Dallas County Deputy Recounts Ebola Scare
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas County deputy Michael Monnig held a news conference on Friday in Dallas, just one day after his test results came back negative for the Ebola virus. Monnig walked into a CareNow facility in Frisco on Wednesday afternoon complaining of nausea and other possible Ebola symptoms.
At the news conference, Monnig said that he woke up on Wednesday morning "feeling like a truck had hit me." His temperature was slightly above normal.
Monnig was one of the law enforcement officials who was inside of the apartment unit where Ebola patient Thomas Duncan had been staying prior to being admitted to the hospital for treatment. Duncan died on Wednesday morning. This indirect contact with the Ebola patient gave the deputy a cause for concern.
During this 30-minute visit to the apartment unit, Monnig stated that he was the first official to enter the dwelling. He was not wearing protective gear because he was told that there was no risk. The deputy said that he was later told to bag up his clothing as a precaution, and his squad car had been quarantined.
Monnig was not one of the 48 individuals already being monitored by health officials because he never had direct contact with Duncan.
According to Monnig, county health officials had given directions on how to handle any possible Ebola symptoms, and he followed those directions by visiting the CareNow facility, even though he knew it might set off a media firestorm. "It was out of my control," he said.
Monnig later added that he "understood why the protocols were taking place," as that was required to ensure the safety of him, his family, and the citizens of North Texas. "I would follow my directions again," he said. "I was just hoping that I was healthy."
An ambulance rushed the deputy to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas -- a ride that he called "surreal" -- and kept him in isolation until his test results were returned. His temperature upon arriving at the hospital was 101.7 degrees, Monnig said on Friday. That is when he got scared that his "ticket had been punched."
However, shortly after Monnig was admitted to the hospital, health officials said that the chances of this being another Ebola case were slim.
Complete Coverage Of Ebola In North Texas
Even before the test results came back, the hospital had released a statement on Thursday saying that Monnig had no fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or any addition symptoms associated with the Ebola virus. At the Friday news conference, Monnig said that he was diagnosed with a viral infection at the hospital. He was released from care on Thursday.
Monnig said that he "broke down crying" after learning about the negative test result. He now plans to return to work at the Dallas County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday. "I think this is a good wake up call for us as Americans," Monnig said Friday. "There are diseases out there that may be not that prevalent in our country before that may be introduced."
Monnig added, "The world's not that big after all."
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