Florida Health Workers Cleared After MERS Exposure
ORLANDO (CBSMiami/AP) — Florida healthcare workers who came in contact with a Saudi resident infected with the second confirmed case of MERS in the U.S. are ready to go back to work.
The workers were cleared to return to work over the weekend.
The Florida Department of Health previously said all had tested negative for the rare virus.
Orlando Health spokeswoman Katie Dagenais said in a statement late Saturday, May 24th that "out of an abundance of caution," all the workers were required to remain out of work for the virus' full 14-day incubation period.
Dagenais says 16 workers, including two doctors, were cleared Saturday at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital. She says seven workers, including one doctor, were cleared Monday, May 19th at Orlando Regional Medical Center.
The patient arrived at Phillips on May 8th. Three days earlier, the patient had visited Orlando Regional Medical Center.
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