An American cameraman working with NBC medical correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman tested positive for Ebola on Thursday. Ashoka Mukpo, 33, will fly back to the United States for treatment. He is the fifth American evacuated from the region because of the disease.
Mukpo came down with symptoms on Wednesday, feeling tired and achy. As part of a routine temperature check, he discovered he was running a slight fever. He immediately quarantined himself and sought medical advice. On Thursday morning, Mukpo went to a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) treatment center to be tested for the virus. The positive result came back just under 12 hours later.
NBC News President Deborah Turness sent a memo to staff about Mukpo’s condition and the status of those he worked with.
“We are doing everything we can to get him the best care possible. He will be flown back to the United States for treatment at a medical center that is equipped to handle Ebola patients.
“We are also taking all possible measures to protect our employees and the general public,” Turness added in the note. “The rest of the crew, including Dr. Nancy, are being closely monitored and show no symptoms or warning signs. However, in an abundance of caution, we will fly them back on a private charter flight and then they will place themselves under quarantine in the United States for 21 days — which is at the most conservative end of the spectrum of medical guidance.”
Many people are wondering how a trained staffer working with medical personnel contracted Ebola. The Washington Post explains how dicey the situation is in West Africa.
You don’t touch anyone in Liberia. Not kids, not adults, not other Westerners, not the colleagues you arrived with. It is the rule of rules, because while everyone able is taking precautions, you just can’t be sure where the invisible, lethal Ebola virus might be. Once the virus is on your fingers, it would be frighteningly easy to rub an eye and infect yourself.
Meanwhile in Dallas, close to 100 people are being monitored after coming in contact with patient Thomas Eric Duncan. Thus far, no one else has been hospitalized.
