Ebola DC Scare: Howard Hospital University Patient Does Not Have Virus

A patient admitted to Howard University Hospital in Washington does not the Ebola virus, health officials said Saturday. Both the D.C. Health Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the patient exhibiting Ebolalike symptoms was evaluated and determined not to have the disease, according to NBC News in Washington.

“Ebola has very clear symptoms that inevitably worsen over time, inclusive of fever, bleeding from the eyes and a growing rash that consumes over 75 percent of the human body,” Joxel Garcia, director of the D.C. Health Department, said in a statement cited by the Washington Post. “Based on the clinical presentation of the patient, the medical team was able to rule out Ebola. The patient will be treated for other illnesses.”

Officials also confirmed the news via Twitter:

Kerry-Ann Hamilton, a hospital representative, said in a statement that the patient was isolated as a precautionary measure. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease in the nation’s capital. “In an abundance of caution, we have activated the appropriate infection-control protocols, including isolating the patient. Our medical team continued to evaluate and monitor progress in close collaboration with the CDC and the Department of Health,” Hamilton said.

Got a news tip? Email me. Follow me on Twitter @christopherzara.