[Black Agnes]

Many of the suspicious cases seem to have tested negative. Let’s hope that trend continues!

[Smokin' Joe]

False-Negative Results of Plasma of Patients with Severe Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (Ebola) Let's hope this is not the case, and they are genuinely virus-free.

Otherwise, the one that got away could be a problem.

[little jeremiah]

Niman says that some negatives are false negatives. His comments copied below the link. His comments are from Aug 5 so any numbers will be changed by now.

http://fluboard.rhizalabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11920&sid=f42692d0560435ee4fa5d1548bd55f17

False Negatives Driving Ebola Monrovia and Lagos Transmission

Media reports on Ebola infections in doctors and missionaries appear to be driven by false negatives. Initial symptoms of Ebola can mimic Malaria, which is not infectious. Ebola is detected in blood, but initial testing can produce false negatives because a positive requires relatively high viral loads. The PPE’s being used for suspected Ebola cases is very cumbersome to put on and take off and are also very hot. Thus, such PPE’s are not used while treating non-infectious patients, such as those who are thought to have malaria because Ebola tests are negative.

The large number of HCWs and missionaries in Monrovia and Lagos appear to be driven by these false negatives.

Second Post:

Problems in Monrovia appear to be linked to American Patrick Sawyer’s sister, Patience Sawyer. She was a contact of Dr Sam Mutooro Muhumuza who treated patients in Monrovia. When he developed symptoms, she insisted that he did not have Ebola and she then cared for him at his home.

He was subsequently Ebola confirmed and died.

Third:

When Patience Sawyer developed symptoms, including heavy bleeding, she was brought to the hospital by her fiancee, who said she was having a miscarriage. She then received a D&C which did not stop the bleeding. She was treated by Dr Patrick Nshamdze, St. Joseph Catholic Hospital Chief Administrator.

He subsequently developed symptoms, but tested negative. He later tested positive and died August 1, leading to the closure of the hospital.

Fourth:

When Patience Sawyer was assigned to an isolation ward, her brother, naturalized American Patrick Sawyer, intervened. He insisted that his sister did not have Ebola. He changed her clothes and wheeled her to a private room. His shoes were drenched in his sister’s blood. He paid $500 cash to ensure that his sister was in a private room and not in isolation.

His sister subsequently was Ebola confirmed and she died.

Fifth:

Naturalized American, Patrick Sawyer, was a consultant for the Liberian Department of Finance. He flew to Lagos, Nigeria for a conference. He took one plane to Accra, Ghana and another plane to Lome, Togo and Lagos Nigeria. He developed symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea) in flight.

When he went to hospital he denied contact with any Ebola cases and was diagnosed with Malaria. He subsequently was diagnosed with Ebola and died. A female doctor who treated him has been Ebola confirmed and 8 additional HCW contacts are symptomatic and quarantined. 6 more HCWs (close contacts) are being closely watched and are not yet symptomatic.

Sixth:

Dr Patrick Nshamdze, St. Joseph Catholic Hospital Chief Administrator had been infected by Patience Sawyer, but he initially tested negative. Subsequently Brother Miguel Pajares, a missionary at the hospital developed symptoms and was Ebola confirmed.

Although weak, he is scheduled to be Medvac’ed out of Monrovia to Spain after 60,000 signatures were gathered at change.org to petition Spain to re-patriot him to Madrid.

3-6 additional missionaries are infected and in the hospital, which has been closed.