Friday, November 21, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
VT Department of Health: Ebola Update
Vermont Situation Update
The Vermont Department of Health continues to monitor a Vermonter who was voluntarily quarantined beginning on Oct. 27 after returning from West Africa. He is being monitored for fever or symptoms of Ebola.
Preparing for and responding to control the spread of disease is a core function of public health. Even though there is very low risk of Ebola in Vermont, the Health Department, hospitals, health care providers, and responders are preparing to safely respond and manage any suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola.
Related: Vermont is Carefully Montioring Travelers from Ebola-affected Regions (News release 10/8/14)
It's important to know:
http://healthvermont.gov/prevent/ebola/index.aspx
The Vermont Department of Health continues to monitor a Vermonter who was voluntarily quarantined beginning on Oct. 27 after returning from West Africa. He is being monitored for fever or symptoms of Ebola.
Preparing for and responding to control the spread of disease is a core function of public health. Even though there is very low risk of Ebola in Vermont, the Health Department, hospitals, health care providers, and responders are preparing to safely respond and manage any suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola.
Related: Vermont is Carefully Montioring Travelers from Ebola-affected Regions (News release 10/8/14)
It's important to know:
- The risk of Ebola spreading in the U.S. and Vermont is very low.
- You can’t get Ebola from a person who has no symptoms.
- Ebola is spread through direct contact with blood and bodily fluids of a person who is sick with the disease.
- Ebola is NOT spread through the air, water, or food.
http://healthvermont.gov/prevent/ebola/index.aspx
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
CDC: Monitoring Symptoms and Controlling Movement to Stop Spread of Ebola
PURPOSE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance on 10/27/2014 to help protect America from Ebola. This updated guidance focuses on strengthening how we monitor people who may have been exposed to Ebola and how medical professionals will oversee their care and, when warranted to protect the public health or our communities, limit their movement or activities. Through these changes, CDC and state and local health departments seek to support people who may have been exposed to Ebola, while also continuing to stop Ebola at its source in West Africa through the valor of our health care workers who serve. These changes will help ensure their symptoms are monitored and a system is in place to quickly recognize when they need to be routed to care. These actions will better protect potentially exposed individuals and the American public as a whole.
New risk levels were established and I have included the 'Low' and 'No' risk below. Please use the link at the bottom of this post for additional information about the updated guidance.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance on 10/27/2014 to help protect America from Ebola. This updated guidance focuses on strengthening how we monitor people who may have been exposed to Ebola and how medical professionals will oversee their care and, when warranted to protect the public health or our communities, limit their movement or activities. Through these changes, CDC and state and local health departments seek to support people who may have been exposed to Ebola, while also continuing to stop Ebola at its source in West Africa through the valor of our health care workers who serve. These changes will help ensure their symptoms are monitored and a system is in place to quickly recognize when they need to be routed to care. These actions will better protect potentially exposed individuals and the American public as a whole.
New risk levels were established and I have included the 'Low' and 'No' risk below. Please use the link at the bottom of this post for additional information about the updated guidance.
Low risk (but not zero)—
- having been in a country with widespread Ebola transmission within the previous 21 days and having no known exposure
- being in the same room for a brief period of time (without direct contact) with a person showing symptoms of Ebola
- having brief skin contact with a person showing symptoms of Ebola when the person was believed to be not very contagious
- in countries without widespread Ebola transmission: direct contact with a person showing symptoms of Ebola while wearing PPE
- travel on an airplane with a person showing symptoms of Ebola
- contact with a person who is NOT showing symptoms AFTER that person was in contact with a person with Ebola
- contact with a person with Ebola BEFORE the person was showing symptoms
- having traveled to a country with Ebola outbreak MORE than 21 days ago
- having been in a country where there is no widespread Ebola transmission (e.g., the United States), and having no other exposures to Ebola
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Vermont Resident Enters Voluntary Quarantine [Ebola]
The man
had been investigating the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin
announced Tuesday afternoon [10/28/2014] that a Vermont resident has entered
voluntary quarantine after returning from West Africa where he was
investigating the Ebola epidemic. The quarantine was announced during a 2:15
p.m. press conference.
Please use the below link to view
the entire story:
http://www.necn.com/news/health/Vermont-Gov-to-Make-Important-Public-Health-Announcement-280669522.html
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
The Ebola Wars [The New Yorker - Online Article] (with some personal commentary)
Anyone who has been watching/reading/listening to the news knows that Ebola is a huge concern for the entire planet. I feel this article from The New Yorker does an excellent job of detailing the timeline for the most recent outbreak of Ebola, how the disease is transmitted and infects humans and what scientists are doing to find a cure. Sadly many healthcare workers have lost their lives helping infected patients; hopefully the lessons learned from these efforts will contribute to the eventual eradication of this disease. I hope that you all find this article helpful. CSW, RN
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." -- Charles Darwin (The Descent of Man)
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." -- Charles Darwin (The Descent of Man)
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