The Homeless Man Who Caused Ebola Panic in Dallas:
Vagrant Who Wandered off While he was Meant to be Under Observation for Virus Captured after Frantic Search - and Will Now be Held Against his Will
- Authorities found Michael Lively on Sunday and took him to a hospital
- Lively may have come in contact with Thomas Eric Duncan's bodily fluids after riding in the same ambulance
- CDC Director Thomas Friedan said the outbreak is under control
- Health officials monitoring 48 people who came in contact with Duncan when he was contagious
- Officials are considering implementing new checks at airport to stop people with Ebola from entering the country
- Duncan is 'fighting for his life' in critical condition at a Texas hospital
- He has not received any experimental drugs and is instead being given only 'supportive care'
Daily Mail UK, 6 October 2014
Homeless man Michael Lively (pictured right) was the first person to ride in the ambulance that carried Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan (pictured left) to Presbyterian Hospital, Texas.
It is possible that Lively came into contact with Duncan's Ebola-infected bodily fluids during that ride. Lively, who is not showing any symptoms of the disease, had been under observation when he wandered off. On Monday, hazmat crews continued to sanitize the Dallas apartment where Duncan stayed before being taken to the hospital. The picture left, obtained exclusively by MailOnline, shows Duncan minutes after he stepped off a plane in Dallas and was greeted by family members 16 days ago. They now face the agonizing wait to find out if they or any of their loved ones have been infected.
Michael Lively, the homeless man who sparked an Ebola alert in Dallas on Sunday after going missing following possible contact with an infected patient
This is the first photo of the homeless man who sparked an Ebola alert in Dallas on Sunday after going missing following possible contact with an infected patient.
Michael Lively who was the first person to ride in the ambulance that carried Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan to Presbyterian Hospital, Texas.
It is possible that Lively came into contact with Duncan's Ebola-infected bodily fluids during that ride.
Lively, who is not showing any symptoms of the disease, had been under observation when he wandered off.
He is now in the psych ward of Parkland Hospital following a city-wide search by Dallas police.
Police are working to obtain a court order to hold Lively at the hospital, against his will if necessary.
Authorities had monitored him a day earlier before he went missing, but want to take his temperature regularly to make sure he doesn't have a fever, a possible symptom of Ebola infection.
Texas public health officials say there is 'zero chance' Lively spread Ebola to anyone else - even if he became infected with it.
Centers for Disease Control Director Thomas Friedan sought to reassure the public during a press conference from Atlanta.
The CDC is currently monitoring 48 people in Dallas who may have come into contact with Duncan while he was contagious with the deadly disease.
Losing track of Lively was just the latest mistake by authorities in Texas, who have come in for heavy criticism over their handling of the Ebola outbreak.
The CDC is currently monitoring 48 people in Dallas who may have come into contact with Duncan while he was contagious with the deadly disease.
Clean up: Members of the Cleaning Guys Haz Mat clean up company are seen as they sanitize the apartment where Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan was staying before being admitted to a hospital on October 5
Precautions: Hazardous material cleaners spray disinfectant on their personal protective equipment after working in the apartment
Getting a peak: Neighbors watch as members of the Cleaning Guys Haz Mat clean up company are seen as they sanitize the apartment where Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan was staying before being admitted to a hospital
Contamination: Ebola is transmitted by contact with bodily fluids of an infected person. Duncan was reportedly sweating profusely and vomiting when he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance that picked up Michael Lively next
Ebola can manifest in a patient any time up to 21 days after exposure. A patient is not contagious until symptoms begin to emerge.
Lively is rated as 'low risk' for infection by authorities, but officials were still desperate to monitor him.
At a press conference on Sunday, CDC Director Thomas Friedan declared: 'There’s no doubt that we can stop Ebola in this country.'