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Wood County Health District working with partners on preparedness efforts for Ebola
Bowling Green, OH - Wood County Health District is monitoring the situation and is in close contact with Ohio Department of Health and reviewing information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) daily. As the situation evolves, the CDC guidance may change. We will continue to work to keep everyone informed.
The Wood County Health District has met and will continue to meet with public health partners, including the Wood County Hospital, Wood County Emergency Management Agency, BGSU and other agencies and organizations, to discuss potential scenarios and response plans.
The Health District has taken an active role in seeking and sharing the latest information with our partners, including sharing the latest screening guidance with area physicians’ offices and the Wood County Hospital. The Health District is also working on sharing guidance with Wood County EMS, Law Enforcement and other First Responders.
The CDC information states that the virus is transmitted by blood and body fluids or items that have contacted blood or bodily fluids of a person sick with Ebola. People are not able to spread the virus until they begin showing symptoms.
Flu season is approaching so there will be people with fevers and some symptoms that are similar to those of Ebola but the important point to remember is that people who have traveled to certain countries in West Africa, healthcare providers who have treated Ebola patients and others in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with the blood or body fluids of the Ebola patient. There are no active Ebola cases in Ohio.
Based on the current CDC guidance, healthcare workers and first responders are advised to treat people they suspect as having Ebola virus as they would with other potentially infectious diseases that are spread through body fluids such as HIV or Hepatitis.
This is a good time for health care employees and first responders to review their response plans, update any screening tools, refresh blood borne pathogen training, and review proper methods of putting on and taking off personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves and to practice proper use of personal protective equipment.
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