Advertisement Governor: Patient at Maine Med tested negative for Ebola Patient released from hospital Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Gov. Paul LePage says a patient being held at Maine Medical Center at the request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested negative for the Ebola virus.Click here to watch the reportLePage made the statement during a walking tour with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday afternoon.Ebola: What to knowThe Maine CDC said the patient was held for 24 hours as a precaution. The step was taken based on the patient's symptoms and recent travel from a region of concern.Officials said multiple tests done at Maine Medical Center came back negative. They also said the patient's health improved, and after the 24-hour hold period the patient was released from the hospital.Because of patient confidentiality laws, no other details were available.Maine Medical Center announced Monday evening that it was holding the patient as a precaution.The hospital said in a release:"Maine Medical Center is using policies developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Those policies exceed the policies of Center for Disease Control (CDC) and represent the strictest of guidelines. In addition we are using a higher level of protective apparel than that recommended by the CDC."Common myths about EbolaAugust Valenti, infectious disease specialist at MMC, said the hospital's employees have been trained on how to use protective equipment. They also said it's business as usual at the hospital.Dr. Sheila Pinette, head of Maine's CDC, told WMTW she has been in conversation with federal officials about this case and described it as a "very, very low risk for Ebola."Poll: Are you worried about Ebola being diagnosed in Maine?"It's hard to know what to expect from the unexpected," Pinette said. "They did not anticipate that Ebola would be coming to Texas. We are preparing, we have been preparing since the outbreak in West Africa."Infectious disease specialist, Dr. Owen Pickus, said "without a doubt" people are overreacting. He said the disease won't be nearly as prevalent as the flu.