Dr. Richard Sacra, the American health worker who was previously infected with the Ebola virus and successfully treated at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha is not back in the hospital and is awaiting results of testing as he appears to be experiencing respiratory infection.
According to a statement released by medical staff at the UMass Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Sacra was admitted on Saturday due to conjunctivitis and a cough. He is now being held for observation but he said to be in stable condition. Doctors in the hospital stressed that they believe that the patient does not have a recurring case of Ebola and that they are just waiting on test results from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm the patient's actual condition. They are expecting results by Monday. In the meantime, Dr. Sacra has been put in isolation.
Dr. Robert Finberg, head of the medical team that has been assigned to Sacra's case said that, "We are isolating Dr. Sacra to be cautious pending final confirmation of his illness. We think it is highly unlikely that he has Ebola. We suspect he has an upper respiratory tract infection."
Sacra reportedly went first to the emergency section of a Boston area hospital complaining of a low-grade fever and a persistent cough. At that time, he was worried that he might be getting pneumonia. According to the missionary group SIM USA's president, Bruce Johnson, Dr. Sacra was transferred to UMass Memorial as a precautionary measure based on guidelines from the CDC. It was later revealed that Dr. Sacra's recent battle with the Ebola virus may have weakened his immune system, but doctors are convinced that his symptoms are not associated to the deadly virus.
Dr. Phil Smith from the Nebraska Medical Center where Dr. Sacra was treated for Ebola said that, "Dr. Sacra did the right thing by going to the hospital. He's been through a lot over the last month, and he wanted to be sure his respiratory illness didn't worsen. Being a doctor himself, he knows the importance of preventive care."
