Ebola in NY is fast becoming a concern amongst residents after a U.S. citizen who visited West Africa last month became sick and is now in U.S. land. New York Health Department officials said the man is currently being tested for Ebola and that there is no need for concerns over Ebola in NY as the patient had none of the known risk factors for the disease.
However, heightened concern over Ebola in NY has led to three hospitals in New York City raising their alarms, reports the New York Times. So far, no cases of Ebola have turned up.
According to Time, the man arrived at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan late Sunday with a high fever and stomach problems, causing some people to be alarmed over possible spread of Ebola in NY. The New York Health Department said however that the man is unlikely to be suffering from the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, BBC reports that Mount Sinai hospital doctors say that a definite answer will be provided by Tuesday morning.
Dr Jeremy Boal, Mount Sinai's chief medical officer told reporters, 'Odds are this is not Ebola.'
According to doctors, the patient told the hospital staff that he had recently travelled to a West African country where Ebola was reported. The patient was put in isolation after seven minutes of entering the facility to prevent possible spread of Ebola in NY, reports Time.
As of the current moment, the man is undergoing tests for Ebola. Other illnesses that could have caused the symptoms are also being looked into as well to prevent Ebola in NY, according to The New York Times.
According to officials, they expect test results for Ebola to be returned within 24 to 48 hours.
President and chief operating officer at Mount Sinai, Dr. David Reich, told TIME that in light of the recent Ebola in NY news last week and over this past weekend, the hospital is preparing for what it would do upon actually receiving a patient with Ebola.
According to Time, Reich mentioned immediate isolation and strict infection-control procedures.
He said, 'We are very pleased our staff reacted immediately based on their initial screening.'
Hospital officials said in a statement to employees that Ebola is only spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. According to the NY Times, infection control measures are currently implemented in order to protect patients and staff members from infection and in general prevent Ebola in NY.
Mount Sinai said in a statement, 'All necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of all patients, visitors and staff.'
According to Reich, the hospital is also well equipped and experienced when it comes to infectious diseases, and thus Ebola in NY cannot happen easily.
He stated, 'In terms of contagious disease, the measles is in many ways much more contagious than this.'
To prevent spread of Ebola in NY, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued instructions to all the city's hospitals that each patient entering with fever, headache and other symptoms associated with Ebola must be asked to queries.
First, 'Have you traveled to or from West African countries in the last 10 days?' And the second is 'Have you been in contact with an Ebola patient or with anyone who has been in contact with an Ebola patient?'
CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden told reporters late last week, 'Any advanced hospital in the U.S., any hospital with an intensive-care unit has the capacity to isolate patients.'
Health care workers in U.S. hospitals are complete with the proper resources to keep themselves adequately protected while treating patients, therefore the spread of Ebola in NY is quite unlikely.
According to the BBC, the two Americans thought to have Ebola have already been evacuated from Liberia.
The Associated Press also reported, that Nancy Writebol boarded a plane from Liberia bound to Atlanta for treatment on Monday.
Dr Kent Brantly, another American infected with the virus arrived in US soil and is said to be improving while in isolation at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
The current deadly outbreak of Ebola in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone has infected more than 1,300 people and has killed at least 887 people.
There is no cure or vaccine yet for Ebola, but patients reportedly have higher chances of survival if treated early.
Ebola in NY is highly unlikely and the risk of the disease spreading is minimal. Since Ebola is not airborne and spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, chances of it spreading in the West Coast is minimal even if there was a patient with the disease in the country.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
