CDC rethinking Ebola guidelines after criticism they left nurses unprotected

[TorchTheWitch]

http://news.yahoo.com/cdc-rethinking-ebola-guidelines-after-criticism-they-left-nurses-unprotected-190206817.html

CDC rethinking Ebola guidelines after criticism they left nurses unprotected
Some hospitals considered group’s safety recommendations flimsy
Liz Goodwin
By Liz Goodwin

Now that at least two Dallas nurses who cared for Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan have themselves been diagnosed with the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is facing criticism that its initial recommendations to health care workers to protect themselves was inadequate.

The day after Duncan was diagnosed with Ebola, CDC Director Thomas Frieden told the public that it’s "easy" to prevent the spread of the disease if a person uses "gloves and barrier precautions," because the only way to contract the virus is if an infected person’s body fluids enter the mucous membranes or an open wound of another person. He said health care workers at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas were taking "all of the precautions they need" to prevent infection.

Since then, Duncan has died and two of the nurses at Texas Health Presbyterian who cared for him have tested positive for the disease. On Wednesday, Texas officials admitted that more of the 76 hospital workers who had contact with Duncan could be next.

The disease's spread suggests that the CDC underestimated how hard it is for doctors and nurses to care for Ebola sufferers without infecting themselves. It also raises questions about the guidance the agency gave to hospitals to protect their workers. The CDC made the gear recommendations more stringent this week, and also announced that from now on it would fly a team of infectious disease specialists to train staff at any hospital that receives an Ebola patient.

MUCH more at link. Article also talks about how other hospitals recognized that the CDC's protocol wasn't adequate and decided to use Emory's or NIH's protocol. Interesting other statistics and comments from other hospitals about the inadequate PPE protocol. Also mentions that while in West Africa Frieden visited Ebola patients while wearing a full hazmat suit though he had no direct contact with them and why would he recommend less for hospital workers that care for an Ebola patient. Rather a long article but recommend reading it all. One of those times I wish I could post the full article.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. I was listening to the Phila City Council Hearing on Ebola yesterday

and the one thing that came out from some of the local hospital heads, was that there has been much training on what is essentially defined as "airborne" biohazards since 9/11 (with the Anthrax scare & subsequent smallpox threats.. and later, H1N1, SARS, MRSA, etc). Most of the medical facility upgrades (e.g., negative pressure rooms, etc) were based on airborne hazards. What's different here is the lack of similar protocols for the hemorrhagic illnesses involving liquid transmission (mucus, blood, feces, perspiration, vomit). A good recommendation that came out of the hearing is that at least in the near term, there should be "regional" facilities set up who are fully equipped to handle such patients outside of the 4 federally-designated facilities mentioned in the media...

[TorchTheWitch]

2. do you know if this is on video anywhere?

Or audio? I live in the Philly area.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I almost came on here to post the link to the live feed when it was on

The hearing was 4 hours and was broadcast on Comcast Channel 64. I don't see it posted online yet (apparently they do post recordings of hearings as there is one shown on the City Council website) but you can check this- http://phlcouncil.com/ periodically to see if/when they do post it. I expect they would because of all the interest.

The one thing I did confirm during the hearing was where the CDC's official "quarantine" location is here in Philly - it's at the airport and the guy who casually announced it when testifying was halted by Councilman Curtis Jones (the committee head for Marian Tasco who was in and out) to repeat the info. I had seen an article just last week showing the cities but with no details of where in each. Hunting around, I found that the CDC has info here - http://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantinestationcontactlistfull.html and I confirmed what he said with this - http://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantinestationcontactlistfull.html#philadelphia

Edit to add some articles (with video or audio clips) summarizing some of the testimony -

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/10/16/philadelphia-city-council-holds-hearing-on-ebola-preparedness/
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/10/16/phila-firefighters-union-says-ebola-gear-issued-by-city-is-inadequate/
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/philadelphia/74027-philadelphia-city-council-reviews-ebola-preparation-plans
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/26807225/health-officials-prepared-in-case-ebola-hits-philadelphia-region

[TorchTheWitch]

4. wow thanks for all that!

Bookmarking

[BumRushDaShow]

5. There were at least 4 Union heads and/or members of their leadership who testified

Hospital Workers 1199C (NUHHCE/AFL-CIO)
Nurses Union
Firefighter's Union
SEIU (Paramedics)

PLUS - there was an airline employee who testified that he works for a cleaning subcontractor for an airline (he mentioned that he and his colleagues are not unionized), where they clean the planes after each flight with little or no protective gear effective enough for cleaning (thin latex gloves), let alone for anything else.

More summary of the testimony -
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20141017_City__care_workers_clash_over_readiness_to_confront_Ebola.html

[TorchTheWitch]

6. thanks for this too!

bookmarking again

[BumRushDaShow]

7. No problem!

I will be monitoring for that video too because I want to hear some parts again...