UConn Health Center Patient With Ebola-Like Symptoms Released After “Deemed” No Risk

The UConn Health Center treated and released a patient with potential Ebola symptoms Friday night after determining that the person wasn't at risk of having the virus.

The patient was brought into the John Dempsey hospital emergency room in Farmington at about 7:10 p.m. on Friday and hospital staff followed protocols the health center has in place to follow in the event of treating a patient who possibly has Ebola.  The protocol was called off less than an hour later after it was determined that the patient didn't meet the risk criteria for Ebola.

The patient has since been released.

Caregivers wore personal protective outfits, which Chris Defrancesco, a spokesperson for UConn Health Center, is more necessary for care workers than the general public to wear under the circumstances because they deal with bodily fluids while caring for a patient.

No hazmat crew was called to the hospital because decontamination procedures were not needed.

The Ebola protocols were followed as a precaution. The health center has a plan in place to "detect, treat, and respond" to potential cases of Ebola and has a team of experts collaborating with the Connecticut Hospital Association, Department of Public Health , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Health and Human Services "to ensure the most up-to-date care for patients and the safety of Connecticut residents," according to a statement on the UConn Health Center's website.

UConn advises contacting your primary care doctor or local emergency department if:

  • You or family traveled to an Ebola-affected area like Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in West Africa.
  • You were in contact with someone who has Ebola.
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