Comment on Texas Ebola patient had contact with children

DALLAS — A man who has the first confirmed case of Ebola in the United States was sent home when he initially sought medical attention last Friday, even though he told hospital officials he was visiting from Africa, officials confirmed Wednesday. Dr. Mark Lester, an executive vice president and zone clinical leader of Texas Health Resources, said the chain of events that allowed the man to leave the hospital when he first was treated is under investigation — as authorities considered whether to expand the number of people under medical watch who came in contact with him. WFAA-TV in Dallas reported that one is being monitored as a possible second patient because of that person's close contact with the confirmed Ebola victim. Three ambulance crew members who transported the patient to the hospital Sunday have been released from a quarantine that city officials earlier said they had imposed as a precaution. Officials said the patient's family lives in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood encompassing about 25,000 people, where 33 different languages are spoken — complicating the investigation as officials continue to fan out looking for other possible people with symptoms. Despite the criticism of the initial treatment, Perry and other Dallas health officials argued Wednesday that Texas was well prepared to deal with Ebola, as one of 13 states across the nation that are certified to do so. On Wednesday, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District issued a news release noting that since the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, it had been coordinating a local emergency response network in preparation for cases in the United States.