After a nurse contracted Ebola in Dallas, the UF community is preparing for a potential outbreak.
The New York Times reported Sunday that a nurse at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital was the first person to contract Ebola within the U.S., the second diagnosed and the first confirmed case of infection by contagion.
“There is no reason to panic,” said Paul Psychas, an assistant professor at the UF Eastside Community Practice.
He said the people most at risk are the health care workers.
“Ebola is highly infectious even if someone is quite careful,” Psychas said. “Even a slight mistake can lead to infection.”
According to The New York Times, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that health officials check the protective gear available to health workers for treating Ebola patients and place them into more specialized facilities with containment units.
Psychas said preparation and protocol are key in fighting the virus. He said that UF Health on-campus facilities as well as UF Health Shands Hospital are actively preparing for the possibility of an Ebola case.
“We are taking every step necessary to be sure we are ready,” Psychas said. “Drills and trainings are ongoing.”
Nurses, doctors and other health care staff are being trained to recognize possible cases of Ebola and to check people that have been traveling to Dallas and to countries where the virus has traveled.
UF Ebola study group member Cassidy Howell, a 21-year-old international studies senior, said the most important aspect in the fight against Ebola is fighting rumors and the lack of information.
“A lot of uninformed people have begged for a travel ban,” she said. “As students we can educate the public about the truths of Ebola.”
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 10/14/2014]
