Are Local Hospitals Prepared for Possible Ebola Outbreak?

Health officials are reaching out to as many as 100 people in the Dallas area who may have had contact with Thomas Duncan, the man who is being treated in the U.S. for the Ebola Virus. Because of how easily the virus can spread, News 25 wanted to find out if local hospitals are prepared for an outbreak.

It is being reported that Duncan told nurses on his first visit to the hospital that he had recently traveled from Africa, but was still sent home, potentially infecting others until he was isolated four days later. Thursday, News 25 spoke with a local hospital to learn more about the virus and to see what they’re doing to not make the same mistake.

Jenny Duncan is an emergency room nurse at Garden Park Hospital in Gulfport. She says to never second guess your flu like symptoms, such as vomiting, fever, and aches because they could be warnings of a bigger problem, like the Ebola Virus. Duncan says, "These can be debilitating, you can dehydrate from the nausea and vomiting, basically the Ebola gets to where you have bleeding and you don’t clot very well, so you have patients that, this will be more towards the end of the virus, where you see bleeding from the eyes and other orifices."

Ebola is at this point an incurable virus. It’s very contagious in close quarters, but doctors say just because you come in contact with the virus does not mean you’ll get sick. Duncan also says, "Not everyone that comes in contact is gonna’ get it. It depends on your immune system. You have to think of your very young and very old and your sick patients."

If you are feeling symptoms, the most important thing you can do is be open and honest about those symptoms with your physician and tell them, especially if you’ve been out of the country. Duncan closes, "Let us know all of your symptoms. You know, nothing is too minor or nothing is less important than the other thing, just make sure you let us know if you’ve traveled, that is especially a big factor in that."

Duncan says the hospital is up to date with all of the Department of Health’s protocols when dealing with epidemics. They have isolation rooms ready for anyone they believe may be carrying the virus.

Thomas Duncan’s family is now being quarantined in their Dallas apartment. News 25 will keep you updated if the virus begins to spread.