Dallas Nurse May Have Had Ebola Symptoms While Trying on Wedding Gowns
Centers for Disease Control officials say the Texas nurse with Ebola may have been experiencing symptoms several days before she checked herself into a Dallas hospital.
Dr. Christopher Braden of the CDC said today that Amber Vinson—the second Dallas nurse to test positive for the disease—may have been experiencing symptoms much earlier than previously reported.
Vinson flew from Dallas to Cleveland on Wednesday, Oct. 8 and spent the weekend with her family in Akron, Ohio.
Though she reportedly spent most of her time at home, officials say she did venture out with friends to try on wedding dresses at an Akron bridal shop.
"We had started to look at the possibility that she had symptoms going back as far as Saturday, (Oct. 11)," Braden told reporters. "This has to do with the bridal shop. Some more information that has come through recently says we can't rule out that she might have had the start of her symptoms on Friday."
Frontier Airlines said Vinson—who reported a slight fever before her flight on Monday—did not exhibit noticeable symptoms on either flight. The company has reportedly placed the crew members onboard Vinson's return flight on a 21-day paid leave and the airplane was cleaned—but not before flying to Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale.
According to WCPO, eight people in Ohio are now under quarantine. The bridal store reportedly closed down as a "precautionary measure," and at least three Texas schools and two Ohio schools closed down Thursday after staff members and students were linked to Vinson.