Groveland Twp.-What if the Ebola virus was diagnosed in the township?
It’s a question Oakland County officials recently addressed as the possibility of an outbreak intensifies.
‘It’s not like you have the flu,? said Steve McGee, township fire chief. ‘We needed a plan for responding to infectious diseases. Until the outbreak of Ebola in the United States medical responders were just not trained to contend with such diseases.?
According to news reports and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a man who took a commercial flight from Liberia that landed in Dallas in September was found to have the Ebola virus. He is the first traveler to have brought the virus to the United States on a passenger plane and the first in whom Ebola has been diagnosed outside of Africa in the current outbreak. He died eight days later at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.
Earlier this year Oakland County had seven patients under watch for Ebola. None were in Groveland Township and all the patients have since been cleared following quarantine, added McGee.’After that it just snowballed,? said McGee. ‘In October Oakland County moved forward with a more urgent plan to create a small team of medical personnel to come up with a response procedure for Ebola.?
McGee, along with other county fire chiefs, Homeland Security, Medical Control, public health officials, law enforcement and others gathered to develop a plan to contend with potential Ebola patients.
‘The number of resources required to address the disease is pretty staggering,? he added. ‘Consider there are 14 hospitals in Oakland County that would have to deal with Ebola if a patient comes in’from the emergency room to hospital staff, all could be impacted. Following transport of the suspected patient, the hospitals have to change their procedure. Keep in mind even a chance encounter can spread the disease.?
Infection occurs from direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes with the blood, or other bodily fluids or secretions of infected people.
As a result the Highly Contagious Disease Incident Procedure (HCDIP) was developed over the last few months to contend with the Ebola outbreak.
‘This is all new territory for us here,? he said. ‘We looked at who could possibly come in contact with a patient.?
If a person in Oakland County is suspected of having been exposed to Ebola, first responders will contact a 14 person team which includes medical, HAZMAT and law enforcement.
‘The right people will all be connected on a conference call as to how to treat the patient,? he said. ‘Included is Dr. Steve McGraw of Southfield’s Providence Hospital.?
Included in the procedure is the use of personal protection equipment for police or first responders for those treating the patient. A special suit consists of an impermeable whole-body garment worn as protection against hazardous materials. The plan also includes an iso chamber for transporting victims in a controlled environment.
The county received a grant for $25,000 from Homeland Security to help equip medical personnel.
The first responders cannot draw blood to determine if Ebola exists, he said.
‘The CDC will send a crew to the hospital only if there is a potential case,? he said. ‘It takes 72 hours to determine if it’s Ebola. The blood sample will be taken by law enfrocement to a lab in Lansing where the testing will be done.?
‘The team took a long time to get going,? he added. ‘But we are now ready and even if a case never occurs the strides we’ve made in preparing for such a case has made the community more safe.?