Nurse Nina Pham is doing a lot better than we’d expect.
The Dallas woman contracted the Ebola virus while treating the now deceased Liberian patient who brought it back to the states. Dr. Kent Brantly– a survivor of the fatal disease- has given her a blood transfusion that could save Pham from the same fate as Thomas Eric Duncan, who died last Wednesday.
According to ABC News, 26-year-old Pham has released this statement:
“I’m doing well and want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers. I am blessed by the support of family and friends and am blessed to be cared for by the best team of doctors and nurses in the world here at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.”
A day after Pham caught Ebola Dr. Brantly flew to Dallas to assist her. The antibodies in his blood has helped Pham’s health exponentially, as it helped him fight the disease completely two months prior.
Though this seems obvious, the doctors at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital & the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are still unsure how Pham contracted the disease, as she & other staff members at the hospital wore full protective gear while caring for Duncan.
“It is possible that other individuals could have been infected,”states CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden.
Pham & the other 70 or so staff members treated Mr. Duncan from the time he entered Texas Presbyterian until the time he succumbed to the illness. Dr. Brantly has donated blood for a few others if their results for Ebola turn up positive.
As of right now, we can only hope for the best. The deadly virus has already killed thousands in Africa, and with the small strides we’ve had in halting the disease completely, how can anyone feel completely safe in the midst of such a large problem?
Stick with us as we continue to follow the Ebola epidemic.
