Greenwich Prepares for Possible Ebola Event

In the wake of this week’s Ebola scare at Yale University, Greenwich health and emergency response agencies will be meeting to access local response protocols should there be a suspected case of the deadly virus in town.

Town of Greenwich Health Director Caroline Baisley said Friday that a meeting with representatives from Greenwich Hospital, Greenwich Emergency Medical Service, and the Greenwich Police and Fire departments, as well as her staff will meet by mid-week next week. “This will be a good cross section of all the agencies who would respond and treat a patient,” Baisley said.

The meeting comes at the request of First Selectman Peter Tesei, who in a memo Thursday night said, “The purpose of this meeting is: to review the most up to date protocols from the Center for Disease Control and the State of Connecticut Department of Health and what local measures can be taken to strengthen preparedness for the Ebola virus. … to ensure all our first responders have received their annual N95 mask fitting. … to discuss enacting the measures granted by order of the Governor of the State of Connecticut which gives the Commissioner of the Public Health Department the authority to quarantine and isolate an individual or group of individuals whom they reasonably believe has been exposed to the Ebola virus or infected with the Ebola virus.”

Baisley said that while she believes the chances of a Greenwich resident contracting Ebola are minimal, “Obviously we have to be prepared to care for someone who’s contracted it. It’s not transmitted the way influenza is — it’s not airborne … but I think there is more of a possibility of it — we are in an age of world-wide travel.” There haven’t been any suspected cases reported in Greenwich.

Earlier this week, Connecticut state health officials marshalled forces when Yale-New Haven Hospital reported it admitted a patient exhibiting ebola-like symptoms. The patient, who later tested negative for the disease, is a medical student who returned Monday from a research trip to Liberia. Gov. Dannel Malloy ordered all hospitals statewide to drill for possible treatment of Ebola patients.

Test Shows No Ebola in CT Patient Whose Condition Concerned Doctors

Yale-New Haven Hospital Treating Patient With Ebola-Like Symptoms

Baisley said of next week’s review, “This is a good time to do this — while there is no immediate threat pending on us. But viruses are very unpredictable.” She added, “We have some good guidelines and protocols from the state Department of Health Services and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control).”

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