Health officials announced that the monitoring period for people who made contact with Thomas Eric Duncan ended today. Duncan died at a Dallas hospital two weeks ago after becoming the first person diagnosed with the Ebola virus in the U.S.
The Daily Intelligencer reports that the 48 people who made initial contact with Duncan have been cleared. However, citing federal officials, the Daily Intelligencer notes that 149 people who made contact with Duncan, Nina Pham and Amber Vinson are still under observation. Pham and Vinson, nurses at the hospital where Duncan stayed, have tested positive for the virus after treating Duncan. Furthermore, another 153 who Vinson may have made contact with are being monitored by Ohio health officials.
It remains unclear how Pham and Vinson contracted the disease, but their use of the protective gear worn while treating infected patients remains a point of focus for the government. According to the New York Times, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared on Meet the Press yesterday, revealing upcoming rules which will mandate that protective wear cover every inch of the skin.
"It became clear that we needed to modify that protocol where no part of the body is exposed," Fauci explained.
[via Daily Intelligencer and New York Times]
