With cases of Ebola now reported in the United States, Whidbey General Hospital is joining hospitals across the country in preparing to receive patients afflicted with the disease.

“Whidbey General Hospital is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other infection control experts in Washington state, to be ready in case the Ebola virus appears on Whidbey Island,” said Tom Tomasino, chief executive officer of the hospital, in a written statement.

The CDC issued a four-page checklist to follow in order to prepare, which “covers everything from trash disposal in an affected area to how to safely pack potentially infected blood samples for testing,” according to Tomasino.

It also explains how to identify people who may have been exposed, how to properly prevent the spreading of the virus should the hospital have an infected patient and how to protect staff and healthcare providers from the virus.

Also working with the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, the hospital is making sure they are equipped with the best possible personal protective equipment, which are tools used to protect people from blood, bodily fluids and other infectious material.

“WGH is following the CDC guidelines and evaluating different types of suits, masks and other PPE, based on what the hospitals have learned in their care for Ebola patients,” said Teresa Fulton, the hospital’s chief quality officer.

She added that the CDC recommends single or double gloving, and suggested that in some situations, triple gloving would happen. Beyond that, the healthcare professionals would be wearing masks, either the regular face masks or powered air purifying respirators, such as those used in HAZMAT suits, which Fulton said are “more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.”

But the most important part of preventing the spread of the Ebola virus is keeping those infected from passing it to others. The CDC website says that the virus is passed through the bodily fluids of someone infected with Ebola, or from someone who has died from it.

“It is important to remember the risk of Ebola is related to a returned traveler from West Africa,” Fulton said.

She said if the traveler or anyone they’ve come into contact with develops a fever, that person “needs to be evaluated, along with the travel and contact history. The incubation period is 21 days.”

For prevention, the CDC suggests careful personal hygiene and avoiding contact with items that have come into contact with an infected person’s blood or fluids.

The website says symptoms include fevers greater than 101.5 degrees, severe headaches, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising.

The policies for prevention and protection against spreading the Ebola virus are frequently updated, according to Whidbey General Hospital’s public relations liaison, Keith Mack. He said that the policies could be one thing one week, and be different the next.

“Every hospital is working as quickly as possible to create their response plans and train and educate their staff,” Fulton said.

For more information, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov