A second Dallas nurse who was undergoing treatment for Ebola will be discharged on Tuesday after tests showed she's virus-free.
Twenty-nine-year-old Amber Vinson, who was being treated in Atlanta, was a nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and treated Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of Ebola at the hospital on Oct. 8.
Vinson's family announced on Oct. 22 that doctors could no longer detect the virus in her body, a step toward recovery.
#AmberVinson hugs and thanks every @emoryhealthcare worker who helped her recover from #Ebola virus. pic.twitter.com/EMoDLWVohF— Emory University (@EmoryUniversity) October 28, 2014
"Today I am pleased to announce that Amber Vinson is being discharged from Emory University hospital," said Dr. Bruce Ribner, head of infectious diseases at Emory Healthcare, at a press conference with Ms. Vinson on Tuesday afternoon.
#AmberVinson sits beside @emoryhealthcare Dr. Bruce Ribner, after entering the room to a round of applause. pic.twitter.com/5Aycop3M1N— Emory University (@EmoryUniversity) October 28, 2014
"We have determined that Ms. Vinson has recovered from her infection with the Ebola virus," he said, adding that she was no longer at risk of transmitting the disease.
Speaking publicly for the first time since contracting the virus, Amber Vinson thanked God. "I am so grateful to be well," she said. "I sincerely believe that with God all things are possible."
Vinson also asked we "not lose focus" of the thousands who are suffering from Ebola in West Africa.
Dallas nurse Amber Vinson asks we "not lose focus" for thousands of families who continue to struggle with #Ebola in West Africa.— MashableLIVE (@MashableLive) October 28, 2014
Vinson was one of two nurses who became infected while caring for Duncan. The other infected nurse, Nina Pham, was released Oct. 24 from a hospital near Washington. Pham was the first person to contract Ebola within the U.S.
Though it remains unclear exactly how the nurses became infected, the cases triggered a wave of backlash and criticism about Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital's handling of Duncan's case.
Other nurses who cared for Duncan said the hospital was disorganized and underprepared for Ebola, adding that they worked for days without proper protective gear and faced constantly changing protocols. Among the allegations was that infected waste was allowed to pile up to the ceiling.
Vinson attended to Duncan on Sept. 30, the day he tested positive for Ebola, according to medical records that Duncan's family released to The Associated Press.
Like Pham, the reports note that Vinson wore protective gear and a face shield, hazardous materials suit and protective footwear. At the time, Duncan's body fluids were highly infectious if someone made contact with them. At one point, Vinson inserted a catheter into Duncan.
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