BARBOURVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Tests on a Union College student athlete that was hospitalized and quarantined came back negative on Wednesday afternoon.
The student athlete was hospitalized and quarantined by the Barbourville ARH staff on Tuesday.
There is no threat of any infectious disease, according to a statement by the Kentucky Department of Health.
The statement included a quote from Governor Andy Beshear:
"My administration took immediate action working with officials to quickly respond and we are pleased to announce that Kentuckians were never at risk," the statement read. "We thank everyone who helped address the concern."
Union College posted the following statement on their social media:
"I am very happy to report that our hospitalized student tested negative for any infectious disease. A lengthy phone conference with the CDC and other health officials this afternoon confirmed that the student had been misdiagnosed. Early reports of infectious disease were circulated without confirmation and without approval of Barbourville ARH Communications Department. In other words, a great deal of fear and panic was generated without cause. The CDC and ARH will be issuing a joint statement. The real victim in this scenario is our student. I trust our campus community will be the family to him that we profess to be."
Barbourville ARH Hospital also released a statement from Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Maria Braman:
“In medicine, it is our practice to always protect the patient. We test for the worst and hope for the best. We are relieved that is the case for this patient at Barbourville ARH Hospital,” she said. “The staff at Barbourville ARH took the necessary precautions for treating a potential infectious disease with the information they had, and this was not a misdiagnosis but rather a best possible outcome for this patient which we are relieved to report.”
