The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. Ebola virus disease (EVD), first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, Sudan and the other one in Yamabuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred in a village near the Ebola river, from which the disease takes its name.
The current outbreak in west Africa, (first cases notified in March 2014), is the largest and most complex Ebola outbreak since the Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976.
There have been more cases and deaths in this outbreak than all others combined .
It has also spread among countries starting in Guinea then spreading across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia, by air (1 traveller only) to Nigeria, and by land (1 traveller to Senegal).
The most severely affected countries, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have very weak healthy systems, lacking human and infrastuctural resources, having only recently emerged from long periods of conflicts and instability.
On August 8th, the WHO General Director declared this outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
A separate, unrelated Ebola outbreak began in Boende, Equateur, an insolated part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
CONTROLLING INFECTION IN HEALTH-CARE SETTINGS
Health-care workers should always take standard precautions when caring for patients, regardless of their presumed diagnosis. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (to block splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe burial practices.
Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus should apply extra infection control measures to prevent contact with the patients' blood and body fluids and contaminated surfaces or materials such as clothing and bedding. When in close contact (within 1 metre) of patients with EBV, health-care workers should wear face protection (a face shield or a medical mask and googles) a clean, non-sterile long-sleeved gown, and gloves (sterile gloves for same procedures). Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from humans and animals for investigation of Ebola infection should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories.
The recommendations are interim and will be updated when additional information becomes available. The sections of guidance cover:
- General patient care
- Direct patient care (for suspected or confirmed patients with haemorrhagic fever).
- Waste management
- Non-patient care activities
- Diagnostic laboratory activities
- Movement and burial of human remains, post-mortem examinations
- Managing exposure to virus through body fluids, including blood.
Source
http://www.who.int/entity/csr/disease/ebola/put_on_ppequipment.pdf?ua=1
Open it to know the steps to put on PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
Different Ebola protocols: The US vs Spain
Open it to know the steps to put on PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
Different Ebola protocols: The US vs Spain
I'm going to describe and compare a piece of news happened two months ago approximately. Two nurses, one of them from the US and another from Spain were being treated for different Ebola cases. For this reason, Ebola protocols were compared, and it was also compared the way followed in Spain and in the US to deal with the situation.
But I'm going two explain some examples:
1.- Protocol activation:
When the American nurse called to the hospital warning about low fever, only on ninety minutes time she was admitted into an insolated unit.
In the Spanish case, the nurse called on 30th September and finally, she went to the hospital on 6th October.
2.- Transfer and insolation:
The nurse from the US drove herself to the hospital and when the test came out positive immediately her car and apartment were decontaminated. Whereas in the Spanish case both of them were isolated after two days Teresa Romero was hospitalised.
3.- Neighbours:
The American authorities informed the neighbours one by one but in Spain many of them only watched it on TV.
4.- The dog:
In the US as the pet didn't show any sign of infection, it was only said there was an action plan if it were considerated necessary but in Spain the dog went ahead to death although it didn't show any illness signs.
What do you think about all of this?
Just think about it and make some remarks.
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