From the desk of Senator Royce West: My continued thoughts and - TopicsExpress



          

From the desk of Senator Royce West: My continued thoughts and prayers are with the Duncan family. As a member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, I want to make certain that the constituency of Senatorial District 23 receive timely and accurate information on Ebola and what is occurring in Dallas. Ebola is spread only through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids or exposure to contaminated objects, such as needles. It cannot be spread simply by being near someone who is infected, and people become contagious only after they begin to have symptoms. Ebola symptoms most commonly become apparent 8 to 10 days after exposure. The entire window is 2 to 21 days after exposure. The federal CDC provides a defined set of criteria for determining whether a patient should be tested for Ebola, including: temperature of 101.5 F, travel to an affected country in the last 21 days, and direct contact with a person with suspected or known Ebola. When a provider is considering the possibility of Ebola in a patient, the local health department and DSHS are consulted. DSHS is contacting CDC in each situation to ensure Ebola testing kits are being used responsibly, and that testing is in line with CDC criteria. An incident command structure (ICS) has been enacted to allow for an organized and methodical response to the Ebola case. The ICS is led by Dallas County, and includes DSHS, CDC, and Regional Advisory Council (RAC) representation. At the same time, the State Medical Operations Center (SMOC) at DSHS in Austin was activated to facilitate communication and requests to the state. Dallas-area hospital are currently screening everyone who presents at the emergency room. Patients are asked the following questions: •In the last 21 days, did you travel to outbreak affected West African Countries (Guinea; Sierra Leone; Liberia; Lagos, Nigeria; or Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal)? •In the last 21 days, did you come in direct contact with an Ebola infected person in Dallas? State and local officials are continuing to monitor 48 people who came into contact with the Dallas patient before he was isolated.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 20:53:48 +0000

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