Video: Experts: Flu More of Threat Than Ebola

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — The Ebola outbreak in that has killed thousands in Africa has caused near panic among some Americans. But medical professionals here say we have lots of other illnesses we should be paying more attention to.

But with all the increased attention, medical centers are using it as a good time to remind staffs about precautions and procedures.

Training and practice are almost constants in the medical profession. This week, everyone from accounting to security at OCH Regional Medical Center is going through training on handling infectious diseases. The Ebola publicity has caught the spotlight but everything from the flu to enterovirus are just as important when it comes to safety and preventing the spread of disease.

“So there’s a lot of things on our radar right now, Ebola is just one of those. And it’s something we’re doing special training to build the confidence among our health care staff that we can handle,” explained Kim Roberts, infection control manager at OCH.

The same types of policy reviews are going on at other medical centers. Health care professionals say it’s natural for dangerous viruses like Ebola to cause concern. But given how the disease is transmitted and the advanced U.S. medical system, major outbreaks aren’t likely here.

“I think it’s natural to be concerned, but in the context of the American health care system, I think that we can be prepared as individuals and realize our health care system is much better equipped with the resources and the training to deal with something like Ebola,” Roberts said.

In fact, more common illnesses like the flu should be at the top of the public’s health care radar, especially at this time of year.
“If they knew in the context of the number of people who get ill, the number of people who could potentially die or have complications, I think they need to be more concerned really about influenza in many ways,” she said.

Many medical centers and pharmacies are now or soon will be offering flu shots and doctors say getting one is the best step to protecting public health right now.

Categories: Local News

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