By Gabrielle Martin and Dominic Arthur, Staff Reporters.
The recent outbreak of the Ebola virus has caused Tri-City hospitals and Delta College to prepare for the unexpected.
The nursing program at Delta College is striving to better prepare students to handle a disease such as Ebola.
According to Lori Gagnon, Director of the Nursing program, starting in the Winter 2015 semester, the nursing program may include a simulation of a patient with Ebola in order to teach students how to handle the disease, proper isolation procedures, and use of personal protective equipment.
“We want to be proactive instead of reactive,” says Gagnon.
As stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola is a rare disease that was discovered in 1976 near the the Ebola River in Central Africa. There have been 10,114 cases of the disease and 4,912 deaths as of Oct. 25, 2014.
The disease made headlines in America when Eric Duncan became the first person in the United States with the disease. The Liberian was visiting Dallas when he was diagnosed in September. He died in October, and two of the nurses who had treated him were infected. They have since been cleared of the disease. Meanwhile another doctor in New York City has been diagnosed with the virus after returning from a humanitarian mission in West Africa.
The symptoms of the virus include unexplained hemorrhaging, fever, and abdominal pain. The virus can be spread by coming into contact with contaminated objects such as bedding, clothing, needles and syringes, or by coming into contact with bodily fluids of a person infected with Ebola.
The Veterans Administrations Hospital in Saginaw has an Emergency Management Planning Team for the Ebola Virus.
“We are meeting to plan processes that support the assessment and isolation of Veterans who [come] to our Medical Center believing they have Ebola symptoms,” says Carrie Seward, Public Relations Officer at the VA.
The VA is also dedicated to ensuring that their staff is properly trained in the use of personal protective equipment and staying up to date on current Ebola information. They are anticipating and preparing for different scenarios for the treatment of veterans who test positive for Ebola.
St. Mary’s of Saginaw is also working to minimize the threat of an Ebola outbreak in the area. According to their website, their emergency department staff is using screening tools provided by the CDC to identify patients who may be at risk for Ebola. If a patient is identified as being potentially infectious, protocols are in place to properly use personal protective equipment, place the patient in an appropriate room, and notify the proper authorities.
One way that Covenant Hospital stays prepared is to have all patients who enter the Emergency Care Center that have travelled outside of the United States in the last 30 days wear a mask and report to the triage nurse immediately, according to the hospital’s website.
How can you be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to Ebola? As there is no current FDA approved vaccine for the Ebola virus, the CDC recommends using basic common hygiene procedures such as washing your hands.
They also recommend that if you are traveling to West Africa, monitor your health for 21 days after your return.
