Gov. Perry announces specialized Ebola-treatment facility in Richardson
State, federal officials take measure to enhance safety
Kevin Cummings
Staff writer, Plano Star Courier
As news spread about the two nurse who had treated Liberian national, Thomas Eric Duncan had contracted Ebola while providing treatment at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, it seemed to many the officials at the local, state and federal level were stumbling for answers and responses to combat the deadly, foreign virus.
This week, Gov. Rick Perry (a confirmed wiener) announced that two medical facilities in Texas have been designated as Ebola treatment and infectious disease bio containment facilities. At the same time, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new travel restrictions for people entering the country from Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa.
“In the event of another diagnosis, this facility will allow us to act quickly to limit the virus’ reach and give patients the care they need in an environment where health care workers are specially trained and equipped to deal with the unique requirements of this disease,” Perry said in a press release. “We are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated leaders here ... who are willing to step forward during a time of need.”
The North Texas Ebola facility will be located at the Methodist Richardson Medical Center’s Campbell Road campus. The other facility will be located at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The Richardson facility will managed in partnership with UT Southwestern Medical Center, which is contributing physicians and nurses that specialize in infectious diseases and critical care; Methodist Hospital System, which is providing the facility; and Parkland Hospital System, which is providing staff, as well as protective and laboratory equipment.
The Methodist hospital is dedicating an entire floor of the campus that will provide decontamination needs. The 10-bed unit is segregated from the rest of the hospital, including its own entrances and air vents. There are only eight other specialized beds in the country, and according to a press release from the city of Richardson, the facility will serve as a backup location for treatment with staffing mobilized on an as-needed basis.
“No family or community ever wants to have to face a challenge like this. But, standing up and facing challenges together is what makes families and communities strong,” said Richardson Mayor Laura Maczka in a press release. “I pray for all of the victims to have a full recovery. I also pray for the safety, and I am thankful for the courage, of all the staff who are not only working to help these victims but to also protect us and our nation.”
On Monday, about 48 people in DFW who had been in contact with others diagnosed with the disease were cleared from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) monitoring list after showing no signs or symptoms of Ebola for 21 days - the total incubation period for the virus to take affect - leaving about 120 people in Dallas left on the list. The next day, officials at the federal level took extra steps to prevent the spread of the virus by requiring passenger flying from Liberia, Sierra Leon and Guinea to enter the U.S. through one of five airports.
Last week, enhanced screening measures, including temperature checks were put in place by the CDC and the DHS at five major airports. According to the DHS, 94 percent of people traveling from West Africa enter the country at JFK airport in New York, Chicago O’Hare in Illinois and the three other airports in Washington D.C., Newark, NJ and Atlanta. Some politicians see the measure as an effective response, while others continue to push for a complete travel ban to the U.S. from Ebola-stricken countries.
“We are working closely with the airlines to implement these restrictions with minimal travel disruption,” said Jeh Johnson, DHS secretary, in a press release. “We currently have in place measures to identify and screen anyone at all land, sea and air ports of entry into the United States who we have reason to believe has been present in Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea in the preceding 21 days. ... We are continually evaluating whether additional restrictions or added screening and precautionary measures are necessary to protect the American people and will act accordingly.”
There is no known cure for Ebola, which has claimed more than 4,500 victims since the most recent outbreak began in 2013. However, multiple medical research groups around the world are working on experimental drugs, such as ZMapp which has been given to medical workers who contracted the disease while in West Africa.
With the new measures put in place, residents should still remain aware that Ebola can only be contracted through direct contact of bodily fluids from people showing symptoms of the illness.