I am no specialist in preventing epidemics. But this seems nuts to me.
Did Tom Frieden, the head of the CDC, imply that health care workers treating possible Ebola patients keep themselves less than optimally safe? From, “Ebola: Infection Control Needs Rethink,” in MedPage Today:
Frieden said investigators are now closely monitoring procedures for donning and removing protective gear in the hospital. Officials are also considering whether other types of gowns, masks, gloves, and other equipment might reduce the risk of exposure during changes, he said. But he suggested that full hazmat suits are almost certainly not the answer because of the difficulties they create for patient care and for the workers themselves.
And get this!
Frank Esper, MD, an infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, told MedPage Today that workers must strike a balance between self-protection and their job responsibilities. “Some institutions are opting to use a full-body hood” instead of face shields and masks, he said. This provides “a lot of protection for the healthcare worker.
“The biggest problem with a lot of this,” he continued, “is that we’re very compassionate when we try to take care of our patients. We want to be able to relate to them, we want them to feel secure.”
He said it makes patients nervous to “see all these hoods and gowns and face masks” and that it runs counter to the goal of providing reassurance to patients.
Are. You. Kidding. Me?
How would you like to be a nurse–with a family–and know that you are kept less than optimally safe in your work so ”patients feel secure”? And what about the wider community?
I have had total trust in the medical experts so far in the Ebola crisis. But that trust is beginning to fray at the seams.