N.J. HOSPITALS DISCHARGE TRAVELERS HELD FOR OBSERVATION CDC issues honor system self-monitoring kits for Ebola Published: 2 hours ago NEW YORK – The last of three West African patients taken from Newark Liberty Airport to New Jersey hospitals for observation of suspected Ebola symptoms was released last night after test results proved negative, the New Jersey Department of Health confirmed Thursday afternoon to WND. Presently, there are no Ebola-suspected patients in New Jersey hospitals under observation, the department said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention told WND Thursday it is not collecting and releasing information on West African patients detained for health screening at the five U.S. gateway airports selected for international passenger screening. The CDC explained release of public information about Ebola-screened international travelers was not being collected nationally for release to the media. It would have to be obtained by media inquiries addressed directly to each state public health department involved, the agency said. Separately, the CDC released photographs of the components of the CARE, Check and Report Ebola, self-screening kits given to international passengers from West Africa as part of its “honor system” of self-monitoring. Passengers from Ebola-stricken nations are required to communicate daily with health officials after their arrival for 21 days, the top end of the incubation period for the virus. As pictured on the CDC website, the CARE kit consists of a series of information cards explaining the Ebola symptoms, including fever, and providing work pages the traveler can use to record symptoms and temperature readings daily. A digital thermometer is included, along with instructions that travelers who develop a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) should call the appropriate state health department. While the CARE Kit cards say nothing about travel rules, the CDC explained to reporters that West African travelers screened for entry are expected to phone state health departments in advance with any travel plans they may have. State-by-state and hospital-by-hospital procedures The CDC explained to WND that West African passengers hospitalized for observation in airport screening are regulated by state health department procedures and the health monitoring practices of each individual hospital chosen by the state health department for inclusion in the federal air passenger screening process. Federal and state health privacy laws dictate release of patient information. Family, friends and media will have to contact hospitals directly or the relevant state health department to determine the condition of patients hospitalized as a result of federal airport Ebola health screening. Under the current system the Obama administration has put in place, there appear to be no standards for making the Ebola diagnosis and reporting the results to the public. All health-monitoring decisions are to be left to the discretion of the attending physicians and local hospitals, the CDC explained to WND. How fast can hospitals diagnose Ebola? The French Atomic Energy Commission reportedly has developed a device that should allow doctors to diagnose a patient with Ebola in no more than 15 minutes. French pharmaceutical company Vedalab is turning the process into a user-friendly kit called “Ebola eZYSCREEN” that is expected to be available for clinical trials in Ebola-afflicted West African nations by the end of October. Similar to a DIY pregnancy test, the French “Ebola EZYSCREEN” analyzes a small sample of blood, plasma or urine that shows results on a hand-held device. WND has found no Ebola “rapid diagnosis” technology currently available in U.S. hospitals participating in the federal entry screening for Ebola. Read more at wnd/2014/10/n-j-hospitals-discharge-travelers-held-for-observation/#iWJG1FTEkZmJBme6.99
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 03:35:12 +0000
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