Emergency officials clad in HAZMAT suits rushed a health care worker with “Ebola-like” symptoms to Bellevue Hospital in New York City, Thursday, the hospital announced. Bellevue Hospital is one of eight hospitals in New York State that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has designated as “Ebola ready.” The facility will care for confirmed cases from any of the 11 public hospitals in the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) and any suspected cases among patients who fly into John F. Kennedy or LaGuardia airports. The patient, who recently visited one of the West African nations ravaged by the Ebola outbreak, may put the hospital’s new safety protocols to the test. Preliminary results from a medical evaluation will confirm in the next 12 hours whether or not the patient has Ebola, the hospital said. Scientific American asked HHC spokesperson Ian Michaels to explain what it takes to be ready to care for potential Ebola patients.
Image: Bellevue Hospital in New York City is one of eight designated 'Ebola-ready' hospitals in New York State. Credit: Bellevue Hospital
