We understand the concern many have over the Ebola virus, and we want to provide an update on Forrest General’s infectious disease protocols.
Forrest General Hospital has a plan in place to address Ebola. Training and drills have been underway to assure staff that safety measures are in place for their protection and the protection of patients. A safe environment for both employees and patients is the number one priority. Plans will continue to be adjusted as new information is provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Officials state that issue or crisis management and infection control protocols are nothing new to the healthcare environment. Plans are continually reviewed and drills conducted to ensure that employees are prepared to respond.
Education is important in identifying and controlling the spread of the disease. According to the CDC, Ebola virus is not spread through casual contact, air, water or food grown or legally purchased in the United States.
How does the virus spread?
Direct contact with:
- Bodily fluids of a person who is sick or has died from Ebola. (blood, vomit, urine, feces, sweat, semen, spit and other fluids)
- Objects contaminated with the virus (needles and medical equipment)
Early symptoms
Ebola can only be spread to others after symptoms begin. Symptoms can appear from 2 to 21 days after exposure.
Forrest General is following the protocols of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and encourages everyone to be educated on the symptoms and criteria of Ebola as listed below:
Fever of greater than 38.6 degrees Celsius or 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and additional symptoms such as severe headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or unexplained hemorrhage AND travel to West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone or other countries where EVD transmission has been reported by the World Health Organization) within 21 days (3 weeks) of symptom onset.
Protect yourself from Ebola
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Do NOT touch the blood or bodily fluids (urine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat and semen) of people who are sick.
- Do NOT handle items that may have come in contact with a sick person’s blood or bodily fluids, like clothes, bedding, needles or medical equipment.
- Do NOT touch the body of someone who had died of Ebola.
What to do if you are exposed to Ebola
According to the CDC, Ebola only spreads with people are sick. A patient must have symptoms to spread the disease to others. After 21 days, if an exposed person does not develop symptoms, they will not become sick with Ebola.
If you have travelled to an area with an Ebola outbreak or had close contact with a person sick with Ebola, get medical care RIGHT AWAY if you experience any signs or symptoms of the virus.
Tell your doctor about your recent travel to West Africa or contact with a person who was sick with Ebola and your symptoms BEFORE you go to the doctor’s office or emergency room. Calling before you go to the doctor’s office or emergency room will help the staff care for you and protect other people.
Learn more about Ebola by visiting forrestgeneral.com and clicking on the Fast Command link located at the top of our homepage.