By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Staff Writer
Hospitals are on high alert now that the first person diagnosed with Ebola inside the United States has died.
Should a case of Ebola be diagnosed in New Jersey, any of the state’s 72 hospitals would be prepared to treat the patient in isolation, according to Kerry McKean Kelly, vice president of communications and member services at the New Jersey Hospital Association.
"New Jersey hospitals are receiving frequent updates and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New Jersey Department of Health," Ms. Kelly said. "They’ve been ramping up for months as they’ve watched the Ebola situation intensify in West Africa. That’s given our hospitals time to review their emergency preparedness and infectious disease policies and protocols, educate staff and make other preparations. Many hospitals also have held special Ebola emergency drills."Locally, Princeton HealthCare System (PHCS) is well prepared to care for patients with Ebola while safeguarding other patients, staff members and visitors from exposure, according to spokesperson Andy Williams.
"Staff at University Medical Center of Princeton (at Plainsboro) have been trained on how to identify and isolate a patient with Ebola while protecting themselves from exposure," Mr. Williams said. "PHCS also has acquired the personal protective equipment recommended by the CDC and trained staff on its proper use and safe disposal. To date, the training has been provided to staff and physicians."
In the Emergency Department (ED), signs have been posted prompting patients who enter the area to put on one of the masks provided and to tell the triage staff if they have recently traveled to an area impacted by the Ebola outbreak or have been in direct contact with a patient who has been diagnosed with Ebola.
"As part of the ED’s triage process, documentation of recent international travel is now required for every patient, and our electronic medical record immediately notifies the nurse and doctor in charge if a patient has traveled to a country affected by the Ebola outbreak," Mr. Williams said.
Staff responsible for purchasing are involved as well, working closely with a local distributor to ensure that the hospital always has the necessary equipment and supplies on hand.
"Our efforts have been directed by a team whose members represent every discipline that might be involved in caring for a patient with Ebola," Mr. Williams said. "Team members met with representatives of our local and state health departments, Princeton University and the CDC while developing our response plan."
The team continues to monitor new developments, particularly guidance from the CDC, and share information with physician practices and EMS squads.
"We have conducted response drills with simulated patients at the hospital, and we plan to hold additional drills to test and refine our plan as long as Ebola remains a threat," Mr. Williams said.As the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever continues to rage in West Africa, 69 percent of New Jersey residents are at least somewhat concerned about the possibility of an outbreak in the United States, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll. More than one-third of residents are paying "very close" attention to Ebola news, while an additional 40 percent are following the story "somewhat closely," according to the poll.
Despite extensive media coverage of the crisis, however, New Jerseyans are uncertain about Ebola’s transmission and treatment. Public health officials explain that Ebola is far less contagious than measles or influenza, but 67 percent of residents believe the virus is relatively easily transmitted, the survey finds. And while there is no cure with patients primarily treated for their symptoms, 39 percent think there is a medicine effective against Ebola, while 40 percent know there is none; another 21 percent are unsure, according to the poll.Also, uncertainty about whether anyone hospitalized for Ebola in the U.S. actually caught the virus here is high with 42 percent thinking the virus has been transmitted on American soil and 45 percent saying, correctly, that this is not the case, according to the poll.
Misperceptions about Ebola are greatest among New Jerseyans paying the most attention, the poll discovers. Those most focused on the news are more than twice as likely as the least attentive residents to think there is an effective medicine, and 13 points more likely to think the virus spreads relatively easily, according to the poll.
Greater attention to the news is also related to stronger concern about a U.S. outbreak. Seventy-six percent of residents following Ebola news very closely are at least somewhat concerned that an outbreak will happen here, compared to 60 percent of those paying relatively little attention, according to the poll."As in national polls, Garden Staters are worried about Ebola, but many do not know basic facts," said David Redlawsk, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling and professor of political science at Rutgers University. "Within the countless hours of media coverage, some hysterical voices are feeding perceptions that Ebola is a huge threat to the U.S. But, so far it is not even close to the threat of death from the flu, which statistics show kills from 3,000 to 49,000 Americans every year."
