This is so frustrating that no Congressperson stated the following to the CDC Director...
If all the hospitals and medical personnel nationwide had what CDC required, both PPE and training and used them as CDC directed, they are all still at grave risk because the CDC protocol itself is grossly insufficient for ever safely treating confirmed Ebola patients.
CDC protocol is BSL-2 for a BSL-4 level disease.
CDC protocol to medical staff handling of Ebola patients on their web site and even from the Directors mouth, 2 days ago... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK6WosNHQ3g claims that hair/head/shoe coverage is not required. CDC Director Tom Frieden himself, at link above, when challenged, stated that he'd 'absolutely' go into any Ebola patients room with no head/hair/shoe coverage.
Ebola patients, especially in the later stages, generate large volumes of very contagious fluids from vomit and diarrhea.
Unprotected footwear, open to top contamination and the soles tracking out who knows what into all the non-isolation areas, potentially cross contaminating all other foot traffic, too, could be as detrimental as any mishandling in the removal & disposal of your gloves and face mask, when later, without gloves, you take off and handle your own shoes. Most everything that could contaminate the front of protective garment (and is reason for you wearing it), but that misses it, is then headed towards the floor and your shoes, where it lands either atop them or on the floor to later be stepped in and tracked out.
Contrast that with African Ebola health workers exiting quarantine areas in rubber boots and then promptly stepping into a bleach bath tub before being sprayed down with more bleach solution from head to toe.
The CDC has negligently exposed all our nations medical staff, and the public-at-large, to unnecessary Ebola risks by their grossly insufficient protocols for safely dealing with it.
- Shane
If all the hospitals and medical personnel nationwide had what CDC required, both PPE and training and used them as CDC directed, they are all still at grave risk because the CDC protocol itself is grossly insufficient for ever safely treating confirmed Ebola patients.
CDC protocol is BSL-2 for a BSL-4 level disease.
CDC protocol to medical staff handling of Ebola patients on their web site and even from the Directors mouth, 2 days ago... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK6WosNHQ3g claims that hair/head/shoe coverage is not required. CDC Director Tom Frieden himself, at link above, when challenged, stated that he'd 'absolutely' go into any Ebola patients room with no head/hair/shoe coverage.
Ebola patients, especially in the later stages, generate large volumes of very contagious fluids from vomit and diarrhea.
Unprotected footwear, open to top contamination and the soles tracking out who knows what into all the non-isolation areas, potentially cross contaminating all other foot traffic, too, could be as detrimental as any mishandling in the removal & disposal of your gloves and face mask, when later, without gloves, you take off and handle your own shoes. Most everything that could contaminate the front of protective garment (and is reason for you wearing it), but that misses it, is then headed towards the floor and your shoes, where it lands either atop them or on the floor to later be stepped in and tracked out.
Contrast that with African Ebola health workers exiting quarantine areas in rubber boots and then promptly stepping into a bleach bath tub before being sprayed down with more bleach solution from head to toe.
The CDC has negligently exposed all our nations medical staff, and the public-at-large, to unnecessary Ebola risks by their grossly insufficient protocols for safely dealing with it.
- Shane
