Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola cured, walks out of hospital + Update on the Vaccine

Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola cured, walks out of hospital by Reuters
Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola cured, walks out of hospital by Reuters

The Dallas nurse being treated for Ebola at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., is free of the virus and was discharged on Friday, the NIH says. Nina Pham appeared outside the hospital shortly before noon on Friday at a briefing on her treatment, saying, "I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today." Surrounded by family members and the doctors who treated her, Pham thanked Dr. Kent Brantly "for his selfless act" of donating plasma during treatment. Brantly is the American physician who contracted Ebola while working with a nonprofit medical mission group in Liberia. He was flown to Atlanta for treatment in August and has recovered. "I believe in the power of prayer because I know so many people all over the world have been praying for me," Pham said in a short statement as she stood at a podium, with the din of camera shutters clicking. "Although I no longer have Ebola, I know that it may be a while before I have my strength back." Nurse Nina Pham, 26, of Dallas with her Cavalier KingNurse Nina Pham, 26, of Dallas with her Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Bentley. Pham contracted Ebola after she treated a patient with Ebola in Dallas. (Photo: Pham family) Fullscreen

Nurse Nina Pham, 26, of Dallas with her Cavalier King President Obama hugs Pham in the Oval Office of the President Barack Obama meets with Ebola survivor Nina President Obama meets with Ebola survivor Nina Pham Pham is escorted by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of Patient Nina Pham, center, with her mother Diana Pham, Nina Pham hugs Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital workers react while This frame grab from a video courtesy of Texas Health Nina Pham lies in her hospital bed on Oct. 16 at Texas Pham's dog Bentley, a King Charles Spaniel, was quarantined One of Bentley's caretakers collects a sample from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas staff line A Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas staff carries Pham is helped out of the back of an ambulance on the Medical staff in protective gear escort Pham, in yellow, The airplane carrying Pham takes off from Love Field Onlookers wait to see a convoy carrying Pham after A healthcare worker wears a sticker that reads "I am Pham is shown in this 2010 photo from the Texas Christian Next Slide She asked for media to honor her privacy while she recovers in Dallas. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Alergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters flatly, "She has no virus." Fauci took the opportunity to remind the public that Ebola is not easily passed from person to person. "The way you get Ebola is by direct contact with the body fluids of an ill individual," he said. "And if you don't have that, you do not have to worry about Ebola." He said the public "must separate the issue of the risk to a general public with the risk with brave people like Nina and her colleagues — they're two different things." President Obama met with Pham in the Oval office on Friday afternoon, after the White House contacted the NIH in order to let Pham know "that the president was interested in meeting her if she felt up to it," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. Pham's treatment of the Ebola patient and her recovery is a tribute to both her and the medical profession, he said. "We do have the best medical infrastructure in the world." The meeting was closed to reporters, but still photographers were permitted to watch as Obama greeted Pham and embraced her. Pham, 26, was admitted to the NIH hospital on Oct. 16. She was diagnosed with Ebola earlier this month after treating Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. She was initially treated at the Dallas hospital. Her dog, Bentley, has been quarantined since she got sick, but his test results came back negative for the virus earlier this week.

WHO expects Ebola vaccine to be in use by January 2015 by euronews (in English)