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Amber Vinson

Amber Vinson25 posts

Amber Vinson is an American nurse, born in 1985. She is the second Dallas person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, after treating Thomas Eric Duncan. She recovered and was released on October 28, 2014.

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19 Nov, 2014

Gets new ring

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Vinson describes how her engagement ring was destroyed in the Ebola decontamination process:

I took off all my jewelry, thinking that my jewelry would be safer at home than in the hospital. And when the decontamination team came in, everything that was on the surface was swiped into a bin for incineration. My jewelry box being on my nightstand was one of those things that got destroyed.

After hearing the story, Chris Nieto of Zales jewelers invites Vinson and her fiancé to pick out a new ring for free.

When we heard that Amber Vinson’s ring was lost by the clean-up crew, our hearts went out to her. It was really important that we went ahead and wanted to step up to get her something that helps celebrate her life and express love.

Vinson:

When I found out that Zales had offered to give a ring, I was taken aback by the generosity because I’ve had so much negativity towards me. For someone to reach out to me with such a positive thing, it put a big smile on my face. … It made my day.

Vinson still suffers fatigue from the effects of the disease.

6 Nov, 2014

No regrets, would treat Ebola patients

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Vinson tells the Today Show that she has no regrets about treating Thomas Eric Duncan and would treat other Ebola patients.

Nursing is what I do. I could never see a patient that needs help and not do everything I can to help them.

Discussing coming under fire for having flown to and from Ohio on a commercial plane.

It made me feel terrible because that’s not me. I am not careless. I am not reckless…I was never told that I couldn’t travel. I talked to my (Intensive Care Unit) management team. I talked to management in person and they said the CDC said it was OK for me to go…I’m an ICU nurse; I embrace protocol and guidelines and structure, because in my day-to-day nursing, it is a matter of life and death.

Vinson says she was “floored” when she heard that Nina Pham had become ill.

I was afraid for myself and my family. I did everything I was instructed to do. I felt if Nina can get it, any one of us can get it.

About her training:

We did not have excessive training where we could put on and take off the protective equipment, where we could get to a level of being comfortable with it. I didn’t have that.

28 Oct, 2014

Call from Obama

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Pres. Obama calls Vinson from the White House to say the administration appreciates the effort of her and other health care workers. After the call:

We’ve got to make sure that those workers who are willing and able and dedicated to go over there in a really tough job, that they’re applauded, thanked and supported. That should be our priority. And we can make sure that when they come back they are being monitored in a prudent fashion.

‘So grateful to be well’

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Vinson gives a statement surrounded by relatives as well as Emory doctors and nurses thanking those who treated her during her 13-day battle with the deadly virus.

I’m so grateful to be well. With God, all things are possible…As a nurse and now as someone who has experienced what it is like to be cared for through a life-threatening illness, I am so appreciative and grateful for your skill, warmth and care.

As she leave the room, Vinson hugs each nurse and doctor.

Discharged from hospital

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Vinson will be released from Emory University Hospital today. Her mother, Debra Berry:

We all know that further treatment will be necessary as Amber continues to regain strength, but these latest developments have truly answered prayers and bring our family one step closer to reuniting with her at home.

22 Oct, 2014

Blood tests negative

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Emory Hospital Amber VinsonVinson’s mother says that she has tested negative for the disease.

Amber and our family are ecstatic to receive this latest report on her condition. We all know that further treatment will be necessary as Amber continues to regain strength, but these latest developments have truly answered prayers and bring our family one step closer to reuniting with her at home.

20 Oct, 2014

Retains attorney

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Vinson’s family issue a statement confirming they have retained Martin:

[We] are troubled by some of the negative public comments and media coverage that mischaracterize Amber and her actions. Suggestions that she ignored any of the physician and government-provided protocols recommended to her are patently untrue and hurtful. In the interest of Amber and our family, we have retained esteemed attorney Billy Martin to provide us with legal counsel during this unfortunate and troubling time.

Martin’s past clients are reported to include Michael Vick and Larry Craig.

18 Oct, 2014

Monitoring of patients inconsistent

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Officials say monitoring of the virus’s potential spread has been inconsistent. In one example, Dallas County chief executive Judge Jenkins told Texas Health Presbyterian to change its system so that workers who had treated Duncan were to stop seeing any patients other than Pham. The next day, the CDC allowed Vinson to fly on a commercial airliner. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, a doctor who did his residency in Dallas:

I don’t think the directions provided to people at first were as clear as they needed to be, and there have been changes in the instructions given to people over time.

17 Oct, 2014

800 passengers traveled on Vinson’s plane

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Frontier is now seeking to contact 800 passengers who flew on plane number N220FR, an Airbus A320, after Vinson’s flight. The plane made five flights before the CDC informed the airline that she may have been contagious and it was removed from service, flying to Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale, then back to Cleveland. Passengers on the Oct. 10 Frontier Flight 1142 from Dallas/Fort Worth to Cleveland and passengers on Monday’s Flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth have been asked to call the CDC and monitor themselves for symptoms.

16 Oct, 2014

Family statement

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Vinson’s family releases a statement:

Our family has been overwhelmed with support and love for Amber and our extended family over the last 72 hours, and we thank you for those prayers and well wishes. Amber is stable, and we are continuing to work with her doctors as her treatment progresses. Amber is a respected professional and has always had a strong passion for nursing. She followed all of the protocols necessary when treating a patient in Dallas, and right now, she’s trusting in her doctors and nurses as she is now the patient. To that end, we ask that the media respect Amber’s privacy and that of our family during this overwhelming experience. The time will come down the road for more further public involvement, but for now, your continued love and prayers helps greatly.

Fort Worth family isolated for 21 days

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A Fort Worth family is reported to be in quarantine for 21 days after a family member may have had contact with Vinson. A letter sent to parents in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District (full text here) says a family member of a Lake Pointe Elementary School student was on the flight from Cleveland. The district says the family member is in the military and is stationed at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth.

Upon advisement from the military and as a precautionary measure, the family will be isolated for 21 days. This family has one child who attends Lake Pointe Elementary.

May have been symptomatic on flight

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A letter from Frontier Airlines CEO David Siegel to employees states that Frontier was notified by the CDC that Vinson may have been symptomatic earlier than initially suspected, including the possibility of possessing symptoms while onboard the flight.

Since we were notified by the CDC, we’ve proactively placed six crew members (two pilots; four flight attendants) on paid leave for 21 days out of an abundance of caution as the safety and security of our employees is our number one priority. This was over and above CDC guidance that stated that our flight crews were safe to fly. We have also been working in close cooperation with our unions and appreciate their support on this issue.

15 Oct, 2014

Moved to Atlanta

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amber-vinson-emoryVinson is taken to Emory University, which has successfully treated two other patients. Footage shows a police motorcade escorting her from the charter flight to the hospital. Statement:

As a result of the virus, my condition worsened and I became critically ill soon after I arrived at Emory. Through rigorous medical treatment, skillful nursing, and the full support of a healthcare team, I am well on the way to a full recovery.

Emory:

[The Ebola unit is] physically separate from other patient areas and has unique equipment and infrastructure that provides a high level of clinical isolation.

Called CDC before flying

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Vinson called the CDC after registering a temperature of 99.5, but was allowed to fly as the reading was below the high-risk threshold of 100.4. Unnamed health official:

Somebody dropped the ball

Traveled with high temperature

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The CDC says that Vinson recorded a temperature of 99.5 before traveling, below the fever threshold of 100.4 but an elevated level. Frieden:

I don’t think that changes the level of risk of people around her.  She did not vomit, she was not bleeding, so the level of risk of people around her would be extremely low.

Plane may have stayed in service

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The Frontier Airlines plane that Vinson traveled on may have stayed in service after the flight. Flighttracker shows that it was used for five further flights the same day, but the airline denies this. Frontier Air statement:

The flight landed in Dallas/Fort Worth at 8:16 p.m. local and remained overnight at the airport having completed its flying for the day at which point the aircraft received a thorough cleaning per our normal procedures which is consistent with CDC guidelines prior to returning to service the next day. It was also cleaned again in Cleveland last night.

CDC asks for passenger contact

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The CDC asks all 132 passengers on the flight to call 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800 232-4636). Public health professionals will begin interviewing passengers about the flight after 1 p.m. ET.

14 Oct, 2014

Reports fever, isolated

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After returning to Dallas Vinson reports a low-grade fever and is isolated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

13 Oct, 2014

Flies back to Dallas

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Vinson flys Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth on Frontier Airlines flight 1143. The flight lands at 8:16 p.m. Central Time.

10 Oct, 2014

Flies to Cleveland

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Vinson’s flys from Dallas to Cleveland to meet her mother and fiance to plan her wedding. She stays at her relatives’ home while visiting Ohio and those relatives are employees of Kent State University, the school said in a statement. Kent State President Beverly Warren:

 She did not step foot on our campus.

The relatives are sent home from the school and will monitor themselves for the next 21 days., school officials said.