US ‘monitoring 100 people’ after first Ebola confirmation

After Tuesday’s discovery of the first case of Ebola in the United States, the Texas department of state health services is monitoring more than 100 people who may have had direct or indirect contact with the patient.

Thomas Eric Duncan had a 28-hour trip from Monronvia to Brussels, then to Dulles International Airport, near Washington before finally travelling to Dallas, where he was admitted to Dallas hospital.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we’re starting with this very wide net, including people who have had even brief encounters with the patient or the patient’s home,”a spokeswoman of the Texas department of state health services, Carrie Williams, told CNN on Thursday.

“The number will drop as we focus in on those whose contact may represent a potential risk of infection.”

The people under monitoring are said to have contacted Candur either at the hospital, at his apartment complex or in the community.

However, more than 12 direct contacts have been found and the officials are hopeful that the numbers would decline rapidly as time goes on.

‘Monitoring’ means that a public health worker visits the person being monitored twice a day to take the contact’s temperature and check if he/she is experiencing any symptoms.

Officials added that none of the persons been monitored had shown symptom, but they had all been equipped with educational materials with respect to the virus.

Although US has not resorted to quarantining contacts, Dallas county health officials have ordered four close relatives of the patient to stay home and not accommodate anyone until at least October 19, while the health officials cater to their needs.

“Food and other needs of the family are being worked out logistically today. Those needs will be specifically covered to allow them to stay in the house,” Carrie said.

Fear and frustration spreads within the U.S as Duncan remains in serious but stable condition at a Dallas hospital. Many parents are panicking, scared of taking their kids to the school that his girlfriend’s children attend.

Meanwhile, Liberian authorities have made known their intentions to prosecute Candur on his return to Liberia, for lying on his airport health questionnaire, Binyah Kesselly, chairman of the board of directors of the Liberia Airport Authority, said.

Due to the ravaging Ebola virus disease in West Africa, passengers leaving Liberia are being screened for fever and are asked if they have had contact with anyone infected, which Thomas Eric Duncan answered ‘no’ to.

However, his neighbours said he had helped a sick pregnant woman who later died of Ebola, although her illness was initially believed to be pregnancy-related.