Second Dallas nurse is now Ebola-free

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Second Dallas nurse is now Ebola-free

Amber-vinson
Amber Vinson, a Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola from a patient, is now virus-free.
Image: Twitter

A second Dallas nurse who was undergoing treatment for Ebola will be discharged on Tuesday after tests showed she’s virus-free.

Twenty-nine-year-old Amber Vinson, who was being treated in Atlanta, was a nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and treated Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of Ebola at the hospital on Oct. 8.

Vinson’s family announced on Oct. 22 that doctors could no longer detect the virus in her body, a step toward recovery.

Vinson was one of two nurses who became infected while caring for Duncan. The other infected nurse, Nina Pham, was released Oct. 24 from a hospital near Washington. Pham was the first person to contract Ebola within the U.S.

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Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas staff line the drive that exits the emergency room as they wait for an ambulance carrying Nina Pham to depart, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, in Dallas.

Image: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Though it remains unclear exactly how the nurses became infected, the cases triggered a wave of backlash and criticism about Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital’s handling of Duncan’s case.

Other nurses who cared for Duncan said the hospital was disorganized and underprepared for Ebola, adding that they worked for days without proper protective gear and faced constantly changing protocols. Among the allegations was that infected waste was allowed to pile up to the ceiling.

Vinson attended to Duncan on Sept. 30, the day he tested positive for Ebola, according to medical records that Duncan’s family released to The Associated Press.

Like Pham, the reports note that Vinson wore protective gear and a face shield, hazardous materials suit and protective footwear. At the time, Duncan’s body fluids were highly infectious if someone made contact with them. At one point, Vinson inserted a catheter into Duncan.

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Some information in this report was provided by the Associated Press.