ABOVE: Watch as a specialized Ebola team takes a tour through Capital Health facilities to see how the health authority would respond if a suspected Ebola case presented itself.
HALIFAX – What would happen if a suspected case of Ebola turned up in Nova Scotia? That was the scenario the Ottawa-based Ebola Rapid Response Team (ERRT) faced as they deployed to Halifax over the weekend.
The province’s Chief Public Health Officer said the team’s presence helped local authorities better understand how to deal with a case of Ebola.
Dr. Robert Strang said he received a call Saturday afternoon that the ERRT was conducting a practice run of a reported case of the potentially fatal virus that has killed thousands in West Africa.
By Sunday afternoon, a team of experts ranging from a biosafety expert to a field epidemiologist had organized their equipment, taken one of four Transport Canada designated airplanes and arrived in Halifax.
He adds that Halifax was chosen merely as a destination point, not because the province is more at risk of Ebola.
“They needed to fly somewhere so they asked us would we be willing to host them? It’s nothing more complicated than that. We agreed as being a good partner but also knowing that would create an opportunity for us to meet face-to-face,” he said.
On Monday morning, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) met with Strang, several public health staff and clinical leaders from the IWK and Capital Health.
Strang, who said the province would be the lead jurisdiction in a suspected case of Ebola, said discussions included what types of experts would be available to the province and what potential role the ERRT could play if a suspected case of Ebola appeared in Nova Scotia.
Strang said areas that stuck out for improvement included greater assistance from the federal government on contact tracing, which involves determining who may have come into contact with a potential patient, and more expertise in the laboratory.
He adds that the team did visit a lab but did not have access to any hospital units and did not conduct any lab work. However, he still feels the practice drill was worthwhile.
“Their whole role is to not get involved in the clinical work but basically, we would be the lead and they would support us,” Strang said.
Strang said there were also discussions about conducting a more detailed exercise that would involve the transport of a patient from a rural part of the province to the hospital in Halifax and laboratory testing for the Ebola virus. However no concrete plans have been made.
The ERRT has deployed once before; it conducted a practice drill in Ottawa on Friday.
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