Two U.S. Patients Recover from Ebola, Discharged from Hospital

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is heartened to learn that the two U.S. citizens treated at Emory University Hospital for Ebola have been discharged from the hospital and can rejoin their families and communities.

CDC has advised Emory University Hospital that there is no public health concern with the release of these patients. They no longer have Ebola virus in their blood and therefore pose no risk to household contacts or the public.  There are no restrictions to the patients’ activities of daily living.

CDC provided consultation to the healthcare team at Emory University Hospital and conducted the laboratory testing of patients to confirm that they no longer had Ebola virus circulating in their blood.  Individuals who recover from Ebola are not contagious as far as transmitting the virus through close personal contact with blood or body fluids such as urine, feces, sweat, or vomit.

At times people in Africa who have recovered from Ebola have found their communities reluctant to have them return out of fear that community members could catch Ebola from a person who has survived the illness.  Based on available evidence, Ebola survivors have not transmitted the virus to others after it is no longer present in their blood. 

Source: CDC