Dallas nurse Amber Vinson: 'They gave us a crash-course education' in how to treat Ebola


In what seems to confirm early reports that the United States health system was unprepared for Ebola, Dallas nurse Amber Vinson said she received only a "crash-course education" on how to treat the disease. Vinson and fellow nurse Nina Pham were assigned to care for the country's first Ebola patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, and both contracted the disease as a result.
In an interview with People, Vinson said she and Pham were given quick instructions on how to use their protective gear the same day the two were assigned to care for Duncan. "The entire time I was checking my temperature and hoping I didn't have a fever or any symptoms," she said.
Duncan passed away on Oct. 8, but both Vinson and Pham recovered from the disease. Read Vinson's full interview at People.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.