KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A patient with a high fever and other serious symptoms contacted and then entered The University of Kansas Hospital on Monday morning.
The hospital says that the patient recently worked on a medical boat off the west coast of Africa and has a low-to-moderate risk of Ebola.
According to a news release, the patient is being kept in strict isolation and tests are being done to determine a diagnosis. Dr. Lee Norman, chief medical officer of the hospital, says that there are many other diseases that fit the patient’s symptoms, but the hospital is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control to determine whether the patient has Ebola or not.
The patient is being cared for by a team of health professionals who will not treat other patients until a diagnosis and treatment plans are completed. The hospital says that regardless of a diagnosis, this patient does not pose a health risk to other patients, staff or visitors at the hospital.
In addition to being in an area with its own ventilation system, all bedding and waste is isolated from regular hospital material due to guidelines from the CDC and state of Kansas. (read more)