CDC's new recommendations for Ebola medics: voluntary home quarantines, avoiding public transport

[pnwmom]

I wonder whether the "voluntary" quarantine would become mandatory if it was violated, as it was with Duncan's relatives and Dr. Snyderman. According to this article, the nurse previously confined in NJ is now under a mandatory home-quarantine in Maine.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2809610/Nurse-held-quarantine-Ebola-fears-New-Jersey-set-discharged.html

US health officials have issued new guidelines urging voluntary, at-home quarantine for all health workers that have treated Ebola patients in West Africa - but slammed New Jersey for 'going too far'.

Previously the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended screening of travelers from West Africa and monitoring of people for three weeks after they arrive in the United States.

Now, 'high risk' travelers are told to avoid transport and allow state medics to monitor them daily.

'We are concerned about some policies that we have seen... that might have the effect of increasing stigma or creating false impressions,' CDC director Dr Thomas Frieden said today, as he unveiled the four categories of risk that travelers will be separated in to.

SNIP

Miss Hickox was driven to her home in Maine on Monday afternoon shortly after 1pm on Monday in a black SUV where she will required by the CDC to self-quarantine at home.

[uppityperson]

1. High risk is health care workers who have gotten needle sticks treating ebola pts. Not all providers

[pnwmom]

2. Where did you read that? According to this article, all returning health workers

will be subject to the quarantines, including doctors. And if you're in a quarantine at home, you're not on public transport. I read the whole article and didn't see anything defining "high risk."

I wonder why the nurse is in a mandatory quarantine.

From the article:

"Any person traveling from Liberia, Guinea or Sierra Leone who had contact with infected, or possibly infected, people will be automatically quarantined for 21 days. This includes doctors. It will be coordinated with local health departments."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2809610/Nurse-held-quarantine-Ebola-fears-New-Jersey-set-discharged.html#ixzz3HOeGUVSt
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[KMOD]

3. "I read the whole article and didn't see anything defining "high risk."

You can read the new CDC guidelines here

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/exposure/risk-factors-when-evaluating-person-for-exposure.html

it defines the four risk categories. States do not have to necessary follow these guidelines. They do have discretion.

[pnwmom]

4. Thank you! n/t

[uppityperson]

7. Thanks, I should've read down the thread before researching. Has that been posted as an OP in

GD or LBN? If not, would you please? Thanks.

[uppityperson]

6. Listening to npr driving to doctor today. Here's a link to the 4 categories, sorry can't copy paste

my dumb pad will only copy the whole article. This is there, hopefully someone can find more, sorry am at work in dumb pad.

4 categories are:
1. High risk...tend to ebola patient without protective gear or get needle stick while caring for ebola pt.
2. some risk
3 & 4 are unnamed but include healthcare workers treating pts in USA.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/27/us-health-ebola-usa-newyork-idUSKBN0IG12920141027

[Nye Bevan]

5. Sounds sensible to me.

Better than taking rides on the subway and visiting restaurants and bowling alleys.

[Downwinder]

8. Is there a difference between treating patients in Africa and treating

patients stateside?

[magical thyme]

9. yes. the MSF has had >700 caretakers taking care of thousands of patients with a

low percentage of workers in infected, and only one diagnosed outside of Africa.

The US has had 7 Ebola cases cared for by maybe 100 caretakers, with 2 caretakers infected.

But don't let reality get in the way of politics, especially during an election season.

[magical thyme]

11. I just want to make it clear my snark was aimed at Christie, not you

The healthcare workers taking care of Dr. Spencer at Belleview are as much as risk as those returning from Africa. So in Christie's world, they should also be in lockdown, living in plastic tents in the hospital parking lot with porta-potties, without running water, and wearing only paper PPEs for the duration of Spencer's treatment and 21 days after. Until he changed his mind and said the quarantines would be at home with their families, who also should be quarantined.

Also any CDC staff that is on site advising them.

[Downwinder]

12. In a Randian world of

prima donnas one has to be thankful that workers are competent to do their jobs despite obstructive interference.

[magical thyme]

13. In a Randian world of cheapest possible, the workers are at the breaking point.

I mean this literally. I spent a couple hours Saturday afternoon, and several hours Sunday morning running my ass off, digging through biohazard bins and getting my ass chewed off by respiratory and icu, while taking care of EDs while simultaneously fixing mistakes that I inherited and that were made by a tech with 35 years experience, a tech with 12 years experience and a lab assistant with 25 years experience. A seriously ill patient, a specimen discarded that should have been refrigerated for possible follow-on testing, a specimen almost sent to the state for tb testing that should have been sent to reference lab for mrsa testing, another specimen discarded that should have been sent to reference lab for tb testing....and we're ranked #1 for hospital safety out of 2500 hospitals studied! I can't even imagine what it's like in the hospitals rated #2000+

We are stretched too thin, underslept, overtired...I injured my knee on Thursday afternoon. I could barely hobble around by Sunday evening.

[marions ghost]

14. Thank you for that reality check

--yes I know many health care professionals are struggling and at the breaking point as you describe.