WRHA issues Ebola policy; ER patients to be asked for travel history
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/10/2014 (4322 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Winnipeg hospitals will be asking for your travel history if you come into one of the six emergency rooms with possible symptoms of the Ebola virus.
The new policy from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority was announced this morning. Patients who require medical advice or receive care in the community health centres will be asked to provide detailed information about any recent travel they may have done from attending medical staff.
Given recent events in the United States, in which a Dallas man and an NBC news cameraman were diagnosed with Ebola after visiting West Africa, the new policy is a preventative, pre-screening measure.
Initial symptoms of the Ebola virus include fever, chills, muscle ache, headache, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
The WRHA said they are not actively screening patients for the Ebola virus.
“We do not want patients or clients to be alarmed when asked for their travel history,” WRHA Emergency Response and Patient Transport chief operating officer Helen Clark said in a statement. “Getting information about the travel history of patients showing symptoms consistent with (Ebola) is critical information to help us assess health risk and determine the right course of response and treatment.
“Only patients presenting to emergency departments or to their primary care providers with symptoms possibly consistent with (Ebola) should expect to be asked to provide information on their recent travel history to determine the right course of treatment and response.”
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the public health risk for Canadians due to the Ebola virus remains very low. Risk is greater for Canadians who provide medical care to infected individuals as part of the response efforts in West Africa.
The WRHA says Winnipeg emergency rooms recorded over 285,000 visits last year.
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History
Updated on Friday, October 3, 2014 12:51 PM CDT: Corrects acronym