Updated 02:00 AM EDT, Tue, Apr 16, 2024

Ebola Virus Outbreak 2014 News & Update: Dallas Patient's Mom Couldn't Sleep After Seeing Son's Condition

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It seems that the family of Thomas Eric Duncan found his condition too much to watch.

Huffington Post reported that Duncan's family decided against viewing him through a video on their Tuesday visit. According to the outlet, the family reportedly found the situation too depressing to watch.

"What we saw was very painful. It didn't look good," said Josephus Weeks, Duncan's nephew, as quoted by Huffington Post.

Weeks was referring to the family's Monday visit which reportedly rendered him and Duncan's mother "unable to sleep," the outlet said.

The spokesperson of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Candace White, revealed Duncan's condition in a statement Tuesday afternoon as quoted by CBS News:

"He is on a ventilator and receiving kidney dialysis. His liver function, which declined over the weekend, has improved, but doctors caution that this could vary in coming days."

White added that the Ebola patient is receiving "brincidofovir," an experimental drug made by Chimerix Inc., reported CBS News. The drug is reportedly used to "treat other types of viruses" but is believed capable to fight Ebola as well, said the outlet.

The same drug is being used to treat Ashoka Mukpo, ABC News reported. Mukpo is the Ebola virus-positive cameraman working with NBC in Liberia, who was flown in to the United States on Monday.

"After looking at the data on this drug, collaborating with the CDC and FDA and speaking with the patient and his family, we decided this was currently our best option for treatment," said Dr. Phil Smith, the medical director of the biocontainment unit at Nebraska Medical Center as quoted by ABC News.

"Every patient is somewhat different, and we believe Brincidofovir is the best choice," Smith added.

The administration of the same experimental drug should ease the Duncan family's qualm of the Dallas patient "not getting the same treatment that an American with Ebola would", as noted by Huffington Post.

The family came to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital with Rev. Jesse Jackson, whom they have contacted for help.

Duncan's family also attended a press conference Tuesday night, along with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Stanley Gay, President of the Liberian Community Association for the DFW Metroplex, among others. The press conference was held at the Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas.

"I'm just praying my dad will make it out safely," said Karsiah Duncan, the Dallas patient's son, during the press conference as quoted by Huffington Post.

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