There’s still time to ‘control’ Ebola: Dr. Fine

John Howell
Posted 10/7/14

Dr. Michael Fine, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, wouldn’t be surprised if the state had a “couple” of Ebola cases.

If and when that happens, he said, “overwhelmingly, I …

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There’s still time to ‘control’ Ebola: Dr. Fine

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Dr. Michael Fine, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, wouldn’t be surprised if the state had a “couple” of Ebola cases.

If and when that happens, he said, “overwhelmingly, I think we’re ready.”

Fine’s comments came in an interview preceding Thursday evening’s community health forum at the Pilgrim Senior Center. He said the purpose of the forums, which have been held in three other communities to date, is for the department “to listen” to suggestions and concerns.

With the announcement last week of the first case of the deadly virus in this country in Dallas, Texas, Ebola was in the forefront of concern for some. In introductory remarks, Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian mentioned it.

And while Fine says Rhode Island has taken precautionary measures, especially in working with its large Liberian community to identify, isolate and treat the disease should there be a case here, he said the challenge is containing and treating it in West Africa. He believes that is still possible, although the window is only eight to 12 weeks.

“It’s Public Health 101,” he said. “It’s not hard to stop Ebola.”

Fine said Ebola could be controlled with proper identification, isolation of those with the virus and disposal of the bodies of victims.

“No one has seen anything like West Africa,” he said.

When Fine visited Liberia – a country of 4.5 million – in 2009, he said there were a total of 1,300 nurses and 50 physicians. He doubts much has improved since then. He notes good roads and use of a credit card don’t exist in portions of the country, making it difficult to employ systems we would take for granted.

To control Ebola in Liberia, Fine said, the country needs a couple of hundred physicians, the beds and the medical supplies. The aid President Barack Obama has committed – seven clinics with 100 beds each – is needed today, he said.

“To do it right, you have a solid supply train,” he said.

Fine sees the military as being well equipped to handle these logistics.

“This is a great opportunity to show we can do it, and if we don’t do it, that’s when it gets dangerous,” he said.

In remarks during the forum, Fine said, “We’ve been working on being prepared for Ebola for a couple of months. We’ve been attentive and aware, so we feel we can contain it if we get cases.”

Fine said there is a large Liberian population in Rhode Island, which has helped, as relatives are able to relay information about preventing and containing the spread of Ebola to family members in Liberia.

“We’ve provided them with information from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control] that they are relaying back to their families in Liberia,” he said.

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