U.S. - Emory University Hospital special isolation unit treats two Americans infected with Ebola virus in Liberia - both discharged

[Vibrant62]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/31/health/ebola-outbreak/

(CNN) -- The fear began just after news broke Thursday that a long-range business jet with an isolation pod left the United States for Liberia, where it will evacuate two Americans infected with Ebola.

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While U.S. officials have remained mum on the issue, a source told CNN that a medical charter flight left from Cartersville, Georgia, on Thursday evening.

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It was not immediately known when the two Americans -- identified by the source as Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol -- would arrive in the United States, or where the plane would land.

At least one of the two will be taken to a hospital at Emory University, near the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, hospital officials told CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

The patient will be cared for in an isolation unit at the hospital that is separate from patient areas, Gupta said.

With the return of Brantly and Writebol to the United States, it will be the first time that patients diagnosed with Ebola will be known to be in the country.

Brantly and Writebol are described as being in stable-but-grave conditions, with both reportedly taking a turn for the worse overnight, according to statements released Thursday by the faith-based charity Samaritan's Purse.

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The Ebola outbreak is believed to be the worst in history, and even in a best-case scenario, it could take three to six months to stem the epidemic in West Africa, Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, told reporters on Thursday.

Writebol gets 'experimental serum'

Both Brantly, a 33-year-old who last lived in Texas, and Writebol were caring for Ebola patients in Liberia.

An experimental serum was administered to Writebol this week. Only one dose of the serum was available, and Brantly asked that it be given to his colleague, said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse.

Samaritan's Purse said it did not have any additional detail about the serum.

At the same time, Brantly received a unit of blood from a 14-year-old boy who survived Ebola, the statement said. Brantly had treated the teen, it said.

It was not immediately clear what doctors hoped the blood transfusion would do for Brantly.

While blood transfusions have been tried before, Frieden told reporters no one really knows why some people survive and some don't.

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Rate of infection

The rate of infection has slowed in Guinea, but it has increased in neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia.

As infection accelerates, some aid groups are pulling out to protect their own.

Samaritan's Purse and the missionary group Serving in Mission have recalled all nonessential personnel from Liberia.

The Peace Corps announced Wednesday it is doing the same, removing its 340 volunteers from the three severely affected nations.

While there are no confirmed cases, a Peace Corps spokeswoman said two volunteers came into contact with someone who ended up dying from the virus.

Those Americans haven't shown signs of Ebola but are being isolated just in case. The spokeswoman said they can't return home until they get medical clearance.

Meanwhile, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sierra Leone's President Ernest Koroma both canceled trips to the United States, and Koroma declared a state of emergency. Koroma announced an action plan to tear down many barriers that international medical workers say they face while fighting disease.

Sirleaf said on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" that the country is in desperate need of people with expertise in treating and dealing with Ebola.

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Koroma said he will deploy police and military to accompany the aid workers.

They will search house to house for the infirm and enforce orders designed to curb the virus' spread.

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Nigeria's Minister of Health Onyebuchi Chukwu says the government is still searching for more people that had contact with Sawyer on his journey on a plane that stopped in Accra, Ghana and Lome, Togo, before traveling on to Lagos.

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Re: Flight leaves for Liberia to evacuate Americans infected with Ebola - Patients expected in U.S. by early next week

What Happens Once Ebola Patients Arrive in the US

Aug 1, 2014, 2:49 PM ET

By GILLIAN MOHNEY via World News

Two American aid workers infected with Ebola are scheduled to touch down in the U.S. by early next week to receive treatment for a virus so deadly it kills around 60 percent of everyone it infects.

Dr. Kent Branly and Nancy Writebol were working with infected patients in Liberia, when they also were infected with the virus. Now listed in serious condition, officials plan to move aid workers by early next week and will likely use isolated pods to transport them safely.

Each pod looks like a small clear plastic tent and can be fitted into a modified small jet and transport the patient without risk to the flight crew.

Once in the U.S. the patients will be the first infected people with Ebola on U.S. soil. To keep the virus contained, the patients will be taken to specialized isolation wards. In this case Emory University Hospital has confirmed they will take at least one patient.

This specialized ward is where medical teams have practiced and trained to treat highly infectious patients.

More...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ebola-patients-arrive-us/story?id=24804625

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Re: Flight leaves for Liberia to evacuate Americans infected with Ebola - Patients expected in U.S. by early next week

U.S. Ebola Patients Will Fly Into Georgia Air Force Base

Patients Flying on Commercial Charter Plane, Pentagon Spokesman Says

Updated Aug. 1, 2014 2:25 p.m. ET

ATLANTA?The U.S. Defense Department said Friday that the U.S. ebola patients will be flown into Dobbins Air Force Base Base in Georgia on a commercial charter aircraft, though didn't say when they were due to arrive.

Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said at a regular media briefing that the State Department had asked the military to provide an airfield to receive the patients, and had approved the request. Dobbins Air Force Base is 10 miles northwest of Atlanta.

Adm. Kirby said the "safety and security" offered by a military facility underpinned the State Department's request.

"That's the extent of our involvement," he said, adding that the military's only other role in the tackling the ebola outbreak was two Army researchers currently in west Africa.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa hit home in Atlanta in an unusual way with Emory University Hospital saying it expects to receive at least one patient with the disease soon
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The Emory hospital houses one of only four specially built isolation units in the nation equipped to treat patients exposed to deadly infectious diseases like Ebola. The unit is separate from other patient areas "and has unique equipment and infrastructure that provide an extraordinarily high level of clinical isolation," according to Emory.

The university hospital set up the unit with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is right down the road, and says it has staff "highly trained in the specific and unique protocols and procedures necessary to treat and care for this type of patient."

"We are fully prepared for this type of situation," the university said.
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More...

http://online.wsj.com/articles/atlanta-responds-to-hearing-ebola-patient-to-be-treated-in-local-hospital-1406910226

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Re: Flight leaves for Liberia to evacuate Americans infected with Ebola - Patients expected in U.S. by early next week

Ebola coming to U.S. for first time as Atlanta hospital preps for patients

By Greg Botelho, Ben Brumfield and Chelsea J. Carter, CNN
updated 5:37 PM EDT, Fri August 1, 2014
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The first patient is expected to arrive in the United States on Saturday afternoon, U.S. officials said. The aircraft carrying that person will land at Georgia's Dobbins Air Reserve Base, then take off again for Liberia to get the second American infected with Ebola.

Both are expected to head to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, according to Dr. Bruce Ribner, who oversees the special isolation unit where they will be treated. On Friday, he described the patients as "stable" and "safe to transport."
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As one of four physicians overseeing the patients' treatment, Ribner said, "I have no concerns about either my personal health or the health of the other health care workers who will be working in that unit."
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But while the Emory staff members are confident, that doesn't mean they have experience dealing with Ebola, which the World Health Organization reports has infected more than 1,300 people and killed over 700 in recent weeks in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. In fact, no U.S. medical facility has had a known patient with the virus.

That's because, as Ribner pointed out, "this particular pathogen is new to the United States."
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The patients are health care workers themselves: Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly were infected while treating Ebola patients in Liberia last month. They have been in serious condition for three days.
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"We have two individuals who are critically ill, and we feel that we owe them the right to receive the best medical care ... available to them," Ribner said, adding that the two will have a much better chance being treated in the United States than in Africa.

Although Ribner said there are discussions about offering "experimental protocols" to Brantly or Writebol, there is no specific treatment that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/01/health/ebola-outbreak/

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Re: Flight leaves for Liberia to evacuate Americans infected with Ebola - Patients expected in U.S. by early next week

Emory Healthcare statement and letter to the Emory Community

Aug. 1, 2014

Emory University Hospital
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Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus infection who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa, Emory officials confirmed at a press conference Friday.

___________________________________________

Friday, August 1, 2014

Ebola Virus Infection Questions and Answers

What are the names of the patients being admitted to Emory University Hospital?

Because of federal privacy laws, and, respecting the privacy of the patients and the patients' families, we are unable to provide any information at this time.

Will the patients' families be joining the patients at Emory?

We have not been in touch with the patients or their families and have no information at this time.

What is the condition of the patients?

We do not know the specific conditions of the patients at this time. The patients will be assessed after arrival.

What will the treatment be for these patients?

There is no specific medication that effectively treats Ebola infection. Typical treatment for Ebola patients involves:

Excellent nursing care

Intravenous fluids and blood products as needed

Obtaining frequent vital signs, with frequent laboratory monitoring

Why was Emory University Hospital chosen as the U.S. health care destination for these patients?

Emory University physicians, nurses and staff are prepared to care for patients with communicable disease and are highly trained in protocols and procedures necessary to treat and care for these patients. For this specially trained staff, these protocols are practiced on a regular basis and training is ongoing throughout the year, so they are fully prepared for this type of situation.

Emory University Hospital has a special isolation unit that is physically separate from other patient areas. It was set up in collaboration with the CDC to house CDC scientists and others who have traveled abroad and become exposed to infectious diseases. This unit has unique equipment and infrastructure that provides an extraordinarily high level of clinical isolation with very different capabilities than are normally provided to isolate patients in other hospitals. It is one of only four such facilities in the country.

How do health care workers protect themselves when treating patients with Ebola?

All healthcare providers must wear protective equipment, such as masks, gowns, gloves and eye protection. Proper cleaning and disposal of instruments, such as needles and syringes, is essential. These protocols and practices are routinely followed when treating patients with communicable disease.

Will other patients in Emory University Hospital be at risk for infection?

Emory physicians and health care staff are prepared for the arrival of these patients and have put infection control measures in place to protect health care workers and other patients and hospital visitors. The patients are housed in a special isolation unit separate from other units and patients.

Where is the isolation unit located in the hospital?

The unit is located on a separate floor from any other patient areas.

Could other Ebola patients come to Emory University Hospital also?

At this time there are no plans for additional patients.

How is Ebola virus transmitted?

The virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person or through exposure to objects (such as needles) that have been contaminated with infected fluids.

For more information on Ebola:
CDC Information on Ebola

http://news.emory.edu/stories/2014/07/euh_ebola_patient/campus.html

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Re: Flight leaves for Liberia to evacuate Americans infected with Ebola - Patients expected in U.S. by early next week

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release No: NR-404-14
August 01, 2014

Statement on Request for Support to Department of State for American Citizen Transportation from Africa to Emory University Hospital from Secretary of Defense

Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby:
"The Department of Defense received a request from the State Department to assist with the return of U.S. citizens currently being treated for the Ebola virus. DoD assistance is limited to allowing the State contracted private charter aircraft to land at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia.

Defense Department personnel will have no contact with the patients or be involved with their transportation.

The safety and security of Department of Defense military and civilian personnel is our highest priority. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance on the safe transport and care of patients with infectious diseases .

The patients will be escorted throughout by specially and frequently trained teams that have sufficient resources to transport the patients so that there is no break in their medical care or exposure to others."

http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=16862

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Re: Flight leaves for Liberia to evacuate Americans infected with Ebola - Patients expected in U.S. by early next week

Dr. Kent Brantly named first Ebola patient on plane back to US

Published August 02, 2014?
FoxNews.com

Dr. Kent Brantly, one of two Americans who contracted the deadly Ebola virus while working in Africa, was identified Saturday as the first patient aboard the plane headed to the United States for treatment, sources told Fox News.

The details of why he was selected for the first flight was not immediately clear, but he had been receiving treatment with fellow American, Nancy Writebol, who is expected to take a later flight to the U.S.

The U.S. State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are helping to arrange the evacuation.

"The safety and security of U.S. citizens is our paramount concern," said the State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, in a statement released Friday morning. "Every precaution is being taken to move the patients safely and securely."

Brantly is expected to arrive at a U.S. military base in Georgia Saturday afternoon on a small private jet outfitted with a special, portable tent designed for transporting patients with highly infectious diseases that can only hold one person at a time.
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http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/08/02/dr-kent-brantly-named-first-ebola-patient-on-plane-back-to-us/

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Re: U.S. - Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa

American Doctor With Ebola Arrives in Georgia

Aug 2, 2014, 11:31 AM ET
By GILLIAN MOHNEY and BEN CANDEA

A plane carrying an American doctor who contracted Ebola while treating patients in West Africa landed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, today.

Samaritan's Purse confirmed that Dr. Kent Brantly was the first American patient to be evacuated from Liberia aboard a private air ambulance. The flight landed about 11 a.m. Saturday.
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Both Brantly and Writebol are listed in "serious but stable condition," according to Samaritan's Purse, the aid group Brantly for which worked. Writebol is expected to arrive in the U.S. early next week.

Brantly and Writebol worked at a hospital in Liberia. He's the first patient infected with Ebola to be on U.S. soil.
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The director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Tom Frieden, told ABC News the isolation unit was one of only four in the nation.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/american-patient-ebola-en-route-us/story?id=24818577

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Re: U.S. - Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa

American With Ebola Arrives in U.S. for Treatment

By ALAN BLINDER and DENISE GRADYAUG. 2, 2014

ATLANTA ? The first of two American aid workers infected with Ebola while working in West Africa arrived back in the United States on Saturday aboard a private air ambulance specially equipped to isolate patients with infectious diseases.

The aid worker, who is believed to be the first patient with the virus who will be treated at a hospital in the United States, landed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, northwest of Atlanta, and was driven by ambulance, with a police escort, headed for Emory University Hospital, which has a containment unit for patients with dangerous infectious diseases. The facility at Emory, in Atlanta, was built more than a decade ago with consultation from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has its headquarters nearby.
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Dr. Alexander Isakov, the executive director of Emory?s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, said in an interview that the staff in the containment unit had volunteered to work there, and that some who were supposed to be on vacation offered to cancel their plans to take care of the new patients.

Dr. Brantly and Ms. Writebol will be housed in a unit that is small and positioned well away from other patients at the sprawling hospital. They will probably have limited contact with visitors, Dr. Ribner said, communicating with nonmedical personnel through telephones and an intercom system. A sheet of glass will separate the ill from the healthy.

Dr. Isakov said the unit had been used only three to five times since it was built, in each case for patients suspected of having serious diseases like SARS, but who turned out not to have those illnesses. This is the first time the unit will house patients who are truly infected with a dangerous disease.

Although the State Department said it had been involved in facilitating the evacuations from Liberia, Emory said that Samaritan?s Purse, the religious organization that sponsored Dr. Brantly, was paying for the transportation and care of the workers....

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/us/kent-brantley-nancy-writebol-ebola-treatment-atlanta.html?_r=0

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Re: U.S. - Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa

<CENTER></CENTER>


<CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER>Doctor with Ebola Safely Back in U.S.

August 2, 2014

Samaritan's Purse physician is in an isolation unit at Emory University Hospital; SIM missionary expected to be transported to the U.S. in a few days.

Samaritan’s Purse doctor Kent Brantly, who contracted the Ebola virus while treating patients in Liberia, is now back home in the United States.

A medical evacuation plane equipped with a special containment unit arrived at Dobbins Air Force Base in Atlanta today at 11:20 a.m. ET. Dr. Brantly was then transported to Emory University Hospital. Emory has an isolation unit set up in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to treat patients who are exposed to certain serious infectious diseases.

American Nancy Writebol, a missionary with SIM who also contracted Ebola in Liberia, is expected to arrive in Atlanta within the next few days.

“We thank God that they are alive and now have access to the best care in the world,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “We are extremely thankful for the help we have received from the State Department, the CDC, the National Institute of Health, WHO and, of course, Emory Hospital.”

The safety of our staff is a top priority and Samaritan’s Purse is currently working to evacuate all but the most essential personnel to their home countries.

“The evacuation of our staff is underway and will be complete this weekend,” Graham said.

The exact timeline and destinations are being kept confidential to respect their privacy. Samaritan’s Purse is taking precautions that exceed the standards recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

None of the evacuating staff are ill and the World Health Organization and CDC continue to reiterate that people are not contagious unless they begin showing symptoms. Following their evacuation, Samaritan’s Purse will work with staff to monitor their health.

Please continue to pray for Kent and Nancy and all those who are affected by Ebola, and the tremendous group of doctors and nurses who are caring for them.

Dr. Brantly turned down the offer of a dose of an experimental serum on Wednesday and asked that it be given to Writebol.

“An experimental serum arrived in the country, but there was only enough for one person. Dr. Brantly asked that it be given to Nancy Writebol,” Graham said. “However, Dr. Brantly received a unit of blood from a 14-year-old boy who had survived Ebola because of Dr. Brantly’s care. The young boy and his family wanted to be able to help the doctor that saved his life.”
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http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/samaritans-purse-doctor-serving-in-liberia-west-africa-tests-positive-for-ebola/

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Re: U.S. - Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa

Ebola patient walks into Atlanta hospital; wife sees him through glass

<!--endclickprintinclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--><!--no partner-->By Jason Hanna and Faith Karimi, CNN
updated 5:08 PM EDT, Sat August 2, 2014
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An ambulance rushed Brantly -- one of two Americans seriously sickened by the deadly viral hemorrhagic fever last month while on the front lines of a major outbreak in West Africa -- from Dobbins Air Reserve Base to Atlanta's Emory University Hospital shortly after the plane landed late Saturday morning.

Video from Emory showed someone wearing a white, full-body protective suit helping a similarly clad person emerge from the ambulance and walk into the hospital.
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Brantly's wife, parents and sister cried when they saw him on CNN, walking from the ambulance into the hospital, a family representative said on condition of anonymity. His wife, Amber, later said she was relieved that her husband was back in the United States.

"I spoke with him, and he is glad to be back in the U.S.," she said in statement sent to CNN. "I am thankful to God for his safe transport and for giving him the strength to walk into the hospital."

Brantly's wife visited with him from behind a glass wall for about 45 minutes, the family representative said. Kent Brantly was described as being "in great spirits and so grateful."
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Full text:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/02/health/ebola-outbreak/

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<IFRAME height=360 src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gpwjh5U77Y4?rel=0" frameBorder=0 width=640 allowfullscreen></IFRAME></IFRAME>

First Ebola Patient Arrives in U.S.
Wall Street Journal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpwjh5U77Y4

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Re: U.S. - Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa

What You Need to Know About the Ebola Virus and Emory University Hospital

August 2, 2014, 6:21 pm By Emory Healthcare
There has been much discussion about bringing patients with Ebola back into our country. Emory University Hospital physicians, nurses and staff can treat them safely and effectively, and we are honored to have the privilege of caring for these patients who contracted Ebola while serving on a humanitarian mission. These two Americans want to come back home and be treated here, and we are committed to helping them. It is our moral obligation to always use our expertise, training, knowledge and gifts to provide such extraordinary care for others.

Emory University Hospital is one of the very few hospitals in the country equipped to provide their care. Our highly trained staff and physicians are ready to receive both patients and provide them outstanding care of the highest quality. The patients will be housed in a physically separate and highly specialized unit that was intentionally designed and constructed to receive patients such as these.

We have prepared the following FAQs to provide more information on the topic of Ebola and Emory?s care for these patients.

About Ebola

• What is Ebola?
• What are the symptoms of Ebola?
• How is it spread?
• How do you treat Ebola?
• If I come into contact with staff who are treating the infected patients, can I get Ebola?
• Can I be a carrier for Ebola?
• How serious is Ebola?

About Emory University Hospital

• Is it safe to come to Emory University Hospital?
• What precautions is the hospital taking to avoid contamination?
• What is the special unit being used to house the infected patients?
• What kind of training does the staff at Emory University Hospital undergo to provide care for the infected patients?
• Will there be other patients on this special unit?
• What kind of access will be put in place on the isolation unit? Will there be security? What about visitors?
• Why are we bringing the infected patients to Emory University Hospital? Why can?t the patients be treated in Africa or somewhere else?
• When did Emory University Hospital learn of the possibility of receiving these infected patients?
• If the Ebola virus is transmitted in the same way HIV and Hepatitis B or C are transmitted, why are there so many precautions (hazmat suits, protective gear, isolation unit) being put into place?

http://advancingyourhealth.org/highl.../02/ebola-faq/

[Nika]

Re: U.S. - Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa

It would be good to confirm that Brantly did in fact receive the blood donation from the 14 yo survivor. Would also be nice to know if this walking is the result of recovering from worse condition before the blood transfusion.

[Pathfinder]

Re: U.S. - Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa

Why Experts Were Surprised That Ebola-Infected Doctor Could Walk Into a Hospital

Aug 2, 2014, 5:16 PM ET
By GILLIAN MOHNEY via World News

The fact that an Ebola-infected American was able to walk into a Georgia hospital today after his return to the United States surprised even medical experts familiar with the ravages of the deadly disease.
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Before Brantly arrived in Atlanta, not much about his condition had been made public. According to Samaritan's Purse, the aid organization he was working for, Brantly was in "serious but stable" condition before being flown to the U.S.
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Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said he felt "guardedly optimistic," since Ebola usually advances quickly and Brantly had shown signs of the disease for at least a week.

"The first thing we all said 'Whoa he's not on a vent,'" Schaffner said of realizing that Brantly did not need a ventilator to help him breathe. "In general [with] Ebola is ... you progress on a downhill course. If you're at this point and you're holding your own you're entitled to be optimistic."
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Schaffner said the fact that Brantly appeared to be well enough to walk, indicates that at least for the moment his heart rate, respiratory rate and other vital signs were not critical.

Dr. Stephen Morse, a professor of Epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said although it does not guarantee Brantly will fully recover, the fact that he could walk 10 days after showing Ebola symptoms is a "good sign."
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"If he really does get better, we want to know his secret," Morse said.
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http://abcnews.go.com/Health/experts-surprised-ebola-infected-doctor-walk-hospital/story?id=24820682&singlePage=true

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: U.S. - Emory University Hospital will treat two patients with Ebola virus who are being transported by air ambulance from Africa

It would be good to confirm that Brantly did in fact receive the blood donation from the 14 yo survivor. Would also be nice to know if this walking is the result of recovering from worse condition before the blood transfusion.

TV news last night said Brantley insisted the dose be given to his nurse assistant.

.