The Ebola virus disease has spread wildly in the West African countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, affecting thousands of people. But the virus has crossed West Africa and people in the United States have also contracted the deadly virus.
Nina Pham, an American nurse, became the first person to be infected by the Ebola virus in the U.S. This happened when Nina, along with fellow nurse Amber Vinson, was helping with the Ebola virus treatment of Thomas Eric Duncan, a man from Liberia who started to develop symptoms of Ebola virus after entering the U.S. While Duncan could not be saved, the two nurses who were tested positive for Ebola were treated successfully and showed quick recovery.
Nina Pham was the first American to be diagnosed with the Ebola virus. However, considering Amber Vinson’s journeys on commercial flights, her case drew more attention in the U.S. Vinson had made a round trip from Dallas to Cleveland via Frontier Airlines. Fellow travelers were later scanned for any Ebola signs and symptoms. Some people from those flights chose to quarantine themselves for a 21-day period, which is Ebola’s incubation period.
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Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, the same hospital where Duncan underwent treatment for Ebola Virus, is where nurses Nina and Amber were kept in isolation and treated. Vinson was later moved to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta where she spent a little under 2 weeks. While Vinson did not throw light on the activities during the time of infection or diagnosis of Ebola disease, she did express gratitude for her full recovery. Nina Pham was treated in the National Institute of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, from where she was released in October after successful Ebola treatment.
Vinson was among the many health care workers who came in contact with Duncan before he died. The remaining people at risk of contracting the virus were asked to check themselves for symptoms.
So far, nurses, doctors, aid workers and even an NBC cameraman have been tested positive for Ebola. Those who contracted the disease when working in Africa were brought back to the States. And out of the 8 Ebola cases that have been treated in the U.S., 7 have made a full recovery, with Duncan being the only exception.
Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly, two high profile victims of the virus, were kept at Emory University Hospital for treatment and have been announced Ebola-free.
Since the virus has now entered the U.S., people are worried about Ebola transmission and the causes of Ebola transmission. The news has led to a lot of anxiety among people. It is crucial to know the facts about Ebola disease and get the necessary vaccine and virus treatment. However, specialists of infectious diseases say that all Ebola patients in the U.S. have been successfully treated so far, and using the expertise and resources that they have, everything will be taken care of in the future as well.
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The doctors at Emory University Hospital, which became the first hospital to treat Ebola patients, are fully equipped to handle any cases. Emory has treated 4 Ebola cases with success in under 3 months, which is quite an achievement.
Health care workers who are helping in the treatment of Ebola cases are now subject to restrictions by the authorities. This includes certain limitations on travelling by air.
While the Ebola outbreak in Africa is bad, the virus is not expected to disrupt the United States. Medical centers in the States are capable of creating isolated environments which is hard for authorities in African countries to achieve. This is guaranteed to prevent the virus from spreading in the country. While officials are considering the possibility of more cases from those who came in contact with Duncan, they are prepared to handle them, and the situation is likely to be controlled and curbed right there.
