EMS strategies for Ebola with Dr. Alex Isakov

This episode of EMS One-Stop with Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.  In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Dr. Alex Isakov, executive director of Emory’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) and professor of emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Isakov also leads the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) EMS workgroup developing education and resources to improve EMS and community disaster resilience. Rob and Dr. Isakov discuss the current Ugandan Ebola outbreak and the implications and risk of spread to the U.S.   On September 20, 2022, Uganda announced that it had an outbreak of Ebola virus with the Sudan strain, which has now spread amongst five of its administrative districts. The case and death count, as of October 12, 2022, was 74 total cases (54 confirmed) and 39 deaths (19 confirmed). As a result, the U.S. has issued a Health Advisory Network (HAN) Travel Alert Level 2 and HAN Health Advisory for healthcare workers to be aware of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, monitor for symptoms consistent with Ebola, and utilize best practices if there are any signs that someone might be experiencing an illness consistent with it. The tactics to identify, isolate, and inform are discussed as well as reminder about PPE requirements. Rob and Dr. Isakov also conduct an additional roundup on the current situation on COVID and Monkeypox.  Additional EMS resources CDC: Guidance for Emergency Medical Services and 911 communication centers CDC: Guidance for developing a plan for interfacility transport of persons under investigation or confirmed to have Ebola virus disease in the United States NETEC: EMS Infectious Disease Playbook NETEC: Considerations for safe EMS transport of patients infected with Ebola virus NETEC: Transport and management of patients with confirmed or suspected Ebola virus disease NETEC: Ebola - Knowledge resources for responders NETEC: Regional Transport Ebola Tabletop Exercise Template