A man who had been quarantined at a Phoenix hospital with a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis for nearly a year arrived this morning at National Jewish hospital in Denver.
Robert Daniels, 27, has an extremely drug-resistant form of TB, known as XDR. He was placed in a jail ward at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix last August under court order after medical authorities complained that he had endangered others.
He arrived at about 10:20 a.m. today at National Jewish Medical and Research Center, which is nationally known for treating respiratory diseases, according to a statement from the medical center.
“Mr. Daniels expressed great relief and happiness to be at National Jewish,” statement from the hospital said.
Dr. Gwen Huitt, attending physician on the infectious disease unit at National Jewish, will evaluate Daniels and begin antibiotic treatment today, the statement said.
Daniels has been ordered by Denver Public Health and the Tri-County Health Department to stay at National Jewish or University of Colorado Hospital during his treatment in Colorado.
As part of an agreement between Colorado and Arizona agencies, Daniels will have a security officer posted outside his room, the statement said.
Daniels will be in an isolation room at National Jewish. Phone and visitation policies have not been established.
An attorney for Daniels, Linda Cosme, didn’t immediately return a call today seeking comment. She had said the transfer was sought by Maricopa County medical experts because her client’s condition was deteriorating and he requires surgery.
A telephone message left for a spokesman at the Denver hospital was not returned immediately.
Though Daniels wasn’t charged with a crime, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said his office was examining whether Daniels endangered others by disobeying instructions from health officials, such as wearing a mask.
“I may get him back because I am still conducting an investigation on him,” said Arpaio, whose office was in charge of detaining Daniels while at the Phoenix hospital.
In Phoenix, Daniels had been on lockdown without visitors, exercise or a view of the outside world.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit claiming Daniels’ rights had been violated while in the Phoenix hospital because he’s being treated like a criminal.
Andrew Speaker, a tuberculosis patient who caused an international public health scare in May, also was being treated at National Jewish Medical and Research Center.
