Texas Nurse Free of Ebola Virus, Discharged from NIH Clinical Center

NIH director Dr. Francis Collins, NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci and NIH Clinical Center director Dr. John Gallin exit the Clinical Center with recently discharged Ebola patient Nina Pham.

  
The NIH Clinical Center has discharged Nina Pham, the Texas nurse who was admitted on Oct. 16, 2014 with Ebola virus disease, after confirming that she is now free of the virus. It is critical to remember that people who have survived Ebola are not contagious and can no longer spread disease. The NIH Clinical emphasizes that it would not be releasing Pham if the medical center was not completely confident in the knowledge that she has fully recovered, is virus free and poses no public health threat.

The following is Pham's statement delivered at an NIH press conference held at the Clinical Center today:

"Good afternoon. I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today. I would first and foremost like to thank God, my family, and friends. Throughout this ordeal, I have put my trust in God and my medical team. I am on my way back to recovery, even as I reflect on how many others have not been so fortunate. Of course I am so incredibly thankful for everyone involved in my care from the moment I became ill and was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital - Dallas up to today and my discharge from the Clinical Research Center of NIH. I would especially like to thank Dr. Kent Brantly for his selfless act of donating plasma to me. As a nurse, I have a special appreciation for the care I have received from so many people. Not just doctors and nurses, but the entire support team. I believe in the power of prayer because I know so many people all over the world have been praying for me. I do not know how I can ever thank everyone enough for their prayers and their expressions of concern, hope, and love. I join you in prayer now for the recovery of others, including my colleague and friend Amber Vinson and Dr. Craig Spencer. I hope that people understand that this illness and this whole experience have been very stressful and challenging for me and for my family. Although I no longer have Ebola, I know that it may be a while before I have my strength back. So, with gratitude and respect for everyone’s concern, I ask for my privacy and for my family’s privacy to be respected as I return to Texas and try to get back to a normal life and reunite with my dog Bentley."

Source: NIH Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH)