By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
As far as Tim Hollinger is concerned, Crawford County has very little to worry about when it comes to the Ebola virus.
That was the message Hollinger gave to the Bucyrus City Council Tuesday night. Hollinger, the Health Commissioner for the Crawford County General Health District, gave a presentation on Ebola and how Crawford County has prepared as the fear of the virus swept the nation.
Ebola is a virus that comes from infected fruit bats and monkeys in Africa. Though it is hard to catch, mainly due to the fact that it is spread by contact with bodily fluids, Hollinger said the current outbreak in Africa is a result from the improving infrastructure in the countries. Before, it had been contained in isolated villages.
“If you don’t have a fever, you can’t pass this virus even though you’ve been exposed to it,” Hollinger stressed. “That’s the key thing to remember here, folks: if you don’t have the symptoms, you can’t pass it even though you’ve been exposed to it.”
Hollinger said the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) requested that all Ohio hospitals conduct an Ebola drill on Oct. 16 after it became known that a nurse diagnosed with Ebola traveled by plane to Akron. ODH also increased equipment for frontline healthcare workers on Oct. 17.
“Your hospital system, Avita, conducted the drill along with 92 percent of the other hospitals throughout Ohio,” Hollinger explained. “We did drills to see how we handle Ebola if someone presented in the emergency room with it.”
Hollinger said the drill was a very good thing to have.
“We learned a lot and we’re ready now in Crawford County.”
Within the county, Hollinger said the he has, along with the Health District, been involved in interagency information sharing with places such as the Sheriff’s Office, nursing homes, and funeral homes. They are also working on medical material management, public information, community preparedness, and isolation and quarantine planning.
“We’ve done a lot of work in preparation that was good. It was not a waste of taxpayers’ dollars,” Hollinger said.
He admitted that the CDC felt Ohio went overboard on protocols and procedures.
“We just felt it was good practice for us and we thought it was really being safe,” Hollinger said. “It made the people feel better.”
Even though the nurse that had traveled to Akron from Dallas did not present with symptoms until she returned to Texas, Hollinger believed it had been a good learning experience for the Buckeye State’s healthcare systems.
“Everybody on the plane was safe; everybody in Ohio was safe,” Hollinger said. “We really don’t have a lot to be concerned about but it was a very good exercise for public health. It gave us a chance to work out some kinks on how we would handle Ebola.
“Could Ebola come around again?” Hollinger asked. “Sure, it could come around again.”
But Hollinger wasn’t too worried. He said the United States may periodically see a few cases of Ebola on its shores but the virus would be controlled.
A vaccine is currently being developed in Canada but it has not reached the phase to be tried on humans. A physician that survived the virus has extremely high antibody levels that are being used on other patients that have contracted Ebola and have the same blood type.
Four pieces of legislation were passed by Council.
• Ordinance 43-2014 created a 2015 Victims of Crime Act fund, a Victim Advocated category, and a personal services line item. It also created a Victim Advocate category and personal services line item within the General Fund Program VII – General Government.
• Ordinance 44-2014: Appropriated $1,000 within the Planning Commission and $1,000 Zoning Board of Appeals to cover salaries and benefits to year-end.
• Ordinance 45-2014: Made various transfers, including a $40,000 transfer of funds to purchase a new police vehicle at a reduced price.
• Resolution 220-2014: Accepted the Crawford County tax rates for 2015 property taxes.
In other council news, representatives from the Michael Taylor Foundation informed council about its upcoming “A Community Strong Event” on Oct. 25. The Michael Taylor Foundation was created in honor of a nephew who had committed suicide and another family member who was murdered. It supports families of victims that have lost their lives. The Community Strong Event will take place from 8 – 11 p.m. at Dillinger’s Event Center.