Ebola in Dallas: October 22

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

An Ebola particle.

As hysteria fades, people's lives are still being affected. Here's what's happening:

The conditions of the patients
Late Tuesday afternoon, Nina Pham was upgraded from fair to good condition by her treatment team at the National Institutes of Health. Amber Vinson is still stable at Emory University Hospital near Atlanta. Her family reports that she has tested Ebola free, but Emory has yet to confirm that statement or when she might be released. The first test results for Bentley, Pham's King Charles spaniel, were negative. He will continue to be tested during the disease's 21-day incubation period.

Bentley has tested negative for Ebola! One more test will be done before end of 21-day monitoring period. pic.twitter.com/UPpYP1TrBO

— Sana Syed (@dallaspiosana) October 22, 2014

Rawlings urges Dallas to "lift up health care workers"
Giving a brief speech before Wednesday's city council meeting Mayor Mike Rawlings talked about the health care workers who will finish Ebola monitoring in the coming weeks.

"It is important for all of us, once again, to accept all of these people back into the mainstream of our world and our life," he said.

WHO announces that testing will begin soon on Ebola vaccine
Newly developed vaccines, including one that can be distributed as a tablet, are set for Phase 1 clinical testing in the areas of West Africa hardest hit by Ebola. As has been repeatedly emphasized, controlling the disease in Africa lowers the possibility that it pops up in the United States. Until that happens, isolated cases remain possible, if not probable.

Travelers to United States from West Africa will be rerouted.
Visitors to the U.S. from countries affected by the Ebola epidemic are now being routed through one of five major airports. DFW is not one of the airports. People from affected countries coming to the United States must also report their temperatures to the CDC for 21 days after arrival.

Local faith community raises money for Vickery Meadow
The Dallas Foundation has raised about $40,000 for Vickery Meadows nonprofits. The North Dallas neighborhood has a high concentration of West African immigrants and is home to The Ivy apartments, the complex Thomas Eric Duncan stayed in before becoming the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States.

Additionally, $90,000 has been raised for Nina Pham, the first Texas Health Presbyterian Nurse diagnosed with Ebola after treating Duncan, and $7,000 has been raised for Amber Vinson, the second nurse diagnosed.