US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola - free of the virus

[nola_mnr]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29628622

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/healthcare-worker-texas-tests-positive-ebola-authorities/story?id=26206090

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive'

Second Healthcare worker tests positive for Ebola in Texas

- Worker cared for Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital

- Reported a fever yesterday and were immediately isolated at the hospital

- Health officials interviewed patient to quickly identify any potential exposures

By ANNABEL GROSSMAN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 09:03 GMT, 15 October 2014 | UPDATED: 09:08 GMT, 15 October 2014

A second healthcare worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has tested positive for Ebola.
The worker was among those who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to die from the deadly virus on U.S. soil.
The unnamed member of staff reported a fever yesterday and were immediately isolated at the hospital, the Texas department of state health services has revealed.
Health officials have interviewed the latest patient to quickly identify any contacts or potential exposures, and those people will be monitored.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz3GCepWVpc

[Michael Coston]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive'

Texas DSHS Statement:

https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/releases/20141015.aspx

Second Health Care Worker Tests Positive for Ebola
News Release

Oct. 15, 2014

A second health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States has tested positive for the disease.

The health care worker reported a fever Tuesday and was immediately isolated at the hospital.

Health officials have interviewed the latest patient to quickly identify any contacts or potential exposures, and those people will be monitored. The type of monitoring depends on the nature of their interactions and the potential they were exposed to the virus.

The worker was among those who took care of Thomas Eric Duncan after he was diagnosed with Ebola.

The preliminary Ebola test was run late Tuesday at the state public health laboratory in Austin, and results were received at about midnight.

Confirmatory testing on a separate specimen will be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of a sick person or exposure to contaminated objects such as needles. People are not contagious before symptoms such as fever develop.

[sharon sanders]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Just opening my email now. Notice the time at which this email was sent - 5:05am.

From: "Media@cdc.gov (CDC)" <sohco@CDC.GOV>
To: MMWR-MEDIA@LISTSERV.CDC.GOV
Subject: CDC Statement: Texas Reports Positive Test for Ebola in One Additional Healthcare Worker
Date: Oct 15, 2014 5:05 AM
Attachments: image001.png




For Immediate Release
Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286


Texas Reports Positive Test for Ebola in One Additional Healthcare Worker

A second healthcare worker at Texas Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the index patient has tested positive for Ebola according to preliminary tests performed overnight by the Texas Department of State Health Services’ laboratory.

The patient was isolated after an initial report of a fever and remains so now. Confirmation testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s laboratory is being done. The health care worker was being monitored for fever and symptoms.

The hospital and patient were notified of positive result. In addition, CDC has interviewed the patient to identify any contacts or potential exposures in the community.

As we have said before, because of our ongoing investigation, it is not unexpected that there would be additional exposures.

An additional health care worker testing positive for Ebola is a serious concern, and the CDC has already taken active steps to minimize the risk to health care workers and the patient.

Yesterday, CDC announced a series of actions related to hospital preparedness for Ebola treatment, both in Dallas, and in hospitals around the country.

They include:

Sending an additional team to Dallas, including experts who successfully controlled outbreaks of Ebola in Africa in the past two decades, including in health-care settings. Team members have worked with Doctors Without Borders on infection control protocols and trained others in Africa to follow those protocols. This expertise is being directly shared with the hospital. In addition, two infection control nurses from Emory University hospital who have experience treating Ebola patients without infecting health-care workers are joining the response at the Dallas hospital to provide peer-to-peer training and support. This combination of training will help hospital staff across a range of care and management experiences.

Making immediate and specific improvements to processes and procedures at the Dallas hospital to reduce risk to health care personnel. Care for a patient with Ebola requires meticulous attention to detail, and refining these steps makes it safer and easier.

Having a site manager in place and at the Dallas hospital 24/7 as long as Ebola patients are receiving care, to oversee the putting on and taking off of PPE and the care given in the isolation unit.

Establishing a dedicated CDC response team that could be on the ground within a few hours at any hospital with a confirmed patient with Ebola. The CDC Response Team would provide in-person, expert support and training on infection control, healthcare safety, medical treatment, contact tracing, waste and decontamination, public education and other issues. The CDC Response Team would help ensure that clinicians, and state and local public health practitioners, consistently follow strict standards of protocol to ensure safety of the patient and healthcare workers.

Providing more opportunities for U.S. healthcare providers to receive additional training and to get their questions answered from CDC experts. On Tuesday, CDC held a partner conference call where more than 5600 clinicians from across the country joined. Later this week, CDC will host a call with the American Nurses Association to discuss how to better prepare frontline nurses for Ebola; and another call with the American Hospital Association. Next week, CDC will host a live event in New York City with the Partnership for Quality Care and the Greater New York Hospital Association/1199SEIU Healthcare Education Project to educate frontline healthcare workers on Ebola; the event will be streamed live to hospitals across the country

While this is troubling news for the patient, the patient’s family and colleagues and the greater Dallas community, the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services remain confident that wider spread in the community can be prevented with proper public health measures including ongoing contact tracing, health monitoring among those known to have been in contact with the index patient and immediate isolations if symptoms develop.

Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of a sick person or exposure to objects such as needles that have been contaminated. The illness has an average 8-10 day incubation period (although it could be from 2 to 21 days) so CDC recommends monitoring exposed people for symptoms a complete 21 days. People are not contagious during the incubation period, meaning before symptoms such as fever develop.

CDC tests results will be shared when confirmatory tests are done, following appropriate patient notification.



###

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

CDC works 24/7 saving lives and protecting people from health threats to have a more secure nation. Whether these threats are chronic or acute, manmade or natural, human error or deliberate attack, global or domestic, CDC is the U.S. health protection agency.

[Dani]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Is there any information regarding whether Ms. Vinson took care of Mr. Duncan before or after he was recognized as suffering from Ebola?

Pure speculation- I think the PPE was inadequate for the high risk procedures and advanced care he received. That is the piece of the puzzle that is completely unique to this situation- ventilation and dialysis have not been done before and may simply not be safe in an ordinary hospital. The medical community is going to have to completely rethink their approach to handling multi system organ failure in an Ebola patient. Perhaps it should just not be done except with true BSL-4 attire.

Hoping & praying that Ms. Pham and Ms. Vinson do not deteriorate to that point.

[casey]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Newest Ebola patient flew Frontier Airlines day before diagnosis

The second healthcare worker who tested positive for Ebola last night flew by air Oct. 13th, the day before she reported symptoms, said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in a release.

She flew on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth. The CDC is asking all 132 passangers that were on the flight to call 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800-232-4636). Passengers will be monitored for symptoms and interviewed about the flight.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102078863

[Pathfinder]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Media Statement

<!--Contact Head-->For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
<!--Content embargoed until 1:00 p.m. ET, July 24, 2014
-->

<!--End Contact Head--><!--Content-->CDC and Frontier Airlines Announce Passenger Notification Underway

<!--p style="margin-top:0px;">CDC doing confirmation testing today</p-->On the morning of Oct. 14, the second healthcare worker reported to the hospital with a low-grade fever and was isolated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that the second healthcare worker who tested positive last night for Ebola traveled by air Oct. 13, the day before she reported symptoms.

Because of the proximity in time between the evening flight and first report of illness the following morning, CDC is reaching out to passengers who flew on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth Oct. 13.

CDC is asking all 132 passengers on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth on October 13 (the flight route was Cleveland to Dallas Fort Worth and landed at 8:16 p.m. CT) to call 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800 232-4636). After 1 p.m. ET, public health professionals will begin interviewing passengers about the flight, answering their questions, and arranging follow up. Individuals who are determined to be at any potential risk will be actively monitored.

The healthcare worker exhibited no signs or symptoms of illness while on flight 1143, according to the crew. Frontier is working closely with CDC to identify and notify passengers who may have traveled on flight 1143 on Oct. 13. Passengers who may have traveled on flight 1143 should contact CDC at 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800 232-4636).

Frontier Airlines Statement

?At approximately 1:00 a.m. MT on October 15, Frontier was notified by the CDC that a customer traveling on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth on Oct. 13 has since tested positive for the Ebola virus. The flight landed in Dallas/Fort Worth at 8:16 p.m. local and remained overnight at the airport having completed its flying for the day at which point the aircraft received a thorough cleaning per our normal procedures which is consistent with CDC guidelines prior to returning to service the next day. It was also cleaned again in Cleveland last night. Previously the customer had traveled from Dallas Fort Worth to Cleveland on Frontier flight 1142 on October 10.

Customer exhibited no symptoms or sign of illness while on flight 1143, according to the crew. Frontier responded immediately upon notification from the CDC by removing the aircraft from service and is working closely with CDC to identify and contact customers who may traveled on flight 1143.
Customers who may have traveled on either flight should contact CDC at 1 800 CDC-INFO.

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.?

For more information on ebola, visit http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola.

http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/s1015-airline-notification.html

[Dani]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

From this flight information we can conclude that this nurse, also, was not in the original list of high risk contacts who were being monitored, and so she must have been exposed after they knew Mr. Duncan had Ebola.

Words fail me. This is just not good at all.

[Graupel]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Just when I think the situation could not get worse.... looks like we'll be severely testing the 'no viral shedding without overt symptoms' refrain in a nice, neat and highly unfortunate natural experiment.

And now how many other HCWs had sufficient exposure?!!

[Pathfinder]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

CDC: New Ebola patient took recent airline flight

Rick Jervis and Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY 12:17 p.m. EDT October 15, 2014

DALLAS ? A 26-year-old nurse identified as the second Texas hospital worker to test positive for Ebola had traveled on a Frontier Airlines flight from Cleveland to Dallas the evening before she noted the first symptoms of the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

The nurse was identified as Amber Vinson, who was described as living alone in a Dallas apartment without pets. Vinson was identified by Martha Schuler, the mother of Vinson's former stepfather.
...
At an early morning news conference, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said he could not rule out more cases among 75 other hospital staffers who cared for Duncan and were being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We are preparing contingencies for more and that is a real possibility," Jenkins said.
...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/15/texas-health-care-worker-ebola-second-case/17290575/

[Nika]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Just when I think the situation could not get worse.... looks like we'll be severely testing the 'no viral shedding without overt symptoms' refrain in a nice, neat and highly unfortunate natural experiment.

And now how many other HCWs had sufficient exposure?!!

How is this "testing" this? These HCWs were around a patient who was shedding vast amounts of virus.

[Graupel]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

How is this "testing" this? These HCWs were around a patient who was shedding vast amounts of virus.

Two threads mingled in my post- the 'test' will be from the airline flight a day before overt onset.

The other was wondering exactly how many other HCWs had exposure, and if is even possible to know without any access control or access logging.

[Lizw]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

But even the people who flew with Patrick Sawyer were not infected, at a time when he would have been at a high point of viral shedding. It really does appear to me that personal hands on care is almost always the only route of transmission. That isn't meant to diminish the importance of protective measures, of course, but I do find it reassuring that casual contacts of Ebola patients seem to have infected in very small numbers, if at all.

[Pathfinder]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

News Releases
Ebola Update, Oct. 15, 11:46 a.m. CDT
10/15/2014

Statement from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas

Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas is actively consulting with Emory University Hospital in Atlanta and other health officials about the possibility of transferring to Emory our second coworker being treated for Ebola.

We are sensitive to the demands being placed on our caregivers, who are working intensively to provide quality care to all patients, and we will provide new information as decisions are made.
...

http://texashealth.org/news-alert.cfm?id=1629&action=detail&ref=1894

[Dani]

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

But even the people who flew with Patrick Sawyer were not infected, at a time when he would have been at a high point of viral shedding. It really does appear to me that personal hands on care is almost always the only route of transmission. That isn't meant to diminish the importance of protective measures, of course, but I do find it reassuring that casual contacts of Ebola patients seem to have infected in very small numbers, if at all.

That is true, and it's no small comfort at this point. He was extremely ill (even lying down in the airport before his last flight segment) and no one on the plane became ill, except his fellow diplomat who also helped him to the hospital, IIRC.