Complete Story
10/16/2014
Second Texas Health Care Worker with Ebola Visited Ohio
COLUMBUS, OHIO – On Wednesday, October 15, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notified state health officials that the second healthcare worker in Dallas diagnosed with Ebola visited family in Akron from October 8-13.
Ohio has acted swiftly and is working with the CDC and Summit County health officials to identify people who may have been in close contact with the healthcare worker and to implement quarantine as necessary. In addition, Ohio is working with the airline to identify individuals on her return flight to Dallas.
“The Ohio Department of Health has been working since July on its preparedness plan in the event that Ohio ever got positive case in the state, and we’re confident in our efforts to respond efficiently and effectively,” said Dr. Mary DiOrio, State Epidemiologist and interim chief of the Ohio Department of Health’s Division of Prevention and Health Promotion.
Contact: Ohio Department of Health Office of Public Affairs (614) 644-8562
The Ohio Department of Health has also activated a 24-hour-a-day call center for Ohioans to ask questions about Ebola and the recent events in the state: (866) 800-1404
We know Ohio’s emergency physicians are committed to the care of the patients in their emergency departments, and are concerned about the “worried well;” the individuals who may arrive to seek care because they are concerned. Most importantly, we know that Ebola is spread through direct contact with:
- The blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola
- Objects (like needles) that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola
- Touching the body of someone who has died from Ebola
Only recent travelers West Africa or individuals with close personal contact with a person sick with Ebola need be concerned.
Links & Resources:
National
- CDC – Guidance for Healthcare Workers
- National ACEP – Healthcare Resources for Suspected Ebola Cases
Ohio
- Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Information for Local Health Departments and Hospitals
- ODH – Ohio’s Ebola Preparedness – Key Points
- ODH – Ohio Department of Health Ebola Infographic
- ODH – News Release: Ohio Department of Health Working with Summit County Public Health Officials and Other Ohio Local Health Departments to Identify Patient Contacts
- Governor Kasich’s Statement on Ebola Response Activities in Ohio
- Ohio Hospital Association statement
- Ohio Division of EMS – Letter to EMS Personnel From Medical Director, Dr. Carol Cunningham