Portneuf Medical Center plans for Ebola

Portneuf Medical Center is hoping for the best but preparing for the worst if the Ebola virus arrives in southeastern Idaho. They have a screening process in place if a patient does come in and there are concerns the patient may have the disease.

The screening starts by asking what countries the patient has been to in the past 30 days. If the patient select countries that are flagged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as being a place for potential exposure, the screening continues, asking details about the visit.

If the patient goes into the hospital with symptoms, a fever being the first symptom, doctors will immediately test and isolate the patient. Joyce Devaud, infection prevention manager, said there are steps in place to make sure it doesn’t spread through hospital staff, either.

“We need to know who’s going into those rooms and who’s coming out of those rooms,” she said. “And we further try to restrict visitation and also try to restrict health care workers going in. Only certain workers will be going in.”

Devaud said it’s very unlikely Ebola will spread in the U.S., especially with many people on alert. She said there is no reason to panic, but just use common-sense ways to keep away disease, like washing your hands.

She said it’s vital to tell your doctor if you’re experiencing symptoms.

For information about how Ebola is transmitted, click here: www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/index.html

To find out what symptoms to be looking for, click here: www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html

To figure out your risk of exposure, click here: www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/exposure/index.html

To navigate information about Ebola, follow this link to the Ebola page on the CDC website: www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html