"Due to an overabundance of caution, before we fully rule it out, we will wait for the CDC official confirmation of the test result."
Dr. Thomas Balcezak
Yale-New Haven Hospital confirmed Thursday that a patient hospitalized with Ebola-like symptoms tested negative for the virus, according to a preliminary notification.
The hospital admitted and isolated the patient, a doctoral student who recently returned from an Ebola research trip in Liberia, late Wednesday night pending an evaluation.
"Due to an overabundance of caution, before we fully rule it out, we will wait for the CDC official confirmation of the test result," said Dr. Thomas Balcezak of Yale-New Haven Hospital in a statement on the hospital's website. "In the meantime we will continue to monitor the patient using all appropriate protocols and precautions in order to ensure the safety of our staff, patients and community."
Hospital officials said the admitted individual was not in direct contact with Ebola victims while in West Africa. At a press conference earlier in the day, Balcezak said, "We believe that we have provided what is appropriate for this patient at this time. We have two attending physicians that are caring for this patient around the clock. Those physicians are critical-care trained." There were two nurses caring for the patient as well, Balcezak said, with proper protocols in place to assure best practices.
Yale President Peter Salovey earlier shared a message with the university community underlining the "abundance of caution." The student was isolated and tested upon the recommendation of doctors, local and state health officials, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said.
Yale-New Haven Hospital released additional information early on Thursday in a Q and A statement in an effort to educate the public about its preparedness to deal with Ebola. From the document:
The hospital has been actively monitoring the Ebola virus situation and has procedures in place to detect and isolate any patient showing symptoms of the disease. Yale-New Haven has advanced equipment and facilities and a staff well trained to treat any patient with Ebola, and holds regular drills to address situations such as infectious disease outbreaks.... Yale-New Haven Hospital employs protection measures even greater than those recommended by the CDC. If a patient with Ebola symptoms comes to the hospital, he or she will be isolated from other patients and cared for in a special isolation room. Staff caring for patients with infectious diseases like Ebola wear protective gear, such as masks, face shields, gloves, protective gowns or suits and other equipment.
The Hartford Courant reported that officials were "encouraged by the fact that the patient's fever subsided after being admitted."
In a Centers for Disease Control telebriefing earlier this month, Dr. Beth Bell of the CDC said there are 14 state public health laboratories around the country that have the capability to test for Ebola. A turnaround for the test is usually possible within 24 hours, she said.
Governor Dannel Malloy held a news conference on Thursday to provide information on the state's precautionary and preparatory measures regarding the Ebola virus.
