Juan Luis Hospital Prepares For Ebola

There are no confirmed cases of Ebola in the Virgin Islands, but the Juan F. Luis Hospital is leaving nothing to chance. On Wednesday, along with with the VI Government and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Juan Luis CEO Dr. Kendall Griffith reassured residents of St. Croix that the hospital was taking precautionary steps in an effort to preempt any potential case of the deadly disease.

“Realizing the community’s concerns about the potential threat of Ebola, we are reassuring residents of our collaborative measures to prevent the spread of the disease,” Griffith said. Adding that “there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in the Territory,” Griffith said the hospital is “taking proactive steps as healthcare providers and informing the public of our efforts.”

In relation to the preparedness of Juan Luis Hospital, Griffith said he and his team has been “finalizing protocols and taking precautions in the event that an individual presents with Ebola-like symptoms.” The doctor also pointed out that the proper steps “to ensure that we have the infrastructure in place to respond safely and effectively to mitigate the risk of the virus spreading” have been taken, meeting with stakeholders in an effort to foster seamless communication in case of an Ebola outbreak in the territory.

Ebola is an infectious and generally fatal disease marked by fever and severe internal bleeding. It is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids. Its host species is unknown.

Ebola symptoms include:

• Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.

Prevention

• Wash hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid contact with blood and bodily fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick
• Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or bodily fluids
• Do not touch the body of someone who has died from Ebola
• Do not touch or eat bats and nonhuman primates or their blood
• Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated

The Centers for Disease Control has issued a travel warning for countries in West Africa that are currently affected by the Ebola outbreak, including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. US residents are strongly advised to avoid nonessential travel to these destinations. If you must travel (for example, to do humanitarian aid work in response to the outbreak) protect yourself by following CDC’s advice for avoiding contact with the blood and bodily fluids of Ebola patients or those who have died from the virus.