10/22 7:30 pm - TimeBomb reports at least 2 Florida hospital on lockdown

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Current News - Homefront Preparations : One Thread

http://www.news-press.com/news/today/021022infectious.html

Cape Coral Hospital ER on lockdown

Officials fear a patient has serious infectious disease

A person with what is believed to be an infectious disease came into the Cape Coral Hospital’s emergency room, causing hospital officials to quarantine that area, said Dr. Judith Hartner, director of the Lee County Health Department.

Nobody is being allowed in or out of the back section of the emergency room.

Hartner is on her way to the hospital.

“All we know right now is that somebody came in with symptoms of an infectious disease,” Hartner said.

The type of disease is not yet known.

“All precautions are being taken,” Hartner said.

Police officers have been posted at the hospital to make sure nobody comes in contact with the disease.

The hospital is in “Code Gray” mode, which means an infectious patient is in the area, Hartner said.

* * * *

From NBC-2.com

The Cape Coral Hospital Emergency Room has been closed. They are under a "code gray" alert. All emergency traffic is being re-routed to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers. According to Lee County E.M.S., the shutdown is related to someone who came into the E.R. with an infectious disease.

* * * *

Lee closed too, according to http://www.nbc-2com/

"6:53 p.m. - The Lee Memorial Hospital Emergency Room has also been closed. Anyone needing emergency services should call 911 and they will direct you to the nearest hospital.

5:30 p.m. - The Cape Coral Hospital Emergency Room has been closed. They are under a "code gray" alert. All emergency traffic is being re-routed to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers. According to Lee County E.M.S., the shutdown is related to someone who came into the E.R. with an infectious disease."

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2002

Answers

Sorry to be so quick on the posting (and I don't recall how to edit)...

http://www.news-press.com/news/today/021022infectious.html

Lee hospitals re-open after infectious disease scare

By SHARON TURCO, sturco@news-press.com

Two Lee County hospitals re-opened a little after 7 tonight after health officials determined that a woman brought there earlier did not have an infectious disease.

A North Fort Myers woman was taken to Cape Coral Hospital’s emergency room at 2:53 p.m. with a quick-spreading rash that caused hospital officials to quarantine that area, said Dr. Judith Hartner, director of the Lee County Health Department.

The 59-year-old woman will continue to be monitored at Cape Coral Hospital, said John Wilson, Lee County Public Safety Director.

Lee Memorial Health System officials locked down both Cape Coral Hospital and Lee Memorial Hospital, where emergency workers who came into contact with the woman were being monitored, said Jim Nathan, President and CEO of Lee Memorial Health System.

At 6:48 p.m., a security guard at Lee Memorial Hospital exited the building and began to string yellow tape that read “Do Not Enter” blocking the front entrance to the emergency room.

North Fort Myers Fire Station 4 is also quarantined because paramedics and firefighters from that station may have been exposed to the woman, Wilson said.

As a result at least one Emergency Medical Services crew has been isolated.

“Every precaution is being taken,” Nathan said.

Patients at the Cape Hospital’s emergency room are not being released and the air conditioning has been turned off to prevent air that may be contaminated from circulating.

New emergency patients were being diverted to other hospitals.

The Cape hospital was put in “Code Gray” mode, which means an infectious patient is in the area, Hartner said.

Robert Gould, 46, of Fort Myers was worried about his wife, Tamie, as he was leaving Lee Memorial Hospital Tuesday night.

“My wife had a heart attack, but I don’t know what’s going on because they are there fixing to lock them doors and I’m forced to wait out here,” Gould said.

“I might get in I might not get out if I walk in. I just don’t know. ... I’m just wondering if my wife is alive.”

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2002


Pass the clean underwear, please ...

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2002

Well, at least we know they're on the alert for anything out of the ordinary.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002

Git, feel free to change the header. I don't recall the password.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002

Sorry to be so quick on the posting?

Is that a joke? LOL

What do you want the header to be?

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002



Nah, I think it's fine as is, don't worry about it. You reported what Timebomb reported--looks fine to me that way. Probably most folks will conclude as I did that at least it shows they're on alert.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002

I'm concerned it is only a matter of time before it is a real lock down..Aaaaack!!!! but could be Clevelan, miami, chicago, San Fransico...you choose....THAT is the scary part!

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002

Is this where I get to come back to say that they WERE worried about smallpox, they DID test for it, they DID send it away for confirmation, which they won't get back for a day or two and DIDN'T cancel that request even after the lockdowns were lifted. In other words, smallpox was suspected and was not entirely ruled out, but I guess enough to open the area back up again.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2002

Brooks, there has been some speculation on and offline that this was a "drill" to see how the hospital would react.

Given the quick disappearance of this story and the lack of followup from some portions of the media, I'm going to run with that theory, too.

One of the things suggested offline was that we common folks might not get much an advanced head-ups if there is a real case of small pox. Certain LEOs and other first responders would hear about it, first, and then it may or may not filter down quickly from there. Remember, TPTB in some areas would be worried about a panic and would want to keep that info under wraps as long as possible.

In my area, the tip-off for me would probably be what the Nat'l Guard and/or LEOs are **doing** -- if I suddenly see or hear of road blocks going up or other such actions, then I would assume that *something* is going on and seek additional info or take other appropriate action.

-- Anonymous, October 26, 2002


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