OMG - Inmate Being Tested for Ebola at Inova Loudoun...uhmmm I live in Virginia...scary out there...getting the chills
As a precautionary measure, an inmate is being tested for Ebola at Inova Loudoun Hospital after displaying a fever at the local jail after having traveled in western Africa.
The woman was transported Thursday from the Loudoun Adult Detention Center with a low-grade fever, county officials said in a statement. The patient had traveled from Ebola-affected areas of West Africa within the past 21 days.
The woman was arrested at Dulles International Airport on Oct. 13 after arriving from a country in west Africa. Described as “middle-aged,” the woman was awaiting extradition to Maryland.
“The inmate was isolated and monitored at the ADC,” according to county spokesperson Robin Geiger. ”Out of an abundance of caution, protective measures were put in place and EMS transported the patient to the Emergency Room in the Basic Life Support unit.”
Inova released a statement earlier this week it was increasing preparation drills and personal protective equipment beyond what the CDC recommends after healthcare workers tested positive for the virus after treating a Texas patient.
Loudoun County announced on Thursday that it had established a new website, loudoun.gov/ebola, to answer questions about the virus.
“It’s important to remember that people with Ebola cannot spread germs until they have symptoms, and that the disease is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a person who has Ebola,” said Dr. David Goodfriend, Loudoun County Health Department Director in a statement.
A press conference is planned for Thursday afternoon in Leesburg.
