Local Reaction To Dallas Ebola Case Ranges From Fear To Caution As City Braces For Possible Second Case

News outlets report on local reactions in Dallas, Texas, after a Liberian who traveled to the state became the first-ever case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S.

The Hill: U.S. Ebola fears grow
“Fears are rising about the spread of Ebola in Texas after health officials revealed an infected patient had come into contact with nearly 20 people over the weekend…” (Viebeck, 10/1).

The Hill: Parents fearing Ebola pull kids from school
“Some Dallas parents pulled their children out of school Wednesday after health officials said five area children had come into contact with an Ebola patient over the weekend. The five children were kept at home Wednesday, but that did not stop families from picking up their kids out of fears they might be vulnerable to illness, according to local news reports…” (Viebeck, 10/1).

The Hill: Dallas braces for second Ebola case
“Dallas health officials are bracing for a possible second case of the deadly Ebola virus connected to the infected man now in isolation. Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zachary Thompson said there is one particular contact of the patient who he fears may have Ebola…” (Viebeck, 10/1).

National Geographic: More Ebola Cases Expected in U.S. But Officials Confident of Containment
“A day after announcing the first diagnosis of an Ebola case in the United States, public health officials and experts on Wednesday said they expect more cases to enter the U.S. and it’s uncertain how far the disease will spread, even as they worked to reassure the public that the virus would be contained…” (Weintraub, 10/1).

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Monitors Contacts of Ebola Patient in Texas
“Health authorities are monitoring for symptoms of Ebola in at least a dozen people who came into contact with a Liberian man before he was hospitalized in Dallas, moving to contain the deadly disease before it can spread further in the U.S….” (Koppel et al., 10/1).

Wall Street Journal: Liberians in Texas Struggle With Fear, Ostracism Over Ebola
“…Since the news broke of the Dallas case on Tuesday, the local Liberian community has been in turmoil. Some are fearful they might have come into contact with the sick man, Thomas Eric Duncan. Others worry that people will ostracize them because of the connection between Liberia and Ebola…” (Campoy, 10/1).

Washington Post: Rick Perry: Texas is ready to handle Ebola case, school-aged children came in contact with patient
“Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said in a news conference Tuesday the state was equipped to handle the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States, and said ‘some school-aged children had contact’ with the patient and are being monitored at home…” (Schwarz, 10/1).

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