As Many As 100 People May Have Had Contact with Ebola Patient in the U.S.

As Many As 100 People May Have Had Contact with Ebola Patient in the U.S.

What you need to know before you panic.

As many as 100 people may have come into contact with the Ebola patient who was diagnosed in Dallas earlier this week, Dallas County health officials said today, according to The New York Times. The patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, is the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. He is a Liberian national who was traveling to Dallas to visit family. Texas health officials have been tracking down anyone who may have come into contact with the patient, and they said they have reached out to as many as 100 people so far.

His family members have been ordered to stay home and not have visitors until at least October 19, when the incubation period will be over, though they do not currently have symptoms. Among the other people who came into contact with the patient are healthcare providers, community members, and some school-age children.

However, it's important to remember that these individuals would only be at risk if they came into direct contact with the patient's bodily fluids when he was already showing symptoms. Ebola is only spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, and it is only contagious after the person has symptoms.

According to an earlier press conference with CDC Director Thomas Frieden, M.D., Ph.D., the patient initially went to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital with a fever on September 26. However, he was sent home at that time and returned back on September 28, when he was admitted. It's been reported that he did tell physicians on his first visit that he traveled from West Africa, but that information wasn't fully communicated to the rest of the staff, says Mark Lester, executive vice president of Texas Health Resources, according to ABC News.

At this time, health officials are still tracking down anyone who may have come into contact with the patient while he was contagious, and they will question each of them to assess their risk. Those who are at risk will be monitored for up to 21 days from the time of their exposure to ensure that they do not develop symptoms.

For more information, read these questions you've probably Googled about the Ebola virus this week.

MORE: CDC Confirms First Case of Ebola in the U.S.

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