Teresa Romero, the Spanish nurse’s aid who had come in contact with Ebola, is said to be completely free of disease after successful treatment. She was one of the hospital’s health care providers who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, an Ebola patient who died last month. Spain’s Special Ebola Committee said on Sunday that Teresa Romero Ramos is now completely free of the Ebola virus. Javier Limon, Romero’s husband declared in a video statement the following message: “Today I’m very happy, because it can be said that Teresa has overcome this illness”.
Two initial tests revealed that the Ebola levels in Romero were almost nonexistent. The third test came back negative. Luis Enjuanes, an expert on viruses declared: “The last two measurements were in ‘background’ levels, and there is no significant statistical difference with negative results. […] If for three times, throughout one week, you are background, background, background, in practical terms it means you don’t have the virus”. Specialists have initially stated that the level of Ebola virus presence in Romero’s blood had significantly decreased since the day she was taken to the hospital, two weeks ago. However, now she is closer than ever to being 100% free of Ebola. Teresa Romero is now healthy enough for her body to be able to produce antibodies again. Enjuanes explained: “It means she’s making her own protection, so any virus fooling around probably will be destroyed or neutralized”. Enjuanes is one of the specialists attending the meetings of the government’s special committee on Ebola, a group of medical and scientific experts who deal with the Ebola outbreak crisis.
Although Teresa Romero received good news about her initial Ebola contamination, she will continue to remain in the hospital for a few more days, or weeks in order to fully recover and be monitored. She had been treated with two different methods against Ebola. The first one was an IV drip with antibodies of another Ebola survivor. The second one was an experimental anti-viral drug, called Favipiravir. The hospital had ordered another experimental drug, called ZMab, however, they could only receive an older version of the drug. Romero’s doctor decided not to use that on her. On Sunday, two other patients who were monitored at the same hospital, tested negative for the virus.