MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange announced in a press conference today that emergency personal responded to a possible Ebola victim from Nigeria at a local Montgomery eye clinic. However, medical experts say there is a very slim chance that the individual has actually has contracted the deadly virus, as none of her family has traveled overseas recently.
An 83-year-old woman of Nigerian decent came in for an exam at a local clinic and exhibited some symptoms that are symptomatic of Ebola, including vomiting in the lobby of the clinic. At that point, an ambulance was called, but was apprehensive about transporting the patient because they did not have the appropriate gear.
“That’s when the HazMat group was called,” explained Mayor Strange. “At that time the conversation started as to where does the patient go and how is the patient going to get there… The decision was made to transport her to Baptist South in Birmingham. Baptist Hospital came up with idea of (putting the patient in) a protective bubble… But at the end of the day, the risk that this person has Ebola is very remote. None of her family has traveled outside of the country. The likelihood is very low, but out of an abundance of caution, these steps were taken.”
UPDATE: Mayor Strange incorrectly stated that the patient was being taken to Birmingham. She is actually being taken to Baptist South in Montgomery.
According to one of the medical experts who spoke at the press conference, this is not the first patient who has required evaluation of this kind in Alabama. There have actually been as many as 10, but only one who actually met the full criteria to be tested for Ebola. That individual was ultimately found to have Malaria, not Ebola.
Peter Selman of Baptist Health called the equipment used to transport the woman today a “self-contained bubble unit” that quarantines the individual on a stretcher.
“The patient will enter a dedicated unit and will not go into an area where she could come in any contact with any patients at the hospital,” Selman explained. “All of the equipment meets the guidelines of the CDC… But it could be up to two days before we find out for sure about Ebola.”
Yellowhammer will update this story as more information becomes available.
In the mean time, take a moment to read Yellowhammer’s recent post about “Putting Alabama’s Ebola fears in perspective.”
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