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Governor Rick Perry appointed the task force Oct. 6, a week after Eric Duncan was diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas. The group’s final report has dozens of recommendations, some based on what was learned from the Duncan case.
For example, it calls on the state to create a stockpile of personal protective equipment, like gowns and hoods for nurses, so there isn’t a shortage during an outbreak.
Another recommendation is to plan ahead for caring for the pets of people under quarantine. Yet another calls on health officials to develop a smart-phone app that could track the temperature and symptoms of people being monitored for Ebola at home.
The report confirmed some proposals that have already been announced, such as the designation of two adult hospitals in Texas as the go-to treatment centers for future infectious patients. One of those is UTMB in Galveston.
But the task force also recommends adding Texas Children’s Hospital to that list. The hospital confirmed it has plans to build an eight-bed pediatric isolation unit at its facility in Katy.