Doctors Expect Full Recovery For Holden Man With Ebola

OMAHA (CBS) -- The Massachusetts doctor who contracted Ebola while caring for patients in West Africa should make a full recovery, doctors said Wednesday.

Dr. Rick Sacra of Holden was flown to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha on September 5 to be treated for the disease in a biocontainment unit. Hospital officials said in a statement that they want to be cautious because of the unpredictable nature of the virus, but also said they are optimistic that Sacra could soon be released from the facility.

"Based on what we're seeing now, we expect him to make a full recovery," said Dr. Angela Heweltt, associate medical director of the Biocontainment Unit at the hospital. "We know from experience how other patients look as their condition improves, but since we have so little experience treating patients with Ebola, that tempers our optimism a little bit."

Blood samples sent to the Centers for Disease Control show that the amount of Ebola in Sacra's blood is decreasing, doctors said.

"He looks great in person," said Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the Biocontainment Unit. "We're hopeful the latest round of lab data reflects what we're seeing in his room."

A research drug was administered to Sacra for seven days, but he's no longer taking it, officials said.

"We're still working on improving his nutrition and his fluid intake," Smith said. "We would like to make him fully independent of his IV, but we're not quite there yet."

Doctors said that two negative blood tests done 24 hours apart are needed before Sacra can be released.

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