JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A patient who was isolated at Baptist Medical Center does not meet criteria for testing for the Ebola virus, hospital officials said.
A spokeswoman for the hospital issued this statement Monday afternoon:
"Today, we have evaluated a patient who came into the emergency room with common, flu-like symptoms who self-reported casual contact with a West Africa traveler. This patient was put into isolation and monitored closely for their protection as well as the safety of our team members and the community.
"While we continue to use all precautions, the Department of Health subsequently has informed us that this patient does not meet (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines for criteria in testing for the Ebola virus."
Officials said the patient did not have a fever, one of the main symptoms of the virus.
Officials wouldn't say whether the patient will be released or is still being isolated. They also wouldn't say if the patient was past the three-week mark of showing symptoms. Doctors say it can take up to 21 days for all the symptoms to show.
Had the patient met the criteria, the hospital would have done a blood test and sent it off to a lab in Miami. The hospital said it would probably have the results between 12 and 24 hours later.
"This was an opportunity for us to test our system, and I think our system worked," said Dr. Mobeen Rathore, co-chair of the Baptist Health Infectious Disease Committee. "We continue to work on it. We've already had meetings to see where we could do better. This is an ongoing process."
On Sunday, a patient at Flagler Hospital in St. Johns County was tested for the virus, but was determined to be not at risk.
There are currently no cases of Ebola in Florida.
"It is still very unlikely that somebody in Jacksonville will get Ebola, but you follow the CDC guidelines," Rathore said. "If you've traveled to West Africa in the last three weeks and you have the signs and symptoms consistent with Ebola -- fever, vomiting, diarrhea, all those types of things -- you need to inform your health care provider and they'll take it from there."