Infection control is not rocket science

[alfie]

When I taught classes in Infection Control, my first statement was "If it is wet or gooey and it came from someone else, you don't want it on you." If that principle is applied, disease spread can be stopped.

Wash your hands....a lot.
Put a barrier between you and the wet or gooey stuff. Your skin is a good barrier, but disease can enter through even minor cuts or scratches. So...make your on moisture barrier with antibiotic ointment and a bandaid.
Wash your hands...a lot.
If you are somewhere...anywhere that there is wet or gooey stuff, put a barrier between you and it. Space is a good barrier...walk away if you can. If not, choose your barrier depending on what you know or suspect can get on you. Gloves are fine for cleaning up some minor injuries. Projectile vomiting or explosive diarrhea...bring out the gowns, face shields, gloves and shoe covers.
Wash your hands...a lot.
There are many barrier items available to folks working in health care and the workers should know where they all are and when to use them. It is the professional staff's responsibility to alert other workers of the necessary barriers.
Wash your hands...a lot.

Infection control is a whole course, even a whole major for some. Needless to say, I am not going into all the finer points, but I will say that all health care facilities should have enough ability to isolate infected patients (start with putting them in a room with the door closed) and using enough barrier equipment, and using it effeciently and effectively enough to prevent the spread of just anything except the few airborne diseases (ebola is NOT airborne).

And always wash your hands...a lot.

[Demit]

1. Good advice for everybody.

I'm assuming, also, that health workers know not to put fingers into mouths or rub their eyes? Common sense. Plus some situational awareness. I like the "barriers" image.

[alfie]

2. Thanks

To me it is just common sense. And it applies everywhere anyone goes.

[ecstatic]

3. the problem is, nobody is perfect

That should be clear by now.

Some people seem to take comfort in this idea of health care workers breaking protocol, but regardless of how the transmission occurred, the end result is the same. We don't live in a vacuum. This is the real world where people and institutions make mistakes. I wonder how many patients this nurse treated before realizing she had symptoms. How many of her co-workers were unknowingly exposed?

[etherealtruth]

4. It is not "rocket science;" however ....

Practical application is difficult ... it is especially difficult without ongoing training and practice (very expensive propositions). Mistakes may occur at any point in the process .... I take no comfort in this, but it does serve as an explanation.

This is a skill that needs to be well practiced and monitored (not as a punitive measure, but as a protective measure)

[jwirr]

5. This is good advice for most diseases like flu, strep and the common cold. But the governor of GA

just said it stops Ebola. Are you saying this is as easy as washing our hands?

[alfie]

8. It could be

If the infected material is only on your hands and your skin in intact.

[jwirr]

9. Okay I can see that. The governor made it sound like it worked to actually stop the spread that easy

[TBF]

6. And keep the hands away from the face. nt

[SidDithers]

7. We always wore 2 pairs of gloves, or more, doing spill clean-up...

that way, you're still wearing "clean" gloves while taking off your contaminated gloves and the rest of your PPE.

Sid