The boyfriend of Ebola patient Nina Pham has been placed in isolation, according to an e-mail sent by his employer to his colleagues. Jeff George, CEO of Alcon in Fort Worth Texas, apparently sent an e-mail to his employees that a person who had been in contact with Pham and works for the company was admitted to the hospital on Sunday, October 12.
The e-mail allegedly states that an Alcon employee was admitted to the hospital and was being monitored for Ebola symptoms, although the name of the employee was not released. The employee is believed to be Pham’s boyfriend, who works for the company, as do Pham’s parents.
“The associate has not shown any signs of symptoms of the Ebola virus. After consultation with the Texas Department of Health, we are confident that there is no risk for Alcon associates,” wrote George.
According to Dallas News, Rev. Jim Khoi of Our Lady of Fatima Church in East Fort Worth was told by Pham’s mother that a friend of her daughter’s had also been admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, although he was not told of the nature of their relationship.
Meanwhile, Pham is reportedly keeping in touch with family members through Skype and phone calls. She has been in quarantine since Friday, October 10, after contracting the Ebola virus from “patient zero” Thomas Eric Duncan, who died just two days before.
Nina Pham told her mom ‘don’t worry about me’ as she was treating an #Ebola patient: http://t.co/9weVIeyuk3 pic.twitter.com/7JJzYogWeo
— Yahoo (@Yahoo) October 14, 2014
However, Pham received a blood transfusion from Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly on Monday, according to Daily Mail. Brantly arrived at Texas Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday night to donate his blood.
Ebola patient Nina Pham has been given a blood transfusion from disease survivor Kent Brantly: http://t.co/fg5IC6iUzs pic.twitter.com/fhZRcSnCDH
— Slate (@Slate) October 14, 2014
Brantly contracted the virus while working for Samaritan’s Purse in Liberia, after which he was flown back to the US for treatment. He survived after being treated with the experimental serum Z-Mapp at the Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.