Huge airport screening arrivals over Ebola outbreak | World | News
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began screening select travelers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday, May 20, as health officials battle the outbreak.
The move follows the CDC’s announcement a few days ago that US passport holders who have traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the past three weeks will be barred from entering the country. The restriction will remain in effect for at least 30 days, according to an order the CDC issued Monday.
Ebola is a highly contagious disease transmitted through contact with body fluids. It causes often fatal hemorrhagic fever, rapid multiple organ failure, and internal or external bleeding.
“Ebola is one of the most infectious diseases there is. I’m not an alarmist, but I am very concerned,” said Dr Tyler Evans, chief executive of the Wellness Equity Alliance.
Ebola cases continue to proliferate in parts of East and Central Africa, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
At least six Americans have reportedly been exposed to Ebola.
After the WHO warned about the “scale and speed” of the epidemic, an American doctor who caught Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was transferred to Germany for treatment with his wife and four children. Federal health officials have confirmed that screening procedures at busy O’Hare airport are designed to stop the virus from reaching the United States.
People who have visited Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo or South Sudan in the past 21 days are denied entry unless they hold U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. Returning citizens and permanent residents from these countries must undergo enhanced screening protocols at the airport.
Authorities monitor passengers’ temperatures, ask about possible exposure and collect contact tracing details.
Anyone showing symptoms or having a fever will be taken to the airport quarantine facility for further evaluation.
If all is well, the traveler will receive a care kit with guidance on checking their temperature twice a day for the next three weeks.
US President Donald Trump He confirmed on Tuesday that he was concerned about the Ebola outbreak.
When asked by a reporter about his concerns about the virus, Trump responded: “[I] I definitely am.
“I think it’s limited to Africa right now, but it’s something that’s exploding.”
