First Ebola Patient Diagnosed in USA is Dead

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Title: First Ebola Patient Diagnosed in USA is Dead
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The first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States died in the early hours today Wednesday and the government ordered five ...

The first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States died in the early hours today Wednesday and the government ordered five airports screen passengers from West Africa for fever, underscoring concerns about U.S. treatment and preparedness for the virus.

Duncan had been in critical condition and on a ventilator in an isolation ward at Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas. He was also given an experimental medication to try to keep him alive.

Questions have been raised on what impact a decision by the hospital to initially discharge Duncan had on his treatment. In animal tests of experimental Ebola drugs, the chance of survival drops the longer it takes to begin treatment.

"You can have the best drug in the world and there is a point where that drug just won’t work," said virologist Thomas Geisbert of the University of Texas Medical Branch, who has done pioneering work on Ebola treatments.

“There is a point where the virus has done so much damage you can’t recover from it," Geisbert said.

The hospital has not released details on how it will handle Duncan's body but said it will follow protocols from the CDC.

The guidelines recommend careful preparation of the body before movement, including enclosing it in two bags and disinfecting the bags. The body can then be transported without the need for protective gear for a driver or others who are near the body but they are not to handle the remains before cremation.

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