U.S. Journalist With Ebola Arrives in Omaha for Treatment
An 33-year-old American freelance journalist diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus arrived at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha on Monday after being transported from Liberia for treatment.
It is unclear how Ashoka Mukpo, who was working with an NBC news crew in Liberia, contracted Ebola, but his parents believe he may have become infected while while washing the car of an Ebola victim. He is the fifth American to return to the U.S. to receive treatment for the disease, which has left thousands dead in western Africa.
Loading
Update from our #NebraskaMedEbola press conference: The patient, Ashoka Mukpo safely arrived inside our Biocontainment Unit and is being evaluated by Drs. Phil Smith and Angela Hewlett. Ashoka’s parents, Dr. Mitchell Levy and Diana Mukpo spoke with their son via video chat this morning. They say, “He was up and waving to us. It was wonderful to see his face. We are really happy that his symptoms aren’t extreme yet – just a fever and nausea. He is in good spirits. We still aren’t sure how he got Ebola. But, we think it may have happened while he was helping spray-wash the inside of a car that someone died in. Ashoka understood the risks when he went to Liberia. We are so relieved that he’ll receive good medical treatment here.”
Mukpo arrived at the Omaha hospital in an ambulance escorted by several police vehicles on Monday morning. According to the hospital, he will be placed in the facility’s Biocontainment Unit for evaluation. The ambulance, driven by an individual in a bright yellow full-body protective suit, can be seen arriving in this video released by the hospital.
Loading
Our second Ebola patient has safely arrived and is being cared for inside the Biocontainment Unit. #NebraskaMedEbola
Mukpo, a freelance journalist, had travelled to Liberia last month and had just begun working with NBC News before being diagnosed. He had previously worked for a nonprofit organization in the country for two years.
Mukpo’s parents assured the press that their son was in “good spirits” and was responsive. They were able to talk to Mukpo through the hospital’s video system.
“We’re really happy that his symptoms aren’t extreme yet. He’s in good spirits. We’re in a process to discuss medications.” – Diana
— Nebraska Med Center (@NebraskaMed) October 6, 2014
The Nebraska Medical Center was quick to differentiate Mukpo’s case from that of a man who travelled to Dallas and was diagnosed with the virus the previous week.
The Omaha hospital called Mukpo’s case a “controlled situation” that the facility was well equipped for. The Nebraska Medical Center is no stranger to Ebola, having successfully treated an American doctor who also contracted the virus in Liberia.
“This is diff from what happened in Dallas. It’s a controlled situation. Also, we have trained for this for a decade.” – Dr. Khan
— Nebraska Med Center (@NebraskaMed) October 6, 2014
In Dallas, Thomas Eric Duncan continued treatment at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition on Monday. Epidemiologists had identified all of the people believed to have come in contact with Duncan, according to Texas healthcare officials.
“We have 48 individuals that we are watching closely. Ten of those individuals had higher risk and again all of those individuals are being seen once a day and having their fever checked twice a day,” Texas Commissioner for Health David Lakey said during a press briefing on Monday.
As of Monday, none of those people who had come in contact with Duncan were showing signs of the virus.
Meanwhile, in Spain, a nurse who treated a victim of Ebola in Madrid has herself tested positive for the disease. According to the Spanish Health Minister Ana Mato, the female nurse had been part of a team treating a Spanish priest, who later died of the virus which he had contracted in Sierra Leone. This is the first documented case of Ebola transmission occurring outside of Africa.
President Obama met on Monday with his senior health, homeland security, and national security advisors discuss the recent Ebola cases as well as preparedness plans for the U.S.
According to the White House, “The President and his team discussed the progress health officials in Texas have made in identifying and monitoring the contacts of the patient in Dallas. The team reviewed the measures that have been in place for weeks in preparation for this contingency, and underscored their confidence that the nation’s health infrastructure is prepared and able to prevent an outbreak here at home. Participants also discussed options to enhance airport screening in the United States and the need to tackle Ebola at its source in West Africa, where the United States has launched a civilian-led whole-of-government effort that leverages the unique capabilities of the U.S. military to help bring the epidemic under control.”