Comm Center Initiates Ebola Cautions

In Steuben County, the County Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Cen­ter has begun imple­ment­ing new pro­ce­dures when tak­ing med­ical calls after recent reports of Ebola both inter­na­tion­ally and here in the United States.

Staff mem­bers already have pre-arrival ques­tion­ing and instruc­tion for med­ical calls. Now how­ever, callers or third-party callers will be asked addi­tional ques­tions if they report flu or flu-like symp­toms, ill­ness or unspec­i­fied ail­ments or any other con­di­tions that may include a pos­si­ble virus or signs of infec­tion or undi­ag­nosed dis­ease.

The ques­tions include whether or not the caller has trav­eled to a coun­try where an Ebola out­break has taken place or if they have a fever of 100.4 degrees or greater.

They will also be asked if they have addi­tional symp­tons such as a severe headache and mus­cle pain. They will also be asked if they have had direct han­dling of bats or non­hu­man pri­mates from disease-endemic areas.

The addi­tional pre­cau­tions are pre­scribed by the Cen­ters for Dis­ease Control.