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Thomas Eric Duncan
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Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who had been
diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas, Texas, died on Wednesday. He was 42.
Duncan
was the first person to have been diagnosed with the virus in the United
States. He had been receiving the experimental drug Brincidofovir since
Saturday. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where he was being treated, said
Tuesday afternoon that Duncan was on a ventilator and had been receiving
dialysis.
Days
before his death, his condition was downgraded from serious
condition to critical but stable condition.
"It
is with profound sadness and heartfelt disappointment that we must inform you
of the death of Thomas Eric Duncan this morning at 7:51 am," a hospital
spokesperson said. "Mr. Duncan succumbed to an insidious disease, Ebola.
He fought courageously in this battle. Our professionals, the doctors and
nurses in the unit, as well as the entire Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
Dallas community, are also grieving his passing. We have offered the family our
support and condolences at this difficult time."
It's
not clear exactly when or where Duncan contracted the disease, but in
mid-September he had assisted a woman in Liberia who
later died of Ebola. Duncan and others had helped bring Marthalene Williams,
19, to the hospital. She later died.
Duncan
arrived in Dallas on September 20th to visit his partner, Louise Troh. On
September 25th, after he complained of a fever and abdominal pain, Troh drove
him to the Texas hospital, where healthcare workers sent him home with
antibiotics. It was only after his condition worsened days later that he was
taken back to the hospital in an ambulance and placed in isolation.
The Texas hospital has been sharply criticized for failing
to recognize Duncan's symptoms, even though he told them he had come from
Liberia, where the virus has run rampant. Last Thursday, the hospital said that a
flaw in their computer system prevented the information from reaching doctors. They walked back that statement on Friday
but provided no alternative explanation.
Meanwhile,
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has been monitoring 38 people who may have
come into contact with Duncan, including hospital employees and family members.
So far, none of them have showed any of the typical Ebola symptoms.
Duncan's
family visited him on Monday and was disturbed by his condition.
"What
we saw was very painful. It didn't look good," said Josephus Weeks, his nephew.
"The
past week has been an enormous test of our health system, but for one family it
has been far more personal," said David Lakey, the commissioner of the
Texas Department of State Health Services. "Today they lost a dear member
of their family. They have our sincere condolences, and we are keeping them in
our thoughts. The doctors, nurses and staff at Presbyterian provided excellent
and compassionate care, but Ebola is a disease that attacks the body in many
ways. We’ll continue every effort to contain the spread of the virus and
protect people from this threat."
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com
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