US airports have hired EBOLA screeners to test blood samples from travelers coming to the US from countries plagued by the deadly virus…” Bahamas announced yesterday that it is on ‘high alert’ for the arrival of Ebola. “
Several agencies in the Washington, DC and Las Angeles, California areas recently put out quiet job postings for Ebola screeners
A representative of the Northern Virginia Emergency Medical Services Council confirmed that more than one part-time position had been filled
According to the job posting, the screeners will not be required to have direct contact with passengers but will test blood or perhaps saliva samples for Ebola
Ebola has spread in recent months to countries neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it originated
Its spread triggered the WHO to declare Ebola a ‘public health emergency of international concern,’ and encourage heightened precautions
No cases have been reported in the US or neighboring countries, but the Bahamas yesterday said it is now on ‘high alert’ for the arrival of Ebola
By NATALIE RAHHAL DEPUTY HEALTH EDITOR
DAILYMAIL.COM
1 November 2019
Washington Dulles International Airport has hired part-time staff screen travelers for the Ebola virus, an administrative coordinator at the Northern Virginia Emergency Medical Services Council (NVEMSC) told DailyMail.com.
NVEMSC as well as several other groups made job postings for screeners earlier this year, and the NVEMSC coordinator says that all of its positions have been filled.
It’s unclear if Dulles previously employed Ebola screeners.
In August, the calls for similar jobs began appearing unceremoniously on LinkedIn and Careerbuilder.com, made by several groups that appear to contract with the US government, including Caduceus Healthcare.
And the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health was recently in search of a nurse to oversee ‘biothreat responses,’ including to Ebola, reported the Epoch Times.
The spate of screener hirings follow the World Heath Organization’s (WHO) July declaration that Ebola is a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), only fifth time the agency has made the designation was introduced following the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak.
No cases linked to the current outbreak have been reported in the US, but the increased screenings come as the Bahamas announced yesterday that it is on ‘high alert’ for the arrival of Ebola.
Since the current outbreak of the deadly virus began in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in August 2018, more than 3,000 people have been infected and over 2,000 have died.
There have been no reports of Americans infected as a result of the current outbreak, though in 2014, four US citizens contracted the disease.
However, the disease has spread to Uganda and Guinea, the World Health Organization, a key trigger for the WHO to declare the virus a PHEIC.
Now, the Washington, DC hub is looking for someone with an emergency medical services license, training as an EMT, paramedic or nurse and experience working with bloodborne pathogens to screen passengers for Ebola.
However, ‘no direct contact with screened passengers is required,’ according to the job posting, suggesting that the screeners are examining blood or perhaps saliva samples from travelers.
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