ODH still reports no Ebola cases in the state
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Staff report
COLUMBUS
State health officials continue to revise the number of people in Ohio being watched for potential Ebola infections.
And that’s to be expected, they say, as residents who are self-monitoring for symptoms leave the state or return.
One number that has not changed is the instances of confirmed Ebola infections in the state — zero.
As of Tuesday, there were 159 people who had some sort of contact with a Texas nurse who was diagnosed with the virus. Of those, 137 did not have direct contact but were in the vicinity during the woman’s weekend visit to the Akron area.
Fourteen counties, including Mahoning, Trumbull, Geauga and Stark, have seven or fewer contacts, and those figures are not being broken out by county in order to protect the privacy of individual contacts, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Other counties with seven or fewer contacts are: Belmont, Erie, Franklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Lake, Lorain, Putnam, Tuscarawas and Wayne.
Additionally, 18 people who were within a few feet of the Texas nurse were being monitored by public health officials for symptoms. Three people who had direct contact have been quarantined to prevent contact with the public.
The overall numbers were up slightly from Monday’s results, when the Ohio Department of Health reported 142 contacts statewide. Over the weekend, the contact count was 153.
Melanie Amato, spokeswoman for the agency, said the fluctuations are expected, as the state tracks people who had tangential contact with the infected individual.
Those residents are not subject to travel restrictions, so a few have left the state, and a few others have returned.
Amato said the state was reviewing new guidelines for personal protective equipment worn by health-care workers who come into contact with individuals infected with the Ebola virus.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the updated guidance Monday, the same day the Controlling Board approved $500,000 for the state to purchase protective gear and supplies for use by emergency responders and workers at health-care facilities treating any confirmed cases of the virus if hospitals are unable to get the supplies they need.
The ODH is in the process of purchasing the supplies and can update the order to ensure it meets the new CDC protocols, Amato said.