Rick Sacra Back In Hospital, Risk Of Ebola Relapse 'Extremely Low'
WORCESTER (CBS) -- Dr. Rick Sacra, the Holden doctor who was recently released from a Nebraska hospital after he was declared Ebola-free, is being isolated at a Worcester hospital with an apparent upper respiratory tract infection as a precaution, officials said Saturday.
Sacra visited a Boston-area emergency room with a persistent cough and low-grade fever before being transferred to UMass Memorial Medical Center because doctors were concerned he might be developing pneumonia, according to his missionary group. He had been recovering at his home in Holden.
Under Centers For Disease Control guidelines, Sacra is being tested for Ebola. But doctors say the likelihood of Sacra coming down with the deadly virus again is "extremely low."
"Dr. Sacra is in stable condition and being monitored carefully," said Dr. Robert Finberg, MD, professor and chair of medicine, UMass Memorial Medical Center, in a statement.
Doctors expect to receive test results late Monday.
"We are isolating Dr. Sacra to be cautious pending final confirmation of his illness," Finberg said. "We think it is highly unlikely that he has Ebola. We suspect he has an upper respiratory tract infection, with symptoms of cough and conjunctivitis."
Sacra had three CDC-confirmed blood tests that found him virus-free.
"Because of his recent battle with the Ebola virus, his immune system is compromised," said Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the Biocontainment Unit at The Nebraska Medical Center and one of Dr. Sacra's doctors who treated him for Ebola. "The symptoms he has are indicative of a respiratory illness and are not those of someone suffering from Ebola."
Earlier on Saturday, UMass Memorial said a patient was being isolated with a possible, but unlikely, case of Ebola.
"Though our physicians believe this is likely not Ebola, in the interest of safety, we are isolating the patient until we have confirmation," the hospital said in a statement.
The hospital said it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
"UMass Memorial Medical Center is well equipped to handle infectious disease assessment and containment," the hospital said. "There is no risk to the general public and all appropriate precautions are being taken to protect the patient's caregivers."
WBZ-TV's Dr. Mallika Marshall said hospitals all over the country will likely be evaluating people who could be at risk for Ebola and are showing symptoms, in an abundance of caution.
"I don't think people should be alarmed at all, in fact I think people should expect this," Marshall said.
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