The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an update for Ebola care for healthcare workers in the nation.
The latest Ebola outbreak that started in West Africa in February this year has already infected over 9,000 people and more than 4,500 people have also died due to the disease. The deadly virus has also reached the U.S. where a number of people are being treated for the disease.
Thomas Eric Duncan was the first reported Ebola case in the U.S. and he died due to the disease in early October. Two nurses who were treating Duncan were also infected with Ebola, which raised an alarm for stricter protocols for healthcare workers.
As Ebola spreads due to direct contact with an infected patient, people dealing with them such as nurses, doctors and caregivers are also at high risk of contracting the disease if they do not wear proper protective suits.
On Monday, Oct. 20, the CDC issued an update for Ebola care for healthcare workers on personal protective equipment (PPE). The federal agency stresses the importance of putting on and taking off PPE properly to avoid spreading any infection.
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tightening previous infection control guidance for healthcare workers caring for patients with Ebola, to ensure there is no ambiguity," per CDC.
The updated PPE protocol is based on three major principals. Firstly, each and every healthcare worker should undergo a rigorous training and should be competent enough to put on and take off PPE in a step-by-step order as recommended by CDC.
Secondly, the healthcare workers should ensure that there is no skin exposure when they are wearing PPE. Lastly, a monitor should supervise workers when they are putting on or taking off PPE.
Currently, there are only four hospitals in the entire U.S. that can handle Ebola cases. However, with the increased fear of Ebola on the rise in the U.S. experts believe that more hospitals should be added to the list in the near term.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, suggests that there should be more hospitals that can manage and treat Ebola patients. Hopefully, the deadly disease is restricted before it takes a toll on many Americans and there should be no need for the expansion of Ebola care hospitals in the U.S.
Check out the CDC "Fact Sheet" that gives full details of the Ebola care protocol for healthcare workers.
