CDC: 'Relatively Large' Number Of Health Workers At Risk For Ebola

[Purveyor]

By Elise Viebeck - 10/13/14 12:37 PM EDT

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Monday said it "would not be surprised" if other healthcare workers at a Dallas hospital are diagnosed with Ebola.

CDC Director Tom Frieden said he did not know how many workers might have been exposed to the virus, but estimated it was a "relatively large number."

"We’re concerned, and unfortunately would not be surprised if we did see additional cases in healthcare workers who also provided care to the index patient," Frieden said.

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The CDC said it does not know how the nurse became exposed but is working to find out.

"If we knew there was a specific incident, like a needle stick, that would narrow it down. Since we don't know what the exposure was, we have to cast the net more widely," Frieden said.

more...

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/220565-cdc-more-nurses-might-have-ebola

[B2G]

1. This is bad

HCWs will stop coming to work....and honestly, who can blame them?

Get the nurse to a BSL 4 today. Yesterday.

[B2G]

2. And I'm assuming we have a whole new set of HCW

caring for Ms. Pham. Potentially exposing a large number more.

[LisaL]

3. Per updated CDC guidelines, they want number of people caring for Ebola patients kept to absolute

minimum.

[Horse with no Name]

4. Hospitals will not staff appropriately unless it is mandated that they do so

they just won't.

[Yo_Mama]

5. To make such a statement sounds like softening the blow

they expect. What's going on?

So they're "rethinking" their strategy. They better rethink damned fast.
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/220565-cdc-more-nurses-might-have-ebola

In the meantime, the hospital ER is sort of open, but maybe not very well staffed?
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/10/12/Hosptial-Confuses-Public-Over-Ebola-ER-Shutdown

I found the link to the direct teleconference - scroll down on this page:
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/a1013-ebola-reponse-update.html

[LisaL]

6. Mr. Duncan had a large number of people treating him, all wearing the same type of PPEs

and following the same protocol. It only stands to reason more people could have been infected.

[Yo_Mama]

7. That's entirely logical, but it raises a huge question about the adequacy of the CDC-recommended

protocols. Isn't that nice for the workers involved, and their families. Have an office party with Immodium AD set out in large bowls!

If CDC anticipates the possibility of further infections, are they imposing a work pause on affected staffers?

I wonder what the inpatients are thinking?

Maybe they'd better move the lady to a strong facility right now, because if the message is that if you get sick taking care of an Ebola patient, you're on your own when you have trouble breathing, I think absenteeism MIGHT BE A TAD HIGH.

[LisaL]

8. I don't think the protocols are adequate.

They don't even call for full body suits like we have seen doctors/nurses wear in Africa (where doctors/nurses still get infected from time to time).
Especially when patients are close to death. At that time patients become very highly infectious because the virus in their system is very high.

I think guidelines should call for biosafety 4 level PPEs (such as full body suits, two pairs of gloves, shoe covers, head covers, etc).

[SickOfTheOnePct]

9. It raises a number of questions

That need to addressed methodically, but quickly.

Were the CDC protocols adequate?
If adequate, did the hospital have everything they needed (equipment, clothing, etc.)
If the hospital had everything, did they train healthcare workers on proper use (putting it on, taking it off, etc)
If properly trained, did the nurse follow protocols to the letter?
If she didn't, was it because she didn't understand, forgot, etc?

[LisaL]

11. CDC is looking into changing the protocol.

I personally think the current protocol is absolute bare minimum and not good enough for Ebola.

"Frieden said state and federal health officials are re-examining those protocols, including the removal of protective gear after contact with an Ebola patient and if it might be helpful to spray virus-killing solution on workers as they leave an isolation unit. He said Monday that the nurse is "clinically stable.""

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/13/health/ebola-nurse-how-could-this-happen/index.html

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. So this guy is saying ..

We don't know why the nurse (s) got contaminated
but
we are expecting MORE contamination.
but
we don't know why.

Makes my spidey senses tingle.

[Yo_Mama]

18. Yeah, but not a pleasant tingle. n/t

[City Lights]

10. This is very unsettling.

Nearly 80 percent of registered nurses said their hospital has not explained their policies for admitting a potential Ebola patient in a new survey that the union released Monday.

[uppityperson]

12. Considering how they treated him in the emergency department, and how that infectious blanket

sat on the bench for hours, it is surprising more haven't gotten sick.

Yes, they need to figure out better ways of containing this.

[lovuian]

13. We know a nurse is infected and that nurse took

lunch breaks and rest room breaks....did those areas get cleaned properly and does good handwashing
stop the spread of Ebola? ......Other people use lunch rooms and rest rooms too

the hospital has a BIG PROBLEM

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. and why are hospitals not using UV light for hand sensitization?

as well as room decontamination?

[Beaverhausen]

17. I've read that someone is only contagious when they are exhibiting symptoms

Didn't she immediately get quarantined when her temperature went up?

[MineralMan]

16. There may be a serious risk of U.S. health workers refusing to care

for Ebola patients in that case. Now, that's something to worry about. We can't force anyone to care for Ebola patients, so if there's an outbreak among healthcare workers, there might well be a problem finding workers who will take on the risk.

With luck, though, that situation will not come up.

[LisaL]

19. Assoicated Press got the records.

70 people cared for Mr. Duncan.
That's a whole lot of possibly infected people.

[City Lights]

20. Oh boy. nt

[scarystuffyo]

21. I've been told there's nothing to worry about

[LisaL]

22. Even CDC admits there could be more infected people among those health workers.

[scarystuffyo]

23. sorry

I was being sarcastic

I said this could get out of control and was called an alarmist