Protecting international ministry members from Ebola

As a provider of international evacuation for its clients — including many churches and mission teams — Arthur J. Gallagher & its Religious Practice field Ebola questions quite a bit, especially in recent months.

mission-cleanwater“Specifically, callers wanted to know if our travel insurance would respond if someone needed to be evacuated,” explains Dana Crowl, Senior Area Vice President — Program Manager for Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services. “These calls increased substantially after several missionaries were evacuated from West Africa.”

Specialty Assist, Arthur J. Gallagher’s service provider/medical coordinator for evacuations, is highly experienced in evacuating patients with infectious diseases, having safely and successfully evacuated patients with meningitis and tuberculosis, amongst others, over many years.

“Nevertheless, international evacuation of patients with Ebola or other Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers is highly complex, and may not be achievable,” warns Specialty Assist’s latest position statement. “International evacuation on commercial aircraft should not be considered as feasible for patients with active clinical symptoms of Ebola. Current evacuation responses to those suffering with active clinical symptoms of Ebola are at the government, military and supranational level.”

As Crowl explains, all evacuations due to Ebola are currently coordinated through the government because “most have heard from various news sources there are numerous reasons to strongly consider the increased amount of risk when traveling to this part of the world,” she says. “Unfortunately, this risk now also includes recent violence against humanitarians living and working in foreign countries.”

Ebola:  what you (and your ministry teams) need to know

With the recent spread of Ebola, many travelers are looking for answers on how to maintain their health and safety. Below are some guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How do I protect myself against Ebola?

If you must travel to an area affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak, protect yourself by doing the following:

  • Wash hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick.
  • Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids.
  • Do not touch the body of someone who has died from Ebola.
  • Do not touch bats and nonhuman primates or their blood and fluids and do not touch or eat raw meat prepared from these animals.
  • Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. Embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on medical facilities.
  • Seek medical care immediately if you develop fever (temperature of 101.5°F/ 38.6°C) and any of the other following symptoms: headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bruising or bleeding.
  • Limit your contact with other people until and when you go to the doctor. Do not travel anywhere else besides a healthcare facility.

CDC has issued a Warning, Level 3 travel notice for three countries. U.S. citizens should avoid all nonessential travel to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

CDC has issued an Alert, Level 2 travel notice for Nigeria. Travelers to Nigeria should take enhanced precautions to prevent Ebola.

CDC has also issued an Alert, Level 2 travel notice for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A small number of Ebola cases have been reported in the DRC, though current information indicates that this outbreak is not related to the ongoing Ebola outbreaks in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

What do I do if I’m returning to the U.S. from the area where the outbreak is occurring?

After you return, pay attention to your health.

  • Monitor your health for 21 days if you were in an area with an Ebola outbreak, especially if you were in contact with blood or body fluids, items that have come in contact with blood or body fluids, animals or raw meat, or hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated or participated in burial rituals.
  • Seek medical care immediately if you develop fever (temperature of 101.5°F / 38.6°C) and any of the following symptoms: headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bruising or bleeding.
  • Tell your doctor about your recent travel and your symptoms before you go to the office or emergency room. Advance notice will help your doctor care for you and protect other people who may be in the office.

What do I do if I am traveling to an area where the outbreak is occurring?

If you are traveling to an area where the Ebola outbreak is occurring, protect yourself by doing the following:

  • Wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick.
  • Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids.
  • Do not touch the body of someone who has died from Ebola.
  • Do not touch bats and nonhuman primates or their blood and fluids and do not touch or eat raw meat prepared from these animals.
  • Avoid hospitals where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. Embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on facilities.
  • Seek medical care immediately if you develop fever (temperature of 101.5oF/ 38.6oC) and any of the other following symptoms: headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bruising or bleeding.
  • Limit your contact with other people until and when you go to the doctor. Do not travel anywhere else besides a healthcare facility.

“As we continue to serve those who serve others around the world, our wish is that each and every one of our insureds remains safe in their endeavors,” Crowl adds. “If readers have any questions regarding recent events, please feel free to contact us. We are here to help!

— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh

Editor’s Note: Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services offers an additional resource — Risk Management Safety Insight – Ebola – Employer Liability Issues — on its website.

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