Monday, August 4, 2014

HOT: Man in NYC May Be Infected With Ebola

A patient at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York is being tested for Ebola after recently returning from West Africa, the hospital says.

This is a developing story. Check back to this post for updates.

UPDATE 1:

A male patient with high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms came to the hospital's emergency room on Monday morning.

The hospital says the patient has been placed in strict isolation and is undergoing medical screenings to determine the cause of his symptoms.

"All necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of all patients, visitors and staff. We will continue to work closely with federal, state and city health officials to address and monitor this case, keep the community informed and provide the best quality care to all of our patients," the hospital wrote in a statement.

UPDATE 2

The patient had been visiting "a West African country" where Ebola cases have been reported.

UPDATE 3

NYT reports:
A hospital spokeswoman, Dorie Klissas, said that to protect the patient’s privacy the hospital was not making public his occupation, which country he had been in, whether he had been exposed to a patient with Ebola there, or whether he had close contacts like family members, friends or co-workers who were also at risk. Ms. Klissas said the patient’s blood was being tested for Ebola, but she declined to say when the test results would be available.
UPDATE 4:

New York 1 reports:
[T]he Department of Health released a statement that says, "After consultation with CDC and Mount Sinai, the Health Department has concluded that the patient is unlikely to have Ebola. Specimens are being tested for common causes of illness and to definitively exclude Ebola."
 Hospital officials say they hope to have an answer in the next 24 to 48 hours, but they say the symptoms are common in other illnesses.

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