Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Published : October 3, 2014 12:06 PM IST
Thomas Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in United States, reportedly, came in contact with 100 other people before he was isolated in a hospital in Dallas, Texas. He is currently battling Ebola and is in a critical stage.
The patient's family members have been quarantined at home and a court order has been imposed on them to not leave the house until the incubation period is completed and they are tested negative, so as to prevent any possible spread of infection. Meanwhile, Texas health officials have begun contact tracing to identify those who came in contact with the patient before he was isolated.
Reportedly, out of those 100, five are school children. The patient s sister Mai Wureh identified 12 to 18 people who first came into contact with the patient, who are being monitored. As of now, none of them is showing Ebola symptoms. Additionally, the ambulance crew that carried Thomas to the hospital are also being monitored.
The Texas Department of State Health Services mentioned to have gathered information about a list of 100 potential or possible contacts with the Ebola patient. According to Tom Frieden, director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contact tracing is how what will break the chain of transmission and the health officials are taking all measures to identify and monitor all of them.
Will US health authorities combat Ebola spread?
Health authorities confident about controlling it
In an official statement confirming the first Ebola positive case in US, Tom Frieden, director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assured the citizens that the outbreak won t spread beyond that one patient. There is no doubt, in my mind, that we will stop it here. I have no doubt that we will control this case of Ebola so it does not spread widely in this country, Frieden mentioned. Ebola can be scary. But there s all the difference in the world between the US and other parts of Africa where Ebola is spreading. We will certainly make sure this case does not threaten our communities, he assured.
US was well-prepared in advance to tackle Ebola
Not only does the United States have sufficient health resources, it also has a stringent isolation protocol in place to tackle additional cases, if any. US President Barack Obama and Frieden have discussed implementation of the protocols to mitigate the risk, according to the official statement. Besides, the healthcare system in US is strong, the infrastructure and facilities are in place and the public health professionals there are well-trained, which highlight preparedness of US for tackling Ebola.
Image source: Getty images
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