Patient From Harvard Vanguard Medical Center in Braintree Unlikely to Have Ebola

A man who recently returned from Liberia and visited Harvard Vanguard Medical Center in Braintree Sunday afternoon has been deemed an extremely low risk for the Ebola virus.

“This patient does not appear to meet CDC criteria to be considered someone at high risk for Ebola and the likelihood. . . is extremely low,” said Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center officials in a statement according to the Boston Globe. “The patient will remain in isolation as we continue to evaluate and monitor the patient’s condition.”

On Sunday, the man entered the medical center in Braintree complaining of a headache and muscle aches. The man was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center but not after officials locked down and evacuated Harvard Vanguard Medical Center.

“Out of an abundance of caution we immediately notified authorities and the patient was securely removed from the building and put into an ambulance now headed to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center,” a statement from Harvard Vanguard Medical Center read.

During the evacuation, firefighters and hazmat suits could be seen securing the area as a precaution. The patient’s car was towed from the property with biohazard stickers according to a statement from Braintree mayor Joseph Sullivan.

“Every precaution was taken in this case today and the patient has now been transported to a Boston hospital. The patient’s car has been taken to a secure location where it can be monitored by law enforcement until more is known about the individual’s condition. I am pleased that several Town of Braintree Departments were able to respond and offer assistance to the DPH and CDC on this matter. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide factual information and updates as they become available,” Sullivan said in a statement.

Currently, the patient is in a section of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center within a protective barrier, isolated from the rest of the hospital.

While a Providence photojournalist and a doctor from Holden have both contracted Ebola, there have been no confirmed cases of Ebola in Massachusetts according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Photo Credit: WHDH