EBOLA Possible ebola in Oregon

[spiralbinder]

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2014/10/patient_hospitalized_in_oregon_1.html

A patient has been hospitalized in Oregon to allow doctors to monitor for the Ebola virus.

The Oregon Health Authority said in a news release that the individual has been isolated and presents no danger to the public. The virus has not been diagnosed in the patient.

OHA administrators will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. to discuss specifics of the case.

A recent story by The Oregonian's Lynne Terry spells out the specifics about Ebola testing in Oregon:

Much of the state's planned response is based on the CDC, which advises that patients only be tested and quarantined if they have a fever of at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or other symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea, and have either visited one of the affected countries or had contact with an infected individual. ...
The CDC has advised that only patients meeting its criteria be tested for Ebola. The agency's lab in Atlanta does the testing for the country. The CDC has a few tests to determine whether a patient is infected with Ebola based on blood samples. Often, the virus can only be detected after three days of symptoms. Results take four to six hours, according to an agency spokeswoman.
To get a test, states have to confer first with the CDC, something that would be done by the Oregon Public Health Division. Blood samples have to be packaged and shipped according to biohazard rules, which fall under the U.S. Department of Transportation. Couriers have to be trained in handling these shipments. For the Ebola virus, blood samples have to be tripled packed for security and shipped in cold packs.
The Oregonian will update this story as more information becomes available.

 

[bluelady]

The comments below state that she is in Providence Milwaukie.

 

[TxGal]

I sure hope I'm wrong, but this is sounding like a positive.

 

[spiralbinder]

Yeah, she traveled to Africa and has a 103 fever, so it's not looking great.

 

[naturallysweet]

Less than a 40 miles drive from me.

Can I get off this ride now. It was bad enough reading about NY and Texas. But this is too close for comfort.

 

[Cascadians]

Too close for comfort!?! I've been hanging out with a super close contact with ahhhhhh somebody on the scene. JHC. Not worried about exposure at this point but just canceled tomorrow's meeting. Too weird! I hardly see anybody, just too freaky.

If I hadn't been keeping tabs on Ebola I would have been totally clueless and gone tomorrow smack into the lion's den. Dear Lord. Cannot even believe this.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

#Q13FOX News ‏@Q13FOX 27m27 minutes ago

Woman monitored for #Ebola moved into isolation at Oregon hospital, health officials say >> http://go.q13fox.com/1nXUzRn

posted for fair use

http://q13fox.com/2014/10/31/woman-monitored-for-ebola-moved-into-isolation-at-oregon-hospital/

Woman monitored for Ebola moved into isolation at Oregon hospital

Posted 3:49 PM, October 31, 2014, by Q13 FOX News Staff, Updated at 03:53pm, October 31, 2014

MILWAUKIE, Ore. — A woman who recently visited West Africa and was being monitored for Ebola came down with a fever Friday and was moved into isolation at a hospital near Portland.

Health officials said they had been monitoring the unidentified woman who visited one of three Ebola-stricken countries, KPTV reported.

A spokesperson for Providence Milwaukie hospital said the woman came down with a 102-degree fever Friday. Crews took her from her home to isolation at the hospital.

The woman is being tested for Ebola and doctors expect results in the coming days. Samples will be sent to the CDC to confirm the results.

People who live with the woman are now in voluntary quarantine.

Health officials say there is no risk to the public.

Officials said there are a “couple” patients who are currently being monitored for Ebola in Oregon.

Stay with Q13 FOX News for updates on this developing story.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

Conrad Wilson ‏@conradjwilson 19s20 seconds ago

UPDATE: CDC now expects #Ebola test results for hospitalized woman in #Portland, #Oregon as early as tomorrow http://www.opb.org/news/article/woman-being-monitored-for-ebola-hospitalized/ …

 

[It'sJustMe]

Yeah, I thought of you Caskies, immediately! Getting too close for naturallysweet and me, too! UGH! Guess we'll be finding out more of her story as time goes on. Here's another article on this case:

http://www.opb.org/news/article/woman-being-monitored-for-ebola-hospitalized/


Woman Being Monitored For Ebola Hospitalized In Milwaukie


Health | News
Woman Being Monitored For Ebola Hospitalized In Milwaukie

OPB | Oct. 31, 2014 3:15 p.m. | Updated: Oct. 31, 2014 6:09 p.m.
Contributed By:

Conrad Wilson

(photo posted below)

An employee with American Medical Services demonstrates how to use a Level B Ebola suit for members of the public on Thursday, October 24, 2014.

Alan Sylvestre / OPB

State health officials confirmed this afternoon that a woman who was being monitored for Ebola developed a “sustained fever” this morning in Portland.

Health officials said she was transported to Providence Milwaukie Hospital around 1:30 p.m., where she was put in an isolation unit.

The woman, who health officials did not identify, didn’t have any known contact with Ebola patients, but had visited one of the three West African countries experiencing an outbreak of the Ebola virus, the officials said.

Health officials have been monitoring her temperature twice a day, and responded immediately when she developed a fever.

Dr. Paul Lewis, the Tri-County Health Officer, said there is no risk to the public because she had no symptoms until Friday morning.

Health officials are concerned the woman has some kind of acute illness, but said they consider Ebola one of many possibilities.

Lewis said health officials will test the woman for Ebola.

“The blood needs to be obtained, it needs to be packaged appropriately, it needs to be shipped to a CDC lab in Atlanta,” he said.

Hospital official said the woman was not brought into the hospital through the Emergency Room to limit possible exposure.

Dave Underriner, the regional Chief Executive with Providence, said the woman was brought to the Milwaukie facility because it was “available at this time to take care of the patient.”

“We have a secured unit,” he said.

Underriner said that more than 500 Providence employees had volunteered for special training on how to safely care for Ebola patients.

Gov. John Kitzhaber said that health officials are keeping him informed of the situation: “Local health departments, hospitals, health care providers, and first responders have been working together to ensure the state is prepared,” he said.

 

[JohnGaltfla]

No more positive results until November 5th. We can't hurt the Democraps election efforts after all!

 

[mythreemonkeykids]

10 minutes away.

 

[naturallysweet]

No more positive results until November 5th. We can't hurt the Democraps election efforts after all!

I think they have allowed 1-2 cases at a time. The nurses are healthy now. So that leaves just Doctor Ebola who may or may not be dying or recovering right now.

So it might be time to bring in one more case. Just to keep people interested.

 

[Countrymouse]

Her temperature spiked FRIDAY MORNING (today).

"UNTIL FRIDAY (morning), her temperature had been normal..."

FOR HOW MANY DAYS???


I read through all the Portland posts, and didn't see ONE that mentioned WHEN she arrived in this country.

So...what "day" are we on, since her possible exposure?

One?

Ten?

Twenty?


Can anyone (Cascadians? Since you have 'connections'?) find out WHEN she ARRIVED FROM Liberia?


But then, if it's been a while (like going on day 20 of 21) they may not WANT to let us know THAT....would mess up the Traci Hikox story ya know....

 

[JF&P]

Oh Crap....this is 20 miles from me!!!!!

....and its my Health Insurance Provider and location too!!!!

 

[Loon]

I thought the Ebola test could give results within two hours. Why are so many being quarantined and watched for possible ebola? Michigan now has 10 I think we're watching. How long before they tell us they either have ebola or they don't?

 

[It'sJustMe]

At the end is mentioned that there is one more being monitored in Portland. More:

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2014/10/woman_visiting_from_liberia_ho.html

A Liberian woman who recently arrived in Portland and was monitoring herself for Ebola symptoms under a voluntary program was whisked to the hospital at mid-day Friday with a high temperature.

She was taken to Providence Milwaukie Hospital, where she is in isolation and being tested for the disease, which is highly infectious and has killed thousands of people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

"We had hoped this wouldn't happen," said Dave Underriner, regional chief executive for Providence Health & Services. "We've done a lot of work to prepare for an Ebola case."

Although state and county health officers declined to provide details about the patient's background, a source told The Oregonian she arrived from Liberia on Tuesday evening.

Physicians don't know whether the woman has the disease or another infection. She could have the flu or even malaria. State and county health officials said she poses no risk to the public and that the system worked like clockwork.

Since arriving in Portland, the woman had been taking her temperature twice a day and reporting to the Multnomah County Health Department. Until Friday, her temperature had been normal, said Dr. Katrina Hedberg, state health officer. But in the morning it spiked.

"It got our attention because it was was over 102 degrees," said Dr. Paul Lewis, health officer for Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties.

The county sent medics to her home, including Dr. Jonathan Jui, Multnomah County's emergency services medical director. Dressed in full protective gear, from his head to fingertips to toes, he examined her and decided she should be hospitalized.

She was taken to Milwaukie, which had been established by Providence as an Ebola training center and is fully staffed for treating an infected patient. Underriner said she was ushered into the hospital through a "secured" pathway far from other patients.

She is now being treated in isolation by medical personnel who all volunteered for the assignment. The virus is highly infectious but it can only be transmitted through bodily fluids, such as sweat, urine, semen and saliva.

Physicians will draw a blood sample, then triple package it according to biohazard regulations for shipment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta or another CDC lab. Only selected labs in the United States are equipped to run Ebola tests.

If the test is negative, another will probably be done in three days. Often the virus doesn't show up until the person has been symptomatic for 72 hours.

It could take a day to get the woman's blood sample to the CDC, Lewis said. The test results take about four hours.

Gov. John Kitzhaber is staying up-to-date on the situation through reports from state and local health officials, he said in a statement.

"Local health departments, hospitals, health care providers and first responders have been working together to ensure the state is prepared," the statement said, "and earlier this week, health officials and I outlined protocols for just this type of situation. The protocols are intended to both protect the health and safety of Oregonians and get people the care they need."

The people with whom the woman was staying with in Portland have agreed to voluntary quarantine in their own home until the results of the blood test are known. The woman who was hospitalized has been free to leave to travel around Portland since she arrived.

"This person's movement was not restricted because there's no rationale for it," Lewis said. "She had no symptoms."

Based on CDC guidelines, she was considered to be a low risk. "She did not have any known contact with Ebola patients," Hedberg said.

Besides this woman, one other person in the Portland area is also being monitored for Ebola symptoms.

 

[BigFootsCousin]

A Liberian woman who recently arrived in Portland

Really?!

She ain't even a damn U.S. freekin citizen? Great.....HOW MUCH IS THIS GONNA COST ME?!

Oh, that's right.....the anointed one said that he'd be bringing a few of the diseased over to infect/invade us.....damn, just damn.

 

[theoriginaldeb]

We need to start reading the obituaries for the areas where these things are springing up. Also all of the missing person reports in our areas.
I will not be going to any Providence Hospital--or taking any family there either+ PDX and the rest of Portland for that matter.
What happened to health checks and quarantines or closing the doors to a country that has health problems?
DS--tells me not to worry--things will not get spread--our health establishment will keep it contained. What about the rest of us when we need hospital care? Are you willing to take the chance that some HCW wasn't in an Ebola patients room just before visiting your room--especially if the hospital is shorthanded? *sigh*rant-off putting out hair on fire now.

 

[spiralbinder]

The longer it takes for them to deny the more I wonder if the result was positive. I saw a few unconfirmed twitter posts about a hospital email stating the result was positive. Waiting, waiting.

 

[babysteps]

Yeah, I've been waiting for the results on this gal all day yesterday and this morning... it doesn't look good that they haven't trumpeted yet that she's fine...

Not happy, but we knew it was only a matter of time before it hit Portland.

 

[Flippper]

Had to take a friend in to the local Providence hospital for a pre-job drug screening yesterday. We were both itching to get the hell out of there and probably used up half their hand sanitizer. Sat as far away from everyone as possible but didn't even want to breathe the air. Saw signs posted about alerting them to travel to west Africa in case of MRSA, and someone had scribbled EBOLA across the bottom. Good to know some folks here are alert.

Friend was asked when the last time was they had been to the doctor-they said 15-20 years, nurse asked why-they told the nurse it was how they remained healthy. The nurse said 'That's probably the smart thing to do.' Smart girl.

 

[gelatinous]

No announcement will be made until after the elections. Kitzhaber has to find out if he's won another term. The liberals worship the ground he walks on almost as much as oboy.

 

[spiralbinder]

No announcement will be made until after the elections. Kitzhaber has to find out if he's won another term. The liberals worship the ground he walks on almost as much as oboy.

I don't know why Kitz Idolatry shocks me as much as it does, but it does. *shudders*

 

[babysteps]

If he wins another term, I'm going to be sick... and it won't be from my kids' Hallowe'en candy!

 

[spiralbinder]

Sooo, I wonder what happened to results as soon as "this morning"? Curious, very curious....

 

[spiralbinder]

Well, this article now says no results today: http://www.kgw.com/story/news/healt...ed-for-ebola-in-oregon-hospitalized/18265269/
Another article I saw said she arrived here TUESDAY.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A woman being monitored for Ebola has been isolated at a hospital in Milwaukie, the Oregon Health Authority confirmed Friday.

Test results were not expected on Saturday, according to OHA spokesman Jonathan Modie.

Public health physicians held a press conference Friday afternoon to answer questions about the patient.

Doctors said the woman had recently been in West Africa and she was staying in Portland. They did not release other details about her due to patient privacy laws.

She was taken to Providence Milwaukie Hospital for assessment after she developed a sustained fever of more than 102 degrees.

 

[Deena in GA]

I've noticed they keep saying she had a sustained temperature of more than 102. That makes me wonder how long she ran the temperature before being taken to the hospital.

 

[summerthyme]

I thought the Ebola test could give results within two hours. Why are so many being quarantined and watched for possible ebola? Michigan now has 10 I think we're watching. How long before they tell us they either have ebola or they don't?

There are lots of false negatives early in the course of the disease. And presumably, anyone who is thought to possibly have Ebola is ill enough to hospitalize and treat even if it turns out to be something different.

Summerthyme

 

[naturallysweet]

I have to wonder if they are going to announce either the death or the complete recovery of the doctor in New York before they give us a second Ebola case. One on each side of the country might worry people.

 

[Loon]

I just read that doctor in New York is improving.

 

[Be Well]

I just read that doctor in New York is improving.

Earlier an article said Dr Spencer was "stable" which is sort of ambiguous. Who knows.

 

[2Trish]

Does anyone know if a doctor who treated Duncan has tested positive for ebola in the last day or so? A couple articles make one line statements to that effect but I'm not finding anything to confirm it, plus I'm not sure the articles are from a reputable sources.

 

[tanstaafl]

Liberian woman monitored in Portland-area Ebola unit no longer has fever, host family says

by Lynne Terry
The Oregonian
November 01, 2014 (updated at 8:56 PM)

A Liberian woman who was rushed to Providence Milwaukie Hospital on Friday over fears she might be infected with Ebola is no longer suffering from a fever, according to members of the Portland family she was visiting.

"She's feeling good," the husband in the host family said during a brief interview on Saturday. "There's no more temperature."

The man, who's a pastor, spoke to a reporter on condition of anonymity for fear that his family, who are under voluntary quarantine in their home, would be stigmatized.

The Liberian woman is the latest of three people in Portland who have been monitoring themselves for Ebola symptoms. One woman finished the 21-day period on Saturday, sources told The Oregonian.

The young woman sent to Providence with a fever on Friday is isolated in a secure unit at the hospital, where she's being treated by medical staff outfitted in head-to-toe protective gear. She has not seen anyone in the host family since being hospitalized, the man said, but she has spoken to them on the phone.

Under advice from Multnomah County, the family is not going out or letting anyone in. They're also reporting their temperature twice a day to the county, just like the woman did since arriving in Portland on Tuesday evening. She was fine until Friday morning her temperature spiked at 102 degrees and the country had her transported to Milwaukie.

The family will continue monitoring themselves and staying put until the woman's status is known, the man said. A blood sample has been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is in charge of Ebola testing. The results might be known later this evening or tomorrow, he said.

If the test is negative, health officials may want to do another test in 72 hours, just to make sure she is Ebola-free, said Dave Underriner, regional chief executive for Providence Health & Services.

But no one in the household has a fever, the man said.

"None of us have any symptoms," he said, flashing a big smile.

The woman has had little contact outside the home since arriving in Portland, according to a member of the host family and a family friend. She's not hugged anybody or shaken their hands and she's always carried a bottle of hand sanitizer, a practice which has become routine for many Liberians, the family said.

Before coming to the United States, the woman was in an auto accident which may have affected her medical condition, the man said.

On her way to the airport in Liberia to travel to the United States, another vehicle rear-ended the one she was in, the man said. The woman woke up Friday also with a neck pain. The family suspects the woman's fever on Friday was caused by the traffic accident, not Ebola.

"Something else is going on with her," a woman in the host family said.

Meanwhile Saturday, Providence additional information about precautions its medical professionals are taking in the care of the Liberian woman, whom Multnomah County has not identified.

Underriner said the patient's treatment is going well despite the challenging conditions.

Before entering her isolated room, staff have to suit up in multi-layers, with hoods, gloves and booties, ensuring that they are completely covered. The virus, which is highly infectious, can be transmitted through bodily fluids, including sweat, saliva, urine and semen.

"We don't know if she has Ebola or not but we're treating her as if she does," Underriner said. "It's pretty intense."

The gear makes treatment rather cumbersome, Underriner said. For one, it's difficult to hear, he said.

Staff are relying on computers when they can, for example they've hooked up a stethoscope to a computer to take a reading on her heart. They also are working in shifts, rotating through in groups of four.

But Underriner said they're finding ways of making the woman feel comfortable in such a strange setting.

"They are very compassionate," he said.

The health care workers caring for the woman stepped up for the job. They are among 550 people Providence trained.

"Instead of running away, they're running forward," he said.

The host family has also not run away from helping visitors from Liberia, opening their home when the need arises. This latest incident has been a bit difficult, the man said, with the family become a little stir crazy. His children were really looking forward to going trick-or-treating.

Instead they had to stay home.

"They know the situation," the man said. "They were disappointed. But we explained it. We don't want them to be stigmatized."

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2014/11/liberia_woman_hospitalized_in.html#incart_river

 

[Sleeping Cobra]

Let Us Not Believe The Main Stream Media Till We KNOW For Sure.

 

[Deena in GA]

The article above quotes the host family as saying the believe the traffic accident the woman was in just before coming to America was what caused her to have a fever. Huh?!!! Maybe its just me, but I've never heard of getting rear ended in a wreck causing a fever several days later.

 

[Martinhouse]

When I had my original back injury, I ran a fever on and off for several days, and then ocassionally for several weeks after.

Carol

 

[babysteps]

http://www.kptv.com/story/27187758/...pital-tests-negative-for-ebola?autostart=true


Patient in isolation at Milwaukie hospital tests negative for Ebola

By FOX 12 Staff

MILWAUKIE, OR (KPTV) -
A Portland woman who recently visited Africa and was being monitored at a Milwaukie hospital for possible Ebola has tested negative for the virus.

Providence Health & Services announced Sunday that no further testing was required for the patient.

“Based on test results and an evaluation of her clinical condition, I'm pleased to say there are no cases of Ebola in Oregon. The CDC has advised us that no further testing is required,” says Paul Lewis, M.D., Tri-County health officer. “We are satisfied that the system worked and continues to work well.”

On Friday, health officials announced that the woman was put in isolation at Providence Milwaukie Hospital after developing a sustained fever.

The patient, who has not been identified, had visited one of the three Ebola-stricken countries (Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia). The specific country and a timeline of her travels were not released.

The patient is continuing to receive inpatient care and monitoring. She will remain in a separate unit at the hospital. Physicians, nurses and other caregivers will continue to follow all infectious disease and safety protocols.

No additional details about her condition or potential release from the hospital were immediately announced Sunday.

A press conference was set for 3:15 p.m. Sunday at Providence Milwaukie Hospital.

Copyright 2014 KPTV-KPDX Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

[naturallysweet]

She tests negative now. But how will she test in 48 hours?

 

[babysteps]

The CDC has advised us that no further testing is required

I REALLY wish this was more reassuring than it actually is.

 

[Virtualco]

We can relax now, CDC on the scene...