The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued an alert yesterday for physicians and other health care providers on thing that should be done if you see a suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patient.
First, health officials say to immediately report to the New York City Health Department (1-866-692-3641) any patient with fever who traveled to Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, or Lagos, Nigeria within 21 days of symptom onset.
Health providers should ask about contact to a suspected or known EVD patient, work in a laboratory or healthcare setting, physical contact with a deceased person, or attendance at a funeral when in an area affected by the EVD outbreak.
The patient should be isolated and evaluated for possible EVD in a single room with a private bathroom, and use standard, contact, and droplet precautions.
To limit exposure to health providers, phlebotomy should be limited, and only perform essential diagnostic and other clinical laboratory tests.
The Health Department will determine if diagnostic testing for EVD is indicated and will package and ship specimens for testing.
For more details on this alert, click here.
