Ebola News
Some thoughts on yesterday's conference call on Ebola preparedness-
Yesterday there was a conference call for public officials called by the Department of Public Health and MEMA. It was a productive call. Many public officials, public safety officials raised a lot of good questions about safety protocols and funding to implement these protocols to deal with Ebola.
Some little known facts - in Massachusetts the DPH through local boards of health has the authority to quarantine ANYONE, ANYTIME if a disease dangerous to the public health breaks out in a town.
There are other sections of MGL that relate to quarantine:
As well as MGL Chapter 111 section 94E, 94 G, 95:
Section 95. If a disease dangerous to the public health breaks out in a town, or if a person is infected or lately has been infected therewith, the board of health shall immediately provide such hospital or place of reception and such nurses and other assistance and necessaries as is judged best for his accommodation and for the safety of the inhabitants, and the same shall be subject to the regulations of the board. The board may cause any sick or infected person to be removed to such hospital or place, if it can be done without danger to his health; otherwise the house or place in which he remains shall be considered as a hospital, and all persons residing in or in any way connected therewith shall be subject to the regulations of the board, and, if necessary, persons in the neighborhood may be removed. When the board of health of a town shall deem it necessary, in the interest of the public health, to require a resident wage earner to remain within such house or place or otherwise to interfere with the following of his employment, he shall receive from such town during the period of his restraint compensation to the extent of three fourths of his regular wages; [ sounds good so far....] provided, that the amount so received shall not exceed two dollars for each working day.
One thing should be clear - your local Board of Health has a lot of power.
Two nurses from Dallas have contracted Ebola while following the CDC protocols. CDC allowed one nurse to fly on a commercial flight. Now read the article below in today's Worcester Telegram:
US monitors health care worker aboard cruise ship
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Obama administration officials say a Dallas health care worker who handled a lab specimen from an Ebola-infected man from Liberia who died of the disease is on a Caribbean cruise ship where she has self-quarantined and is being monitored for any signs of infection.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki (SAH'-kee) says in a statement Friday that the woman has shown no signs of the disease and has been asymptomatic for 19 days.
The government is working to return the woman and her husband to the U.S. before the ship completes its cruise. The White House says the State Department is working with an unidentified country to secure their transportation home.
Psaki says that when the woman left the U.S. on the cruise ship health officials were requiring only self-monitoring.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki (SAH'-kee) says in a statement Friday that the woman has shown no signs of the disease and has been asymptomatic for 19 days.
The government is working to return the woman and her husband to the U.S. before the ship completes its cruise. The White House says the State Department is working with an unidentified country to secure their transportation home.
Psaki says that when the woman left the U.S. on the cruise ship health officials were requiring only self-monitoring.
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I think we are on our own as far as Ebola protocols. Let's hope the BOH is up to the task.
During the conference call,I mentioned the UV light robot that has been developed to clean hospital rooms. It works on eliminating Ebola. There are tow that I know of in Massachusetts. I was informed that Ebola is easy to kill using regular disinfecting protocols.
If I were a health care worker, an EMT, and air plane service worker, I would rather have a robot clean the ambulances, hospital rooms and airplanes than risk being infected with Ebola.
Have a great day!
Our good people, who have dedicated themselves to work as part of the Templeton Rescue unit of the Fire Department, and our Police men, do not need any surprises when doing their jobs. Believe it or not there are people who travel for work, and I don't mean riding down Rt.2, but flying around the world for their work. We need to make sure our people can get all of the protective clothing they will need if they ever have to transport anyone who has been contaminated by ebola. I understand there is going to be some protocol for dealing with this problem, so our people are prepared, but we should find a source of funding to make sure the rescue and Police have the protective covering they need. If the money cannot be found locally, I think it would be a good idea to speak with Rep. Denise Andrews to she if can come up with a source. I don't think any of the Fire or Police Departments in our area are any more prepared than we are, to deal with a issue such as this. Our world has become so very small in recent years so it is time for us to be ready for anything that can be thrown at us. I do hope more restrictions are put on people who want to fly home, if they suspect they may have been contaminated. I can understand why they would want to come home, but it is not acceptable to have them put many other people in harms way. The people who work and dedicate themselves to protecting us, deserve the best equipment we can find, and they cannot afford to wait. Bev.
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