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http://m.wsvn.com/article.html#!/108324/bf2d8fd46deeeca71dcaa6cb15596867
West African child hospitalized locally amid Ebola concerns
Sun, 05 Oct 2014 21:14:17 UTC
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A boy under the age of 18 who traveled to South Florida from West Africa and fell ill with flu-like symptoms early Sunday morning was admitted to one local hospital, then transferred to another. He is undergoing tests to determine whether or not he has the Ebola virus, sources said.
According to a source, the child was reportedly visiting South Florida and was in the area for some time. The source added that it is unlikely the child's illness is Ebola.
The patient was admitted to Mount Sinai Medical Center around 3 a.m., where doctors said they took every necessary precaution.
Around 3:30 p.m., at Miami Beach Fire Station No. 2, crews in hazmat suits covered an ambulance with plastic in order to transport the child to the emergency room at Holtz Children's Hospital, located near Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. He reportedly arrived there around 5 p.m.
Crews said, in the hour leading to the child's transport, authorities and officials were spotted gearing up in hazmat suits to prepare for the patient's arrival. Immediately after he was admitted, health officials mopped up the floor.
Jackson Health System spokesperson Edwin O'Dell released a statement which reads, "Jackson has been publicly forthcoming in asserting in asserting our confidence and readiness, and that we have established and tested protocols to deal with infectious diseases in general and with Ebola in specific. We will do everything to ensure safety and treatment for all of our patients. Jackson takes patient privacy seriously and will not release information without consent."
At Miami-Dade Health Department in Doral, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine was briefed by health officials. He told 7News it is highly unlikely the child has Ebola. "We have a young person on vacation with his family who didn't feel good in the middle of the night, was admitted to Mount Sinai," he said.
"It's highly unlikely that there's anything more here than a flu," Levine continued, "but we want to be very proactive, very progressive."
Levine praised the response from the different departments involved in transporting the child, including City of Miami Police, Miami Fire Rescue and Miami Beach Fire Rescue. "We had our fire department, our police department and our emergency operations center just to make sure that this is nothing more than what the [Florida] Health Department feels it is, which is highly likely, based on what they tell us, nothing more than a flu," he said.
Levine declined to give any more details about the child's symptoms, but said, "From what we have been told from the Florida Department of Health and the [Centers for Disease Control], very, very, extremely low risk."
Levine said the boy is currently undergoing tests to determine whether or not he has Ebola. "They're doing testing, and as soon as they the results of those tests, I'm sure everybody will know what the results are," he said, "but at this point, there's really no concern. We've taken all the necessary precautions. We've quite a protocol in Miami Beach."
Florida Gov. Rick Scott released a statement on the matter which reads in part, "It's important to point out that this patient did not meet the CDC case definition for Ebola, but the test is being conducted out of an abundance of caution and health officials expect the test to rule out Ebola."
In the statement, Scott said that the Florida Department of Health has requested an additional 30 Ebola testing kits from the CDC. The kits will be used by hospitals across the state to test any person suspected of having the virus.
The boy is undergoing an initial test that will take five or six hours to yield a result. Regardless whether or not he tests positive for Ebola, a more definitive test will be performed by the CDC. Results from the latter test will be available in two to three days.
Speaking with 7News on Wednesday, Dr. Abdul Memon, Chief Medical Officer for Disaster and Emergency Preparedness at JMH, said, "It is possible in the long run, there may be a couple of [local Ebola] cases."
However, Memon stressed there is no need to worry, saying he is prepared for such a scenario. "This is the hospital's gear," he said as he took the protective clothing from plastic bags.
Medical staff dealing with potential Ebola patients would be requited to put on a gown that no liquid can pass through. Goggles cover their eyes and masks go over their noses and mouths. Even their shoes are covered to prevent infection.
Memon said all patients coming into his emergency room and trauma center are asked their travel history. If they say they have been to an Ebola-plagued country, they will be screened for the virus. Nevertheless, he stressed there is "no need to panic."
So far, the CDC has not boosted the screening of passengers at U.S. airports. Officials said the number of people flying in from Ebola-ravaged countries is minuscule.
However, Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious diseases professor at Florida International University, said screening is key. She just returned from West Africa, and thinks health officials should monitor everyone flying in from that region.
Marty nevertheless said Ebola will not spread in the U.S. the way it's plaguing parts of Africa. "We have a tremendous amount of resources here that they don't have," she said.
http://m.wsvn.com/article.html#!/108324/bf2d8fd46deeeca71dcaa6cb15596867
West African child hospitalized locally amid Ebola concerns
Sun, 05 Oct 2014 21:14:17 UTC
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- A boy under the age of 18 who traveled to South Florida from West Africa and fell ill with flu-like symptoms early Sunday morning was admitted to one local hospital, then transferred to another. He is undergoing tests to determine whether or not he has the Ebola virus, sources said.
According to a source, the child was reportedly visiting South Florida and was in the area for some time. The source added that it is unlikely the child's illness is Ebola.
The patient was admitted to Mount Sinai Medical Center around 3 a.m., where doctors said they took every necessary precaution.
Around 3:30 p.m., at Miami Beach Fire Station No. 2, crews in hazmat suits covered an ambulance with plastic in order to transport the child to the emergency room at Holtz Children's Hospital, located near Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. He reportedly arrived there around 5 p.m.
Crews said, in the hour leading to the child's transport, authorities and officials were spotted gearing up in hazmat suits to prepare for the patient's arrival. Immediately after he was admitted, health officials mopped up the floor.
Jackson Health System spokesperson Edwin O'Dell released a statement which reads, "Jackson has been publicly forthcoming in asserting in asserting our confidence and readiness, and that we have established and tested protocols to deal with infectious diseases in general and with Ebola in specific. We will do everything to ensure safety and treatment for all of our patients. Jackson takes patient privacy seriously and will not release information without consent."
At Miami-Dade Health Department in Doral, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine was briefed by health officials. He told 7News it is highly unlikely the child has Ebola. "We have a young person on vacation with his family who didn't feel good in the middle of the night, was admitted to Mount Sinai," he said.
"It's highly unlikely that there's anything more here than a flu," Levine continued, "but we want to be very proactive, very progressive."
Levine praised the response from the different departments involved in transporting the child, including City of Miami Police, Miami Fire Rescue and Miami Beach Fire Rescue. "We had our fire department, our police department and our emergency operations center just to make sure that this is nothing more than what the [Florida] Health Department feels it is, which is highly likely, based on what they tell us, nothing more than a flu," he said.
Levine declined to give any more details about the child's symptoms, but said, "From what we have been told from the Florida Department of Health and the [Centers for Disease Control], very, very, extremely low risk."
Levine said the boy is currently undergoing tests to determine whether or not he has Ebola. "They're doing testing, and as soon as they the results of those tests, I'm sure everybody will know what the results are," he said, "but at this point, there's really no concern. We've taken all the necessary precautions. We've quite a protocol in Miami Beach."
Florida Gov. Rick Scott released a statement on the matter which reads in part, "It's important to point out that this patient did not meet the CDC case definition for Ebola, but the test is being conducted out of an abundance of caution and health officials expect the test to rule out Ebola."
In the statement, Scott said that the Florida Department of Health has requested an additional 30 Ebola testing kits from the CDC. The kits will be used by hospitals across the state to test any person suspected of having the virus.
The boy is undergoing an initial test that will take five or six hours to yield a result. Regardless whether or not he tests positive for Ebola, a more definitive test will be performed by the CDC. Results from the latter test will be available in two to three days.
Speaking with 7News on Wednesday, Dr. Abdul Memon, Chief Medical Officer for Disaster and Emergency Preparedness at JMH, said, "It is possible in the long run, there may be a couple of [local Ebola] cases."
However, Memon stressed there is no need to worry, saying he is prepared for such a scenario. "This is the hospital's gear," he said as he took the protective clothing from plastic bags.
Medical staff dealing with potential Ebola patients would be requited to put on a gown that no liquid can pass through. Goggles cover their eyes and masks go over their noses and mouths. Even their shoes are covered to prevent infection.
Memon said all patients coming into his emergency room and trauma center are asked their travel history. If they say they have been to an Ebola-plagued country, they will be screened for the virus. Nevertheless, he stressed there is "no need to panic."
So far, the CDC has not boosted the screening of passengers at U.S. airports. Officials said the number of people flying in from Ebola-ravaged countries is minuscule.
However, Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious diseases professor at Florida International University, said screening is key. She just returned from West Africa, and thinks health officials should monitor everyone flying in from that region.
Marty nevertheless said Ebola will not spread in the U.S. the way it's plaguing parts of Africa. "We have a tremendous amount of resources here that they don't have," she said.