A colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of an Ebola virus virion, created by CDC microbiologist Cynthia Goldsmith.
Yale New Haven Hospital announced yesterday evening that they received preliminary notification that the patient admitted to YNHH Wednesday night tested negative for Ebola.
The patient, a Yale student who had traveled in Liberia, was admitted with a fever Wednesday night, according to Dr. Thomas Balcezak, chief medical officer at a press conference at the hospital yesterday. He said the condition of the patient is stable and good.
At the press briefing, New Haven Mayor Toni Harp said she was notified of the situation at about 9 p.m. Wednesday night. She said the patient was picked up by ambulance and transported to the hospital with the highest possible precautions, “even higher than required by the CDCs,” she said.
A hospital spokesman said Yale New Haven was “well equipped and prepared” to care for the patient in a way that would not impact others in the hospital and that every service remained open there. Dr. Balcezak said only two attending physicians were assigned to the case, in order to keep the number of people in contact with the patient at a minimum. He said there will be two nurses at any one time.
Epidemiologist Dr. Louise Dembry said a specimen had been sent to a lab in Massachusetts, but it can take up to 24 hours to receive results. In the meantime, Gov. Malloy said if the test result were to come back positive, the patient would have to undergo a second round of testing before an Ebola diagnosis can be confirmed.