Several patients who were diagnosed with the Ebola virus have been treated in America and almost all of them managed to survive, but the first person who was diagnosed with the deadly virus wasn’t so lucky. Thomas Eric Duncan who was admitted to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas 10 days back died at the hospital on Wednesday. The spokesman of the hospital made a statement to the press about Mr Duncan’s death.
Family speaks out about Ebola Virus
The 42-year-old Liberian told the authorities at the hospital that he had been to West Africa recently when he first visited the hospital after he fell sick a few days after reaching Texas. He however was very scared of his condition and visited the emergency room of the hospital again on 24th September, but was sent home.
Thanks to the deadly nature of the virus, he didn’t show any symptoms when he went through the airport health screening when he arrived in Dallas from Liberia. He was admitted to the hospital only on 28th September and many people are now questioning the judgment of the hospital authorities, saying that things could have been different if they were alert to the situation as Duncan’s condition became a lot worse by that time.
People are also asking why enough stock of the experimental medicine, ZMapp was not kept which was earlier quite instrumental in saving the lives of aid workers and doctors who were working in West Africa. The drug though has not been approved yet by the manufacturers for human use.
His death has created a mild panic in the region as it is feared now that the virus which has killed thousands of Africans will spread in the United States. The conditions of all the 38 people with whom Duncan was in contact are being monitored.
After his death the US Secretary of State John Kerry urged the Americans to step up their efforts to fight against this disease.