Health care providers prepare for Ebola and the flu season

Ebola is not an eminent threat to the Pacific Northwest, but healthcare providers at Lincoln Hospital and North Basin Medical Clinics in Davenport, Wilbur, and Reardan and at Odessa Memorial Hospital and Clinic in Odessa are taking steps to be prepared in the event the virus arrives on their doorsteps.

“An outbreak of Ebola virus disease is unlikely to occur in Washington,” said Ed Dzedzy, Lincoln County Public Health Administrator. “We have good infection-control practices, well-trained public health staff and a process for monitoring people traveling from Ebola-affected areas to our state.”

All Lincoln County health care facilities are working with the Lincoln County Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to ensure their staff is trained and proper precautions are taken. Patients at each facility will initially be asked if they have had a fever or have traveled to Ebola-affected countries in West Africa in the last 21 days. It takes anywhere from 2 to 21 days for any symptoms of Ebola to surface. Symptoms include: a fever of 101.5 degrees or higher, headache, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, weakness, stomach pain and lack of appetite. Ebola is spread through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or excretions of a person sick with Ebola.

“At this time, there are no confirmed or suspected cases of Ebola in Washington,” Dzedzy said. “The public health system has enacted an active daily monitoring system for all returning aid workers based on CDC guidelines to prevent further spread in the U.S. We will know if there is someone in our county who could potentially have Ebola.”

Currently, hospital and clinic staff members are being trained on the protocol of caring for a potential Ebola patient. This includes education about the virus and training on the use of special Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) recommended by the CDC. Lincoln Hospital is also taking measures to provide an isolation room for patients with Ebola as a precaution. Both Lincoln Hospital and Odessa Memorial Hospital intend to transfer Ebola patients to a larger facility after they have been diagnosed.

“We’ve taken extensive actions to ensure we’re prepared for Ebola, but a bigger threat to the health of our community right now is the upcoming flu season and, for children, Enterovirus D-68,” said Cheryl Nelson, patient safety manager at Lincoln Hospital in Davenport. “However, having a well-thought-out plan in place if a patient with Ebola walks through our doors is the best form of preparation.”

Nelson encouraged everyone to receive a flu shot this year and to use common sense when dealing with any illness. “Cover your cough, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and, most importantly, stay home if you are feeling ill,” she said.

There have already been confirmed cases of the flu in our region and, according to the CDC, Washington state is currently one of eight states in the nation experiencing an elevated activity level of Enterovirus. Symptoms of Enterovirus include: fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough and body and muscle aches. Severe symptoms include wheezing and difficulty breathing. Infants, children and teenagers are most susceptible to the virus and, like the flu, there is currently no treatment for the respiratory illness aside from managing the symptoms.

North Basin Medical Clinics will be continuing their flu shot clinics in the month of November. Flu shots will be available without an appointment on November 6 at the Davenport Clinic, November 14 at the Wilbur Clinic, and November 20 at the Reardan Clinic. All flu shot clinics are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and clinics will be closed from noon to 1 p.m. for the lunch hour. For more information, call 509-725-7501.

The Odessa Clinic also continues their flu shot clinics, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed for the lunch hour. Walk-ins are welcome, but calling ahead to the clinic is recommended. For more information, call 509-982-2614.

The Lincoln County Health Department is administering flu shots to walk-ins each Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. To schedule an appointment with the health department, call 509-725-1001. All locations charge $25, and the clinics can bill insurance.