. Every relevant agency at the local, state and national levels is working to support these individuals.
I have great faith that we will succeed in this important mission; once we have put it behind us we will be the stronger for it and more prepared to meet the kinds of challenges that we as Americans are uniquely prepared to face."
Gov. Perry's Task Force on Infection Disease Preparedness and Response will meet on Wednesday to discuss improving Texas' response and treatment of Ebola. http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/health/2014/10/15/second-dallas-hospital-worker-diagnosed-ebola/17290677/
Family members say 29-year-old nurse Amber Vinson has joined nurse Nina Pham, 26, in isolation at Texas Presbyterian Hospital. Martha Schuler, the mother of Vinson's former stepfather, confirmed her identity Wednesday morning.
The CDC announced during a teleconference Wednesday afternoon that Vinson is stable and will soon be moved to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
The Centers for Disease Control says Vinson was a passenger on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143, which flew from Cleveland to Dallas-Fort Worth on Monday -- the day before she was admitted into the hospital.
The center is now contacting all 132 passengers on that flight, which landed around 8:16 p.m., as a precaution and is asking them to call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
Frontier Airlines says the plane stayed at DFW International Airport overnight, and has since been cleaned. It traveled to Cleveland on Tuesday and was cleaned again. The airline says Vinson traveled to Ohio from Dallas-Fort Worth on Flight 1142 on Oct. 10.
"The safety and security of our customers and employees is our primary concern. Frontier will continue to work closely with CDC and other governmental agencies to ensure proper protocols and procedures are being followed," the airline said in a press release.
Wednesday morning, Mayor Mike Rawlings confirmed that Vinson lives alone without pets at The Green in the Village Apartments, in the 6000 block of Village Bend near Skillman, just north of Lovers Lane.
Police and Dallas Fire-Rescue teams were at the complex early Wednesday, cleaning common areas and knocking on doors, communicating with neighbors. Reverse 911 calls were sent out at 6:15 a.m. to people who live in the area.
"We rallied together and we decided that we needed to move quickly like we did Sunday morning," Mayor Rawlings said.
He added that the state has hired a company to come in Wednesday afternoon and clean Vinson's apartment and car.
Like Pham, Vinson had also been involved in caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who died of Ebola one week ago at Presbyterian. More than 70 hospital employees had been involved in that effort and are still being monitored.
Officials said Vinson reported a fever on Tuesday and was immediately isolated at the hospital. The Ebola diagnosis was made late Tuesday by testing at a state laboratory in Austin. A separate test was being administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and was expected to confirm the Texas test.
Presbyterian Hospital said Tuesday that Nina Pham's condition had improved to "good." Her dog, who had been moved to an undisclosed location, is also doing well.
"I've got to remind Dallas County residents: Let's not get into the fear factor and panic," he said. "It should be contained within the health care workers, and hopefully we don't see any more cases, but don't be surprised."
"The only way we are going to beat this is person by person, moment by moment, detail by detail," he said.
He added that city leaders are not fearful and that there is hope if we do what is right and take care.
"It may get worse before it gets better, but it will get better," he said.
Ebola coverage on News 8 Daybreak
WFAA
People are not contagious during the incubation period before symptoms appear.
- LINK: Complete Ebola coverage
While Thompson said Wednesday that Dallas should consider isolating health care workers before symptoms of Ebola show up, Jenkins disagreed.
"This is not gonna be a situation where we're gonna put protective orders on 75 health care workers. The system right now is working," he said.
The workers are being provided another place to stay, away from their families, while they are in the incubation period.
Executive President of Texas Health Resources Dr. Daniel Varga said Wednesday that the hospital has an isolation unit set up which can handle up to three patients. A new area has also been opened to screen patients for Ebola.
"No one wants to get this right more than our hospital," Varga said.
Texas Governor Rick Perry released the following statement on Wednesday upon the news of Vinson's diagnosis.
"The diagnosis of a second health care worker in Dallas reaffirms what a formidable foe this virus is.
I am in daily contact with Dr. Brett Giroir and Dr. David Lakey and earlier today spoke with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell to ensure state and federal management of this issue is tightly coordinated.
This is the first time that our nation has had to deal with a threat such as this. Everyone working on this challenge – from the medical professionals at the bedside to the public health officials addressing containment of the infection – is working to end the threat posed by this disease. These individuals are keeping the health and safety of Texans and the needs of the patients as their most critical tasks. Every relevant agency at the local, state and national levels is working to support these individuals.
I have great faith that we will succeed in this important mission; once we have put it behind us we will be the stronger for it and more prepared to meet the kinds of challenges that we as Americans are uniquely prepared to face."
Gov. Perry's Task Force on Infection Disease Preparedness and Response will meet on Wednesday to discuss improving Texas' response and treatment of Ebola. http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/health/2014/10/15/second-dallas-hospital-worker-diagnosed-ebola/17290677/