Public health officials are planning to promptly monitor everyone who will arrive in the country from Ebola-stricken places like West Africa. All United States citizens who will arrive in the country from West Africa especially from the three most affected areas like Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone will be tracked. This was an announcement made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last Wednesday.
The policy will start on Monday wherein all individuals coming from Ebola-stricken countries will be Health officials from all sectors are promoting the policy to track everyone coming from countries with known Ebola cases. closely monitored. According to CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, the individuals will have their temperatures taken twice a day and they need to report to local health officials daily. They will be advised of the different signs and symptoms associated with Ebola and they need to report as soon as they will have the said symptoms.
They say that 21 days is the maximum day wherein a person may manifest the said symptoms. This monitoring scheme will make sure that the person, if ever infected, will be isolated and quarantined on the first onset of the disease. Aside from higher chances of survival, there will be less risk for transmission of the virus to other people. The program will focus on six states where majority of people coming from West Africa resides. These states are Maryland, New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Georgia.
The bulk of the travelers coming back to the country are those who are working in the course of the outbreak such as journalists, doctors, nurses and volunteers. They are to leave their contact details when they reach the airport. All contact numbers, addresses and email addresses are to be recorded by health officials.
In related news, the death toll as of the moment reached 4,800 while more than 8,000 were infected. The latest updates on the outbreak shall be reported by the World Health Organization, such as the formulation of two new vaccines.