By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
When news broke Wednesday that a Dallas nurse tested positive for Ebola after traveling to Northeast Ohio last weekend, local health organizations looked to strengthen protocols already in place.
“Everybody had plans in place before this happened,” remarked Tim Flock, director of the Crawford County EMA.
Flock noted that the plans in place had not been specific to Ebola but rather pertained to hazardous emergencies. He added that the plans had been in place for a number of years.
Despite the general plans already in effect, Flock said they are currently in the process of finding and implementing plans specific to Ebola.
Local hospitals will be performing exercises Friday morning to prepare for a possible occurrence of Ebola. Kelby King, the Community Relations and Marketing Manager at Avita Health System, explained that the emergency preparedness exercises were something the hospitals regularly participate in in order to be prepared for natural disasters and diseases. The exercises are recommended by the Ohio Department of Health and must be completed within 48 hours of the recommendation.
Due to Ebola now having connections to Ohio, these exercises would be a timely response to the scare. King said the exercises would test the Galion and Bucyrus hospitals’ procedures and processes.
King noted that Avita Health System has been working on educating its staff on the identification and treatment of Ebola since August. The hospitals have reviewed their isolation procedures and have studied the proper removal of personal protection equipment.
Early symptoms of Ebola are fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, muscle pain, and unexplained bleeding and bruising. King pointed out that Ebola symptoms are the same as symptoms from the flu. The only difference, King said, would be if the person believed to be infected had been in contact with someone who had contracted Ebola or that person had been to the affected countries.
Ebola can only spread after the symptoms begin. Symptoms can appears anywhere from two days to 21 days after exposure.
Small changes will be coming to the Galion and Bucyrus hospitals and clinics in response to Ebola. King said they are establishing an Ebola protocol and increasing the hospitals’ inventory of personal protection equipment. Signage will be going up for patients in the hospitals and clinics identifying the symptoms of Ebola and what to do if you think you have it. The signs also recommend that anyone with possible symptoms should go directly to the emergency room.
Though the Crawford County General Health District is the lead agency in the county when it comes to such matters, Flock said his agency works to help keep the lines open between the Health District, the hospitals, and the EMA.
One of the major issues that has stemmed from the individuals diagnosed in Dallas has been the lack of proper protection equipment for medical personnel. Flock said they are currently reviewing the matter but changes have come down on the type of equipment to be used. He added that they also have to determine who will be paying for the personal protection equipment.
Flock said one of the biggest obstacles they face locally is figuring out what they are going to do with the resources they currently have.
“The more that we can work together, talk together,” the better off we’ll be, Flock said.
The local agencies are currently taking guidance from the Ohio Department of Health and the U.S. Center for Disease Control.
For more information about Ebola, visit the ODH website at www.odh.ohio.gov or the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.