The world is facing the largest and most widespread Ebola outbreak in history. On August 8, 2014, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was declared by the World Health Organization to be a "public health emergency of international concern" because it was determined to be an "extraordinary event" with public health risks to countries around the globe.
Since then, rates of infection have been slowed, and we’re beginning to get the sense that the worst of this outbreak is now behind us. But we’re certainly not out of the woods yet.
In the U.S., ten people have been treated for Ebola at hospitals in five major cities. To date, some estimates put the total number of Ebola cases at over 17,000. Health experts around the world know that now is not the time to let up on measures taken to protect the public.
In Connecticut, theDepartment of Public Health and acute care hospitals, using guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are still busy readying health workers and facilities in the event the deadly virus arrives here. This hour, we talk with those at the helm of our state’s health resources about what “readiness” actually means, and what’s being done locally to keep the public safe.
GUESTS:
- Dr. Jewel Mullen, Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner.
- Dr. Raul Pino, Director of Hartford's Health and Human Services Department.
- Dr. Jack Ross, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Hartford Hospital.
- Dr. Louise-Marie Dembry, Internal medicine and infectious disease specialist atYale New Haven Hospital where she co-directs the hospital's quality improvement support services.