This digitally-colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicts numerous filamentous Ebola virus particles (blue) budding from a chronically-infected VERO E6 cell (yellow-green).Tennessee Hospital Association President Craig Becker said Friday that hospitals across the state have been holding special exercises and drills to become better prepared for recognizing and treating Ebola.
"With confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States, including cases among healthcare workers, hospitals across the country are on high alert," said Becker. "Tennessee's hospitals are certainly no exception."
Health care workers are now at center of growing Ebola concerns after two nurses caring for Ebola victim Thomas Duncan contracted the virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has said it is rethinking its procedures for healthcare workers treating the disease.
For the past several weeks, Becker said, the hospital group has worked with the Tennessee Department of Health to prepare for a potential Ebola threat. That includes drills for diagnosing and isolating a potential Ebola patient, and practice for removing personal protective equipment, as well as
Becker said that people in the state should, meanwhile, "not succumb to fear of the unknown."
"People in communities across our state are understandably worried and concerned about the evolving Ebola situation, and the leaders and workers in our hospitals recognize and share this concern," he said. "As with any dangerous disease, hospitals, healthcare workers and the public must be educated on how to protect themselves."
Tennessee's hospitals are continuously updating policies and procedures related to infectious disease treatment, he added.
Meanwhile, the American Medical Association released a statement Friday, pushing for a "strong collaborative effort to address this public health threat."
Along with domestic Ebola prevention efforts, the AMA said that containing the outbreak in West Africa, where an estimated 4,500 people have died from the virus, is "fundamental to stopping the spread of this virus," and that the U.S. and the international community need to step up resources to afflicted countries.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates the protocols and procedures involved with patient care and personal protective equipment, we will review and share updated guidance with our collective memberships as it becomes available.
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