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In recent polling, a full 75 percent of physicians favor a travel ban from West Africa until the Ebola outbreak is better controlled.
The Sermo Physician Poll asked, “Do you believe all travel from West Africa should be halted to the US?”
- 75% Yes
- 25% No
With a total of 1,312 votes taken from October 3rd through October 10th, 2014.
Stopping Travel from West Africa
While 75 percent of physicians supported the ban, many wanted an exception for humanitarian aid. James Wilson, MD, Vice President of Ascel Bio and an infectious disease forecaster said, “We still need to get supplies, medical aid, and health care workers into the hot zones to help prevent the spread of the disease. We need to treat the people who need it most to prevent the virus from going global.”
Wilson also noted travelers from West Africa are actively traveling to South America, and trying to enter the U.S. from the South. “Ascel Bio has received several reports of West Africans arriving in South America. There is now a suspect case of Ebola in Brazil. The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Patrol have claimed they intercept illegal immigrants from West Africa, who attempt to enter the United States via the southern states. The prospect of a surprise translocation of Ebola becomes far more complicated when examining these data points.”
One vascular surgeon who supports a travel ban wrote, “What we know for sure is the current screening methods used before leaving West Africa (questionnaires and temperature checks) don’t work all the time. That’s been proven in Dallas. Here’s an instance where preventative measures can make a huge difference in limiting the spread of this virus.”
A physiatrist expressed a common concern about travel and the movement of people who feel threatened if a ban comes to fruition. He wrote:
“The problem with banning travel from a specific location is it creates fear and desperation in the people from that area, causing them to find alternate ways to get wherever they wanted to go. But now they have to hide where they came from, making epidemiological efforts difficult or impossible if they do get sick. It’s not very hard to find an alternate travel route, and the more circuitous the route, the more potential exposures along the way. We just need to take this opportunity to learn to deal with this type of problem. More examples are inevitable as global travel is only going to increase.”
Ebola Preparedness In the US
The same poll asked physicians about preparedness in the US after the Dallas patient. The question asked:
Do you believe the experience of Dallas will significantly alter our medical preparedness writ large in America?
- 56% Yes
- 44% No
Physicians discuss preparedness training in detail on the Sermo Infectious Disease Hub. Our doctors share information from their local officials and also discuss best practices on site among dozens of infectious disease experts. There are many things to consider including contacts in the community, proper isolation of suspected Ebola patients and even the handling of testing equipment.
Wilson wrote about the testing equipment in Dallas, “There was a comment in the reporting on the recently deceased Ebola patient that on his first visit his blood was drawn, and routine labs were performed. Implying, samples were sent back for routine processing in the main laboratory for CBC and chemistries.
Beyond the obvious concern of unnecessary exposure of the phlebotomist and laboratory staff, along with infection control considerations during sample prep, the key question was how the automated machines handled the specimen… with a specific eye towards inadvertent aerosolization of the specimen.”
As a physician, have you had Ebola preparedness training? Are there other infectious diseases that you are worried about such as EV-D68? If you’d like to discuss this more you can join the Sermo community, and join the conversation.
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