KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Research Medical Center is waiting for test results after concern that a patient might have a contagious disease. The hospital says some local reports that the patient has Ebola are false.
Research Medical Center says that patient came to its Brookside campus emergency department Saturday for treatment.
“Somebody went to an ER with a high fever and a history of having recently been to Nigeria,” said Jeff Hershberger, the spokesman for the KCMO Health Department.
He says because Ebola is so high-profile right now, they don’t want to rule it out quite yet.
“The patient has been isolated, however, at this point, because there’s been no development of new symptoms, it’s highly unlike that Ebola is the diagnosis,” added Hershberger.
According to a statement from Research Medical Center, like hospitals across the United States, it has standard infectious disease precautions and is well-equipped and well-prepared to implement them as necessary.
“There’s a wide umbrella of things that it could be,” Hershberger said, “We want to make sure, looking at that entire umbrella, that we are not ignoring something.”
The hospital does not believe the patient has Ebola, and says the patient is being treated for another illness. Hershberger says regardless, Ebola should not be a big concern.
“It’s very unlikely they will even be exposed to it, let alone contract it,” Hershberger said, “You cannot catch Ebola unless you touch the bodily fluids of somebody who has Ebola.”
The health department says it should know the patient’s diagnosis by Monday. It also says that Research Medical Center is taking the appropriate steps when it comes to dealing with infectious diseases.
