Caregiver of Dead U.S. Ebola Patient Tests Positive for Ebola

Ebola related stock plays, already sharply higher since the outbreak started and death of the first U.S.-diagnosed patient Thomas Eric Duncan, will be on watch Monday after a caregiver of Mr. Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas tested positive for Ebola.

The caregiver, who's name has not been released, is in stable condition and was immediately admitted to the hospital in isolation. A close contact of the patient has also been proactively placed in isolation.

Duncan, who was admitted to the hospital on September 28 with Ebola-like symptoms shortly after traveling to the U.S. from Liberia, died on October 8th.

Eblola-related stocks: Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: TKMR), NewLink Genetics (Nasdaq: NLNK), BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: BCRX), NanoViricides, Inc. (AMEX: NNVC), and Lakeland Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: LAKE), Alpha Pro Tech Ltd. (NYSE: APT) and Chimerix (Nasdaq: CMRX).

Below is a statement from Dr. Dan Varga, Chief Clinical Officer, Senior Executive Vice President, of Texas Health:

Late Saturday, a preliminary blood test on a care-giver at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas showed positive for Ebola. The healthcare worker had been under the self-monitoring regimen prescribed by the CDC, based on involvement in caring for patient Thomas Eric Duncan during his inpatient care that started on September 28.

Individuals being monitored are required to take their temperature twice daily. As a result of that procedure, the care-giver notified the hospital of imminent arrival and was immediately admitted to the hospital in isolation. The entire process, from the patient’s self-monitoring to the admission into isolation, took less than 90 minutes. The patient’s condition is stable. A close contact has also been proactively placed in isolation. The care-giver and the family have requested total privacy, so we can’t discuss any further details of the situation.

We have known that further cases of Ebola are a possibility among those who were in contact with Mr. Duncan before he passed away last week. The system of monitoring, quarantine and isolation was established to protect those who cared for Mr. Duncan as well as the community at large by identifying any potential ebola cases as early as possible and getting those individuals into treatment immediately.

Finally, we have put the ED on “diversion” until further notice because of limitations in staffed capacity — meaning ambulances are not currently bringing patients to our emergency department. While we are on diversion we are also using this time to further expand the margin of safety by triple-checking our full compliance with updated CDC guidelines. We are also continuing to monitor all staff who had some relation to Mr. Duncan’s care even if they are not assumed to be at significant risk of infection.

All of these steps are being taken so the public and our own employees can have complete confidence in the safety and integrity of our facilities and the care we provide.

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