FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2014

Contact: John Abplanalp

Community Services Manager

Phone: (360) 740-2787

County officials prepared for Ebola

Chehalis, WA – The current Ebola outbreak has captured headlines and caused public concern ever since the first case in the United States appeared in late September. Even though the disease has not appeared anywhere in Washington State, local health and emergency management officials have prepared Lewis County to ensure public safety if Ebola does arrive here.

“With no active disease anywhere in our state, our most important roles now are to be prepared for it if it comes, and to make the facts about Ebola available to the public,” Lewis County Public Health and Social Services (LCPHSS) Director Danette York said. “There is a lot of misinformation going around. Our job is to do what we can to counter that with facts,” York said.

According to Lewis County Public Health Officer Rachel Wood, M.D., MPH, there is less to be frightened of with Ebola than many other seasonal diseases. She said, “Ebola, while very dangerous, is much harder to transfer from one person to another than whooping cough, seasonal flu, and measles. We’ve seen the proof of this in the fact that only four active Ebola cases have been recorded in the entire population of the United States, despite the scores of people who have had contact with those four individuals.” “At the same time,” she said, “we must be ready for the possibility that Ebola could touch us here.”

People arriving in Washington from one of the Ebola-affected countries are monitored for signs of the disease for 21 days. To date, all have been low-risk for contracting the disease and no one has become sick.

LCPHSS staff track Ebola information from a wide variety of sources daily in order to assist healthcare and other local partners to stay up to date on information and preparations.

“Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers throughout our county have been eager to learn. They have really stepped up to learn what they can about taking care of an Ebola patient, even as remote as that possibility may be,” according to Dr. Wood.

During the past several weeks, Providence Centralia Hospital has made it a priority to increase patient screening in all facilities, and ensure consistent education and training for its caregivers.

“Providence Centralia is working with local agencies and officials, in addition to following Centers for Disease Control guidelines, to respond and protect our patients, staff and the community,” said Providence Centralia Quality Director Gerda Barlow. “Patient and caregiver safety is our greatest priority and we take compliance of infectious disease protocols very seriously.”

If someone who is being monitored by the local health department does begin to show symptoms of Ebola, they will be transported to one of the eight Ebola-treatment hospitals in Washington identified by the state Department of Health (DOH):

  • CHI Franciscan Health (Harrison Medical Center – Bremerton)
  • MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital
  • Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
  • Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
  • Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • Swedish Medical Center, Issaquah
  • Virginia Mason Hospital
  • UW Medicine (Harborview, UW Medical Center, Valley Medical Center)

“Even though the likelihood of a patient with Ebola presenting at Providence Centralia is very low, we have been preparing to respond to this situation,” said Barlow. “After screening and identifying a patient to be at risk for potentially having Ebola, we would immediately isolate the patient and then transfer based on DOH recommendation.”

A specialized team of Providence caregivers have been trained and certified in using enhanced Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) needed when treating patients with Ebola. Training, communication and preparation are ongoing.

“Lewis County Department of Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Office are actively partnering with Public Health & Social Services and assisting with public outreach and training. We are also prepared to activate the Emergency Operations Center as needed in support of any response to this threat,” said Sheriff Steve Mansfield

-More-

Ebola Facts

  • Ebola is almost always spread through direct contact with the blood, body fluids, or secretions of a person sick with Ebola.
  • Ebola cannot be spread by an infected person who is not showing symptoms of the disease.
  • Ebola is not spread through casual contact.
  • Ebola is not spread through water or food grown in the United States.

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