http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/17/travel/the-latest-on-ebola-and-travel.html 2014-10-17 23:01:41 The Latest on Ebola and Travel News about the measures being taken to prevent travelers from spreading Ebola. === The international response to the West African Ebola outbreak has affected travel by air, rail and cruise ship. And the news that a nurse who contracted Ebola while treating its first casualty in the United States flew commercially and another employee who was not infected was aboard a cruise ship has stoked fears that it could spread here. Here is a guide to how the travel industry and the government has responded. Are people potentially exposed to the virus allowed to travel? There is no travel ban in effect. However, The employee and her traveling partner, who have not been named, are in voluntary isolation in a cabin aboard the ship and were reported by a physician onboard to be in good health, Roger Frizzell, a spokesman from Carnival said. The C.D.C. notified Carnival of the passenger on Wednesday, according to a statement from the cruise line. The Magic departed Galveston, Tex., on Oct. 12 and will return on Oct. 19. A statement from Carnival said: “At no point in time has the individual exhibited any symptoms or signs of infection and it has been 19 days since she was in the lab with the testing samples. She is deemed by the C.D.C. to be very low risk. At this time, the guest remains in isolation on board the ship and is not deemed to be a risk to any guests or crew. It is important to reiterate that the individual has no symptoms and has been isolated in an extreme abundance of caution. We are in close contact with the C.D.C. and at this time it has been determined that the appropriate course of action is to simply keep the guest in isolation on board.” Additionally, Carnival said in the statement, any passenger sailing with the line must answer a series of health screening questions during embarkation and any guest or crew member who has visited or traveled through Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea within 21 days of a cruise departure date will be denied boarding. Can you get Ebola by sharing a flight with someone who is infected? It’s not likely. How are air travelers being screened in the United States? Enhanced screening measures The screenings are taking place at Kennedy Airport in New York, Passengers at other points of entry will continue to be screened by customs agents, who examine travelers for visible signs of illness and distribute fact sheets to those who have traveled in West African nations affected by the outbreak. In addition, the T.S.A. is providing guidance to airlines on how to identify passengers who are ill. Are passengers being screened elsewhere? The broader Britain Screenings are also taking place People departing the West African countries hit hardest by the outbreak Are there plans for a travel ban from West Africa? A few officials, Are carriers still operating flights to affected nations? Some international airlines, including British Airways and Kenya Airways, have suspended flights since August. But others, including Royal Air Maroc, have regularly scheduled departures to destinations in West Africa. Keep in mind that What are air carriers doing? Airlines follow general guidelines issued by the C.D.C. and the World Health Organization. They have also informed their flight attendants about the hazards of Ebola, its symptoms and how the disease is spread. The C.D.C. has asked United States airlines and international airlines with direct flights to or from the United States to begin asking any sick passenger if they had traveled to Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone in the past 21 days. If the answer is yes and the passenger is exhibiting symptoms of Ebola specifically, the airline must report the incident immediately to the C.D.C. and follow the agency’s infection control guidelines, according to the agency’s In general, the guidelines call for flight crews to take steps to protect themselves as well as other passengers, including washing their hands often and thoroughly, wearing waterproof gloves and face masks when dealing with a sick passenger and treating any and all bodily fluids as if they were contagious. Sick passengers are also advised to wear a face mask, unless they are nauseated or vomiting. To minimize exposure, the C.D.C. also advises isolating sick passengers as much as possible and minimizing crew and passenger interactions with them. Strict cleaning procedures are also outlined for in-flight and ground crews, both of which are instructed to wear personal protective equipment like aprons, goggles and other gear typically included in a Universal Precaution Kit, which Plastic bags are to be used to dispose of tissues and any other waste that might have been used to clean the area in which the passenger is seated, and then must be sealed tightly, much as a hospital does with biohazards. Once on the ground, any soiled area of the plane that cannot be thoroughly disinfected is to be removed, according to the C.D.C. If a flight attendant becomes sick mid-flight, they are required to stop work immediately and isolate themselves. Airlines are working closely with the C.D.C. and the Department of Homeland Security to mitigate risk to the traveling public and airline employees, as they have done in the past during SARS and H1N1 Virus outbreaks, Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for Airlines For America, the trade group for major airlines, said in an email. Crew members have been trained in the C.D.C.'s infection control procedures and all members of the group carry Universal Precaution Kits aboard their planes, she confirmed. Flight attendants have been trained to passively screen passengers for several types of illnesses, she continued. “Once someone does appear to have symptoms, airlines have had the ability to directly connect with medical experts midflight to consult on whether there is an actual concern about Ebola. This includes connecting with the C.D.C. emergency operations center.” Should that rare situation occur, she said, airlines are instructed to do everything they can to isolate the passenger to the best extent possible, while also complying with all F.A.A. safety rules, including having all passengers remain in their seats. Some aircrafts, however, may have a configuration that allows for a passenger to be seated in a less-crowded section of the plane or to be seated away from others. “While we understand there is heightened concern, it’s important to remember that this is not an airborne disease, nor is it easily transmittable, particularly when common hygiene precautions are followed,” Ms. Medina said. “The C.D.C. has consistently noted that there is virtually no risk to air travelers, no matter where you travel. There are screening procedures in place today in West Africa, in the United States and in Europe, and airlines have always had the authority, as granted by Congress, to restrict passengers whose travel might cause harm to themselves or others.” Reporting by Rachel Lee Harris, Emily Brennan and Nicola Clark.