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Ohio’s Ebola watch list levels off
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The number of Ohioans being checked for signs of Ebola has leveled off in recent days, and state health officials continue to voice confidence that they have identified everyone who had contact with the Texas nurse who was diagnosed with the virus earlier this month.
The Ohio Department of Health’s daily contact report stood at 163 Monday; the number of contacts has remained at that number or in the vicinity for nearly a week.
The total includes three people who are in quarantine and 17 who are being checked daily by public health officials. The remainder are self-monitoring for fevers and other signs of infection.
There still are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Ohio. Officials at Emory University Hospital say the Texas nurse who visited the Akron area no longer shows any signs of the virus in her bloodstream.
Symptoms of Ebola, which is spread through contact with bodily fluids, appear within 21 days of exposure. That means all of the Ohioans being monitored currently would be clear of potential infections as of Nov. 4, with some coming off the list as of Friday.