By Kelly Youngblood
Last week’s news that the first case of Ebola was confirmed in the United States may be alarming to some people and lead others to wonder whether their community is prepared to handle an Ebola patient.
But Julie Pryde, Administrator of the Champaign Urbana Public Health District, says Champaign County residents shouldn’t be concerned because the health professionals in this area are ready in the unlikely event that the virus ends up here.
“I actually do know that we are (prepared),” Pryde said. “If you have an infectious disease, Champaign County is a good place to have it because we are ready.”
A statement from Pryde and the Champaign Urbana Public Health Department was published on the Champaign County Prepares Facebook Page. It says:
“Ebola is very serious disease, but it requires close contact for transmission. This means that while it can certainly travel to Dallas or anywhere on a plane, it will not be spread as rapidly in America because of our infection control measures and extensive public health system.
As with the case in Dallas, if a case were to arrive in Champaign County, I am confident that our local public health system, which includes CUPHD, the hospitals and clinics, EMS, police, fire, local government, Parkland, U of I and others would be able to contain the case and limit the spread. Both hospitals in our community could safely isolate and treat an Ebola patient. Additionally CUPHD has procedures in place and much experience with contact tracing, field follow-up of infectious diseases, and the ability to isolate and quarantine to protect the public’s health.”
Pryde says the CUPHD started preparing for the possibility of Ebola in Champaign County months ago, when the CDC first started talking about the disease.
“Most of what we (at the health district) do is behind the scenes, long before anyone hears about it on the news,” she said.
Pryde advises people not to panic about Ebola, noting unless you’ve been to West Africa recently or been in contact with someone who has, you have little to worry about. She also points out Ebola is spread through contact- it’s not an airborne disease.
Pryde says people should be more concerned about the flu than Ebola and recommends getting a flu shot. “That’s what you’re going to have a problem with here shortly,” she said.