Ebola Outbreak Information
Welcome to our information page developed to keep the University of Louisville School of Nursing students, faculty and staff up to date with the quickly changing flow of information regarding the recent Ebola outbreak. Please use this information to keep you and your patients safe and informed. Remember, currently there are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Kentucky or Indiana. The best way to stay safe is to stay informed. There has been a great deal of misinformation in the media as well as in the “rumor-mills”.
In collaboration with the Kentucky Department for Public Health, the Kentucky Board of Nursing is providing the following information to all licensees in order to detect, protect, and respond to the Ebola virus:
Please visit the Kentucky Department for Public Health website at: http://healthalerts.ky.gov/Pages/EbolaInformationforHealthProfessionals.aspx. This website provides the most current information on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) for health professionals. EVD guidance includes:
A. Public health advisories:
- Kentucky Department for Public Health Recommendations for Voluntary Home Quarantine for Health Care Workers Returning from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia
- Kentucky Department for Public Health Recommendations for Enhanced Infection Control Strategies in Healthcare Settings When Providing Care for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed Ebola Virus Disease
- Kentucky Department for Public Health Recommendations for Education and Risk Assessments for Students and Other Personnel for Ebola Virus Disease.
B. Ebola guidelines for Emergency Departments;
C. Screening criteria placards for hospitals and physician clinics;
D. Screening criteria placards for EMS systems; and
E. Ebola travel poster
To report an individual with suspected or confirmed EVD in Kentucky, please make immediate contact with a public health professional at your local or state health department. Afterhours, weekends, and holidays, telephone reports can be made to the Kentucky Department for Public Health at 888-9REPORT (888) 973-7678).
Additional EVD guidance can be found on the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/
Additional information: Recent, unfolding developments related to the care of patients with Ebola and the safety of health care professionals, have prompted several professional associations to update their websites to include relevant Ebola information and resources:
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses Ebola virus disease resources http://www.aacn.org/wd/volunteers/content/ebola-virus-resources.content?menu=aboutus
- American Nurses Association Ebola information and resources http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/WorkplaceSafety/Healthy-Work-Environment/DPR/Ebola-Information.html
- American Medical Association Ebola Resource Center http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/public-health/ebola-resource-center.page
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fact sheet http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/fs1014-ebola-investigation-fact-sheet.html
Ebola Preparedness Webinars from ANA:
Two Complimentary Webinars on Ebola Preparedness – Oct. 28 and Oct. 30
WEBINAR
Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. EDT: Ebola Preparedness and Response: What Every Nurse Needs
to Know
http://goo.gl/u543L7
WEBINAR Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. EDT: Lessons Learned From Texas: How You Can Help
With the Ebola Threat
http://goo.gl/FKFHYq
Revised Travel Guidelines
Our Campus Health staff and others have been monitoring the situation, which has not had an impact at UofL. However, we have revised our travel guidelines for students, faculty and staff to comply with recommendations of the CDC and the Kentucky Department of Health. We also have developed guidelines for healthcare risk management related to the virus. Both documents are attached. They also are available via the following links.
http://louisville.edu/provost/travel/ebola-travel_guidelines
http://louisville.edu/provost/travel/ebola-prevention-and-response-plan
Meetings related to the healthcare risk management are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 24 7:30-9:00 am and 3:00-4:30 pm in 101/102 Kosair Charities Clinical and Translational Research Building, 505 S. Hancock.
