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Concerns of Ebola after passenger sick on bus near Pentagon Woman who fell ill near Pentagon does not have Ebola
(about 2 hours later)
Arlington County authorities said a woman who was ill and recently had visited western Africa was taken to a hospital Friday morning and officials blocked off an area she had been visiting near the Pentagon. A woman who caused concern near the Pentagon and a four-hour quarantine on a bus does not have Ebola, Arlington County officials confirmed on Friday.
The measures were taken out of an abundance of caution, authorities said. Brian McGraw, a deputy fire marshal with Arlington County Fire, said officials “have no information or conditions to confirm this is Ebola.” The woman vomited in a parking lot at the Pentagon at about 9:15 a.m., and the county initially reported that she indicated she had been to western Africa recently. She was isolated at Inova Fairfax Hospital, and 22 people on a bus she had briefly boarded were kept quarantined for hours.
Passengers on a bus that the woman had boarded were quarantined on a D.C. street for about four hours before being approved for release by the Department of Health, according to one of the passengers. At about 5 p.m., the county confirmed that she did not have the virus.
The woman’s boss at a public relations firm said the woman was suffering a severe illness and he does not think she has ever left the country. Two officials with knowledge of the incident said they do not believe the woman has recently travelled out of the United States.
Brian McGraw, a deputy fire marshal with Arlington County Fire, said officials “have no information or conditions to confirm this is Ebola.” Measures such as quarantining the shuttle bus in Washington and blocking all pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the South Parking lot of the Pentagon, were taken out of an abundance of caution.
Steve Gordon, the managing director for the public relations company, Total Spectrum, confirmed that the woman worked his firm. He called the alleged Africa connection false and said the woman transfers bus lines near the Pentagon on her daily commute to and from Fairfax County.
He said the woman is ill and he believes she became disoriented and mistakenly boarded the shuttle instead of a public bus. The shuttle was in a commuter lot outside the Pentagon’s security perimeter.
Gordon said the ordeal has left him concerned about his employee’s privacy being compromised. He said the Pentagon was sending Marine officials to question him about the woman. “I understand the mass hysteria out there,” Gordon said. “It’s the wildest thing I’ve ever seen. I’m trying to balance the requirements of following up on all this publicly with the overreach that is going on. I want to put this thing to bed.”
The incident began about 9:15 a.m. Friday when Arlington County authorities got a call from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.The incident began about 9:15 a.m. Friday when Arlington County authorities got a call from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
According to a statement from Lt. Col. Tom Crosson, a Defense Department spokesman, Pentagon police officers identified a woman who was “ill and vomiting.”According to a statement from Lt. Col. Tom Crosson, a Defense Department spokesman, Pentagon police officers identified a woman who was “ill and vomiting.”
PHOTOS possible #Ebola patient moved to #Fairfax hospital from the Pentagon #BREAKING #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/AdFbiLafHK— Brad Freitas (@NewsChopperBrad) October 17, 2014 Inova Fairfax Hospital put out a statement saying the woman had become sick on a bus in the “Pentagon South Parking Lot, around lanes 17-19.” Shortly before 10 a.m., the woman was taken to the Virginia Hospital Center, but she neve got out of the ambulance. She was then taken to Fairfax Inova Hospital.”
PHOTOS possible #Ebola patient moved to #Fairfax hospital from the Pentagon #BREAKING #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/AdFbiLafHK
Inova Fairfax Hospital put out a statement saying the woman had become sick on a bus in the “Pentagon South Parking Lot, around lanes 17-19.”
The statement went on to say that “during the response, the individual allegedly indicated that she had recently visited western Africa. Out of an abundance of caution, all pedestrian and vehicular traffic was suspended around the South Parking lot, while Arlington County responded to the scene.”
“At 9:53 a.m, the patient was taken to the Virginia Hospital Center; however she did not exit the ambulance. ACFD then transported the patient to Fairfax Inova Hospital.”
Tracy Connell, a spokeswoman for Inova, said that the patient was immediately isolated when she arrived. At about 1 p.m., the Fairfax County Health Department was interviewing her about her symptoms and her travel history to determine whether she met the criteria to be tested for Ebola, Connell said.Tracy Connell, a spokeswoman for Inova, said that the patient was immediately isolated when she arrived. At about 1 p.m., the Fairfax County Health Department was interviewing her about her symptoms and her travel history to determine whether she met the criteria to be tested for Ebola, Connell said.
The department said other health departments around the region are mobilizing to locate individuals who may have had contact with the patient.The department said other health departments around the region are mobilizing to locate individuals who may have had contact with the patient.
Connell said that the hospital’s staff members who are treating the patient are wearing protective gear. “We’ve been preparing for this for a long time with all the proper personal protective equipment,” she said.Connell said that the hospital’s staff members who are treating the patient are wearing protective gear. “We’ve been preparing for this for a long time with all the proper personal protective equipment,” she said.
Lt. Col. Eric Dent, public affairs officer for the Marine commandant, was on the bus that the woman boarded. He said that the bus was bound for a change-of-command ceremony at the Marine Barracks in the District and that the 22 passengers, including the driver, included several Marines, their spouses and other guests invited to the ceremony by the Defense Department. Lt. Col. Eric Dent, public affairs officer for the Marine commandant, was on the bus that the woman boarded. He said that the bus was bound for a change-of-command ceremony at the Marine Barracks in the District and that the 22 passengers, including the driver, included several Marines, their spouses and invited civilian Department of Defense workers.
Dent said that the bus was in the Pentagon parking lot when the woman, who was not dressed as if she were headed to the ceremony, got on board. She walked to the back of the bus, used the bathroom there, then left the bus without touching anyone on board, Dent said. Dent said that the bus was in the Pentagon parking lot when the woman got on board. He said she was nicely dressed — he recalls only her skirt — as if she was headed to work, but not the military ceremony. Other passengers were either in full dress Marine uniforms or in suits and ties. “She just walked on,” he said.
Afterward, he said, the driver told bus passengers that the woman had thrown up and collapsed outside. He saw emergency workers arrive. He said the woman walked to the back of the bus, used the bathroom there, then left the bus without touching anyone on board, Dent said. Afterward, he said, the driver told bus passengers that the woman had thrown up and collapsed outside. He saw emergency workers arrive.
The bus drove away, and when it was about two blocks away from its destination, the driver heard over the radio that he should stop. The bus was placed under quarantine on the 600 block of I Street SE. The bus drove away, and when it was near the Marine Barracks at 8th and I streets in Capitol Hill, the driver was summoned over the radio to stop. “We were told we weren’t allowed to get off the bus,” Dent said. “We were essentially quarantined.” D.C. police closed the 600 block of I Street SE, and the passengers were transferred to another bus to wait for health workers.
Dent said that the passengers were moved to another bus so that they would not remain in a possibly contaminated space. He did not know where the first bus was taken. He said officials from the D.C. Department of Health, came on board and made sure that everyone was feeling fine and told them to take their temperatures twice a day for the next three weeks. Any spike in temperature should be reported immediately.
After about four hours, Department of Health officials recorded the passengers’ contact information, told them that they should call a doctor if they develop a fever in the next three weeks and let them leave. “The feeling on the bus was this is a little bit overdone,” Dent said. “Nobody had any physical contact with her. In hindsight, everyone is concerned about Ebola and we have to err on the side of caution.”
Nobody on the bus had had any contact with the sick woman or used the same bathroom, and the mood was calm on board, Dent said. Dent said that even after the bus driver told them the woman had collapsed and vomited, he didn’t suspect Ebola. He said she was on board the bus no longer than five minutes. By the time the passengers were cleared, they had missed the ceremony but made it to the reception. “It was an inconvenience,” he said, “but probably a necessary inconvenience.”
Dr. Joxel Garcia, director of the District’s health department, said the city deployed an emergency response team, which gathered contact information for the passengers of the bus. All have been released and are under no further restrictions, Garcia said.
“We consider this a very low-risk case,” he said, referring to the possibility of transmission.
If the woman were to be confirmed to have Ebola, the city would more monitor the passengers for illness “in a much more proactive way,” Garcia said. One of the 22 passengers, he said, used a restroom on the bus after the sick woman did.
The Pentagon said in its statement that “to allow the investigation to proceed, pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the Pentagon South Parking lot’s lanes 7-23 will remain restricted until further notice. The Corridor 2 entrance to the Pentagon is also closed.”The Pentagon said in its statement that “to allow the investigation to proceed, pedestrian and vehicular traffic around the Pentagon South Parking lot’s lanes 7-23 will remain restricted until further notice. The Corridor 2 entrance to the Pentagon is also closed.”
Authorities said Arlington County’s Hazmat unit was called to the scene at the Pentagon.Authorities said Arlington County’s Hazmat unit was called to the scene at the Pentagon.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe was briefed on the situation over the phone by Health Commissioner Marissa Levine, the governor’s spokesman, Brian Coy, said. McAuliffe remains in contact with Levine; William A. Hazel Jr., secretary of health and human services; and Brian Moran, secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.Gov. Terry McAuliffe was briefed on the situation over the phone by Health Commissioner Marissa Levine, the governor’s spokesman, Brian Coy, said. McAuliffe remains in contact with Levine; William A. Hazel Jr., secretary of health and human services; and Brian Moran, secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Coy declined to elaborate on the content of the briefing or any actions McAuliffe might take as a result.Coy declined to elaborate on the content of the briefing or any actions McAuliffe might take as a result.
Meanwhile in Loudoun County an inmate, who was hospitalized Thursday out of concern that she might be infected with the Ebola virus, will be discharged from the hospital.Meanwhile in Loudoun County an inmate, who was hospitalized Thursday out of concern that she might be infected with the Ebola virus, will be discharged from the hospital.
In a prepared statement, Loudoun officials said the inmate, who recorded a low-grade fever Thursday morning, was later determined to be of “no risk” to others.In a prepared statement, Loudoun officials said the inmate, who recorded a low-grade fever Thursday morning, was later determined to be of “no risk” to others.
The inmate, a middle-aged woman, had recently traveled from Ebola-affected areas of West Africa, according to authorities.The inmate, a middle-aged woman, had recently traveled from Ebola-affected areas of West Africa, according to authorities.
She was arrested on outstanding charges in Maryland and was kept in isolation and monitored at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center as a precautionary measure due to her travel history, officials said.She was arrested on outstanding charges in Maryland and was kept in isolation and monitored at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center as a precautionary measure due to her travel history, officials said.
After experiencing a low-grade fever Thursday, the woman was transported to Inova Loudoun Hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” according to Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.After experiencing a low-grade fever Thursday, the woman was transported to Inova Loudoun Hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” according to Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.
Hospital spokesperson Tony Raker later said that medical officials had determined that the woman’s case did not merit Ebola testing.Hospital spokesperson Tony Raker later said that medical officials had determined that the woman’s case did not merit Ebola testing.
Loudoun County government officials said the county has been preparing for several weeks for the possibility of an Ebola-infected patient.Loudoun County government officials said the county has been preparing for several weeks for the possibility of an Ebola-infected patient.
Justin Jouvenal and Caitlin Gibson contributed to this report. Justin Jouvenal, Dana Hedgpeth, Jennifer Jeinkins and Caitlin Gibson contributed to this report.