"Better safe than sorry" is how the Buffalo School District is preparing for the possible arrival of Ebola.
Following the State Health Department's recommendations made Friday, Buffalo Public School officials have posted Ebola Safety Protocol in all buildings.
District Medical Director Dr. Steven Lana says the plan was prepared out of an abundance of caution in conjunction with the Erie County Health Department and Centers for Disease Control.
"I can't overemphasize and stress enough how unlikely it is that this is going to happen. I want everyone to feel reassured we are under no imminent threat of Ebola. Ebola is not something that is highly contagious. It's highly infectious, with the difference being that Ebola is not spread through airborne means. It requires direct physical contact with an individual who is sick or the secretions of that individual," according to Lana.
In the worst-case scenario, if a student or staff member has symptoms and traveled or had contact with someone from West Africa, Lana says their parent would be contacted and the person will be placed in an isolated room.
Lana says the county Health Department will also be notified.