American Ebola Patients Discharged from Atlanta Hospital

The first two Americans to be treated for the Ebola virus on US soil became the first American patients to be discharged from the hospital where they had been kept in isolation for treatment from the virus.

A statement from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta said that both Kent Brantly, MD, and Nancy Writebol had been discharged from the facility this week.

“After a rigorous and successful course of treatment and testing, the Emory Healthcare team has determined that both patients have recovered from the Ebola virus and can return to their families and community without concern for spreading the infection to others,” said Bruce Ribner, MD, the head of Emory’s Infectious Disease unit.

Brantly had been brought to Emory on Aug. 2 and Writebol shortly thereafter on a specially designed plane that prevented the virus from spreading to the air crews treating them on the flight. During their time at the Atlanta facility, the Emory statement said, the hospital maintained “extensive safety procedures throughout this treatment process and is confident that the discharge of these patients poses no public health threat.”

When it was first reported that Brantly had been diagnosed with the virus and would be transported to Emory, his initial prognosis had him as being in “grave” condition. In a story on CNN, the doctor said it was much different situation now.

“Today is a miraculous day,” he was quoted as saying. “I am thrilled to be alive, to be well and to be reunited with my family.”

The pair were treated with an experimental drug called ZMapp, which until that time had not been tested on human patients. Ribner said in the CNN story that the success of the drug and other factors will help future victims of the deadly virus.

“What we learned in caring for them will help advance the world’s understanding of how to treat Ebola infections and help, hopefully, to improve survival,” he said.

Ribner added, “The Emory Healthcare team is extremely pleased with Dr. Brantly’s and Mrs. Writebol’s recovery, and was inspired by their spirit and strength, as well as by the steadfast support of their families.”