The Ga. Dept. of Public Health (DPH) issued an Oct. 24 update on the Ebola virus for Georgia educators. Students who have traveled to an affected country will undergo the 21-day monitoring by school staff and/or health department staff.
While not a significant change, the update reflects the fluid nature of the presence of Ebola in the U.S. and the ways public health officials are responding.
The update states that if an individual has traveled to an Ebola-affected country and is not presenting any of the usual symptoms of Ebola, it is required that they be monitored for symptoms and temperature daily for 21 days after their return to Georgia.
“This monitoring will be conducted by DPH or your local county health department. Each local school district has the flexibility to decide whether or not to allow a child that is showing no symptoms to return to school during the monitoring period,” DPH said.
Asked about the change in monitoring to include DPH or local health department staff, Fayette school Superintendent Jody Barrow on Monday said school system staff are continuing to meet with local health officials to arrive at a methodology for implementing the criteria specified in the update.
The signs and symptoms of Ebola, which may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure, include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, unexplained, unusual bleeding or bruising and loss of appetite.
The updated advisory also informs educators that, “If someone presents to your school nurse or other school official with any of the symptoms listed above (with or without fever) and they have a travel history to one of the countries affected with Ebola, immediately separate the individual from contact with others and report it to the Georgia Department of Public Health at 1-866-PUB-HLTH.”
Barrow said those with a recent travel history and presenting symptoms at school will be provided curriculum access from home.
DPH asked educators to be diligent carrying out the new recommendations for reporting at-risk individuals.
DPH said the goal of the updated advisory is to keep students, faculty and their families informed about how best to prevent the spread of Ebola.
Pertaining to travelers from Ebola-affected countries, Gov. Nathan Deal on Oct. 27 issued a new policy that includes a more aggressive monitoring procedure.
Travelers will be screened at the airport by quarantine station medical personnel. This screening will include measuring temperature and checking for symptoms of Ebola and history of any exposure to known Ebola patients.
If travelers show symptoms, they will be isolated immediately and transferred to a designated hospital for evaluation. If the travelers show no symptoms, they will be divided into three categories for monitoring. Categories and associated procedures detailed below:
• Category 1, high risk – Travelers with known direct exposure to an Ebola patient. Travelers in this category will be subject to quarantine at a designated facility.
• Category 2, low risk – Travelers from affected area with no known exposure to an Ebola patient. Travelers in this category will sign a monitoring agreement with the Georgia Department of Public Health. This agreement requires travelers to conduct temperature and symptom self-checks twice per day and report results to Public Health once per day (electronic, email or phone contact acceptable). Travelers who fail to report during the 21-day incubation period will be contacted by Public Health and issued a mandatory quarantine order if necessary.
• Category 3 – Medical personnel actively involved in treating Ebola patients returning to the United States. Individuals in this category will be issued a 21-day active monitoring order and will be visually monitored (video communications or home visit) by Public Health twice per day. Public Health will assess for the development of symptoms and adjust restrictions as necessary. Noncompliance will result in quarantine at a state-designated facility.
“We are taking every necessary precaution to ensure that Georgia stands prepared to manage the risks associated with Ebola,” Deal said. “Because Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is one of five points of entry into the United States from affected areas, I have developed, in coordination with my Ebola Response Team, a policy to more aggressively monitor travelers from affected countries, symptomatic or not, and quarantine if need be. We are taking these proactive steps to protect the health of the people of our state, and this new policy is an altogether effective and appropriate response at this time.”
To keep abreast of evolving directives from the CDC, including those found in the CDC website, visit http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html
Barrow has been named by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Ga. Ebola Response Team which was created by executive order on Oct. 20.
