FORT JACKSON, S.C. (Nov. 13, 2014) -- Soldiers, residents and employees gathered at the Solomon Center last week to discuss preventive measures the installation is taking to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus on post.
A lot of ground was covered during the hour-long meeting, but the takeaway was this: It's unlikely the virus will ever make its way to Fort Jackson.
Still, the transient nature of the installation's population makes it a threat to be taken seriously, said All Hazards Emergency Manager Robert Frazier.
"There are a couple of things I'd like to bring to light about how critical a threat it may be for us, specifically because we're a military community," Frazier said. "Let's think about it: We've got a lot of folks traveling in and out of here on a weekly basis. We're taking a lot of steps to make sure we're keeping you as safe as possible."
The Ebola outbreak has killed thousands of people in infected West African nations this year, said Maj. Christopher Wilson, chief of preventive medicine at Moncrief Army Community Hospital. Although Ebola has been diagnosed in a handful of cases in America, there are numerous reasons why the disease has not spread here the way it has in West Africa.
"A key point is that the health care system in West Africa is very different from the health care system in the U.S.," he said. "The folks here in the U.S. most at risk are health care workers because they're directly involved with caring for (Ebola) patients."
People who live in close quarters with people infected with Ebola also are at risk, he said, but the disease is otherwise very difficult to transmit. In order for a person infected with Ebola to become contagious, he or she must first be ill from the effects of the virus. It takes about three weeks for these symptoms to become visible, by which point the illness is easy to identify.
"Ebola is preventable," Wilson said. "You can avoid exposure very easily just by standard hygiene practices, like washing your hands. It's very difficult to transmit Ebola. You have to have direct contact with body fluids from a patient with Ebola or from someone who's died from Ebola."
Some members of the audience had questions and concerns about how the installation might deal with the virus should it be identified on Fort Jackson. Arriving Soldiers have been screened for the virus since the beginning of October. Wilson said anyone new to the post who had Ebola would have begun to show symptoms of the virus long ago.
Here are some of the questions asked during last week's event:
WHAT IS CONSIDERED "CONTACT?"
"Obviously, there's direct contact with blood or bodily fluids," Wilson said. "Typically, close contact for most contagious diseases would be three feet. You'd need to be within close contact with someone -- within three feet of them -- a lot."
Ebola is not airborne, he said. Simply being near someone with the disease is not enough to transmit it.
HOW DID HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS CONTRACT EBOLA IN AMERICA?
Two health care works in Dallas contracted Ebola from a patient being treated for the virus at a local hospital. Frazier said these people contracted the virus by failing to follow safety protocols.
"They weren't wearing their (Personal Protective Equipment) accurately," Frazier said. "When they removed their PPE, they did it the wrong way."
He said these workers probably touched their faces while removing their gear.
WHY WAS THE MOST RECENT OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA SO LARGE?
"The other outbreaks were in small villages and far removed," Wilson said. "In this case, it made it into a capital city ... when it gets into slums, it just takes off."
He said the West African situation illustrates the difference in health care available in the United States.
"In Dallas and New York, there were just a couple of folks who were in direct contact with those individuals when they were sick," he said. "It's a completely different situation than in West Africa."
DOES FORT JACKSON HAVE SOLDIERS TRAVELING TO OR FROM WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES?
Frazier said there was a screening process for Soldiers coming from that region.
"We know who they are before they come here. And travel restrictions have kicked in," he said.
He also said that international students training at Fort Jackson are not returning once they leave for their home countries.
"Don't be afraid," Frazier said. "We're here to help. The best thing to do if something were to happen is to let us to know what's going on. Stay vigilant."
Related Links:
<b>U.S. Army news, information about Army's response to Ebola threat</b>
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