Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who had been diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas, Texas, died on Wednesday.
He was 42.
Duncan was the first person to have been diagnosed with the virus in the United States. He had been receiving the experimental drug brincidofovir since Saturday. The latest update on his condition, released yesterday afternoon by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where he was treated, was that he was on a ventilator and had been receiving kidney dialysis.
Before he died, his symptoms appeared to be improving. His condition had been downgraded from serious to critical.
The hospital told HuffPost that he died on Wednesday at 7:51 a.m.
A statement from the hospital about the news of Duncan’s passing reads:
It is with profound sadness and heartfelt disappointment that we must inform you of the death of Thomas Eric Duncan this morning at 7:51 am. Mr. Duncan succumbed to an insidious disease, Ebola. He fought courageously in this battle. Our professionals, the doctors and nurses in the unit, as well as the entire Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas community, are also grieving his passing. We have offered the family our support and condolences at this difficult time.
Duncan was visiting family in Texas when his symptoms emerged. Earlier in September, he had assisted a woman in Liberia who later died of Ebola. Marthalene Williams, 19, had been taken to the hospital by Duncan and others.
The Texas hospital has been sharply criticized for failing to recognize Duncan's symptoms. Duncan first arrived at the emergency room on September 25th, but he was sent home. His illness worsened and he was taken back to the hospital in an ambulance days later.
Duncan's family had visited him on Monday and was disturbed by his condition.
"What we saw was very painful. It didn't look good," his nephew, Josephus Weeks, said.
No comments:
Post a Comment