UW-Milwaukee Creates “Ebola Preparedness Team”

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee officials are calling it the “Ebola Preparedness Team.” They’ve identified two people on campus who recently went to Ebola hot zones – but they weren’t infected.

While Ebola may seem a distant problem, UWM administrators say they are taking precautionary measures in an attempt to ensure the university stays clear of the virus. The university approach seems to rely on self-reporting.

Norris Health Center Director Julia Bonner says that two individuals currently at UWM were identified by what she calls the University’s Ebola preparedness team as having traveled to Ebola-affected regions in August. Bonner says that their travel was not related to university business, and that these individuals were screened in early September and determined to pose no risk of infection.

Classes started at UWM on Sept. 2. The incubation period for an Ebola infection is generally about 21 days. In some states, healthcare workers exposed to the virus have been placed on controversial quarantines even without showing symptoms.

Recently, university administration sent an email to staff, faculty, and students outlining procedures for persons at UWM traveling to or from affected areas of West Africa.

“Because of heightened concerns based on Ebola cases that have arisen within the United States, the university sent a campus-wide message to assure the campus that there are protocols in place to assess any person known to have traveled to an affected region,” said University Relations official Laura Glawe.

Indeed, there are people at UWM who traveled to affected areas prior to the fall semester. The email mentions the university “has been in touch with a small number of individuals who come from, or who have traveled to, regions most affected by the Ebola outbreak.”

At UWM, the screening followed protocols established by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Wisconsin State Department of Health that call for the persons in question to monitor their health and contact designated health officials twice a day for a period of 21 days.

Another component of the email was to allow individuals who had traveled to affected regions whom the University’s Ebola preparedness team may have missed to come forward, as well as those who are planning on traveling to affected regions to notify the university of their plans.

Bonner says that after a prior email sent to staff in early September, one individual came forward as having been to affected regions over the summer, was screened, and also determined to pose no risk of infection.

The University’s actions come as colleges around the country examine their own procedures in regards to students and staff returning from affected areas, as well as how to deal with any institutional travel planned to these areas such as study abroad programs. According to the email “UWM is following the CDC’s guidance for universities” in handling such travel.

The CDC advises against education-related travel, which they deem as nonessential. Even if a student or faculty member’s plans do not involve coming into contact with persons infected with Ebola, the travel is still regarded as high risk.

According to the CDC’s guidelines, “other safety factors related to their travel need to be considered. For example, a traveler injured in a car accident may have to visit a hospital where Ebola patients are being cared for, which could put the person at risk. Also, because the health care system is severely strained, resources may not be available to treat routine emergency health needs among visiting US citizens.”

Any student, faculty member, or other persons at the University planning on traveling to affected regions are instructed to contact Mark Eckman, Chair of the International Travel Safety Committee. Eckman says that the university does not have any official programs or institutional travel planned to these regions, and that no individuals have notified him regarding travel plans to Guinea, Liberia, or Sierra Leone.

Another aspect of the Ebola outbreak that universities around the country have been looking into is how to handle admissions from affected regions.

According to University spokesperson Tom Luljak, “the University would follow its routine admissions practices. As per the guidance given to all community members [in the email] if the student had arrived from an affected area they would contact the Campus Health Officer for a screening risk assessment. Of course, as time evolves, we’ll certainly continue monitoring and following CDC and state health protocols.”

There are no students from Ebola affected areas at UWM, officials say.

That continued monitoring of the situation is important to keep in mind, says Bonner. The Ebola preparedness team–involving University Public Relations, Safety and Assurances, Legal Affairs, the Office of the Provost, Norris Health Center, University Housing, and the Dean of Students–will continue to meet throughout the semester as questions related to the Ebola outbreak arise.