Baptist patient does not meet criteria for Ebola testing

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A huge scare at local hospital forced a patient into isolation and testing Monday at Baptist Medical Center in downtown Jacksonville.

Officials from Baptist Health announced Monday the patient does not have Ebola. But it is the first time a patient had to be tested here.

The patient did not even have a fever, but did have flu symptoms and had been in contact with someone who'd been to West Africa, so the patient came to Baptist.

Carolyn Jackson walked into Baptist Medical Center for her own medical issue on Monday, but didn’t know that another patient inside was being tested for Ebola.

“I didn't see nothing that would make me think that we had Ebola testing or anything. I didn't see nothing,” Jackson said.

As Action News first reported at noon, the downtown hospital isolated the patient who showed up with flu-like symptoms and was tested for Ebola after claiming to have come in casual contact from someone who traveled to West Africa.

“They followed the protocol they followed the procedures and I think this was an opportunity for us to test our system and our system worked,” said Baptist infectious disease specialist Dr. Mobeen Rathore.

Rathore told Action News just after 1 p.m. that the Health Department determined the patient without who did not have a fever does not have Ebola either.

“There's also clinical signs and symptoms that include fever and this patient did not meet those signs and symptoms,” Rathore said.

That eased fears for many health care workers and patients at the hospital aware of the isolation and testing going in here this morning.

“I hope it builds confidence that at Baptist Health we are prepared for this kind of thing,” Rathore said.

The Florida Department of Health is continuing to be cautious with the patient.

They won't say what's happening with this patient now. But Ebola was ruled out.

But worrying about systems statewide, Gov. Rick Scott is now asking every hospital to mandate Ebola protection procedures for every healthcare worker.

All Jacksonville-area hospitals claim their staffs are prepared.

“If we follow those processes we are confident that we are in very good shape,” Rathore said.

But to fortify hospitals like Baptist for what happened today, Scott also requested 100 units of personal protective equipment for Florida as well as 30 testing kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Those are in addition to what we already have which we believe from the situation is sufficient,” Rathore said.

Test results take 12-48 hours, but health officials say no fever means no Ebola is present.

WJAX