Better preparedness to safeguard US from Ebola

Thanks to a growing list of states now mandating a quarantine for people traveling from Ebola-stricken areas who have had contact with infected patients, and officials from coast to coast having already dealt with their fair share of scares, each passing day appears to bring forth more questions rather than answers about Ebola and our ability to prevent further contamination.

Case in point: Top medical infectious experts have forecasted a range of possible new Ebola diagnoses in the U.S. by year’s end. As few as one or two more people could be diagnosed, but the numbers could also be many more.

{mosads}There are ways we can make sure the better scenario – or no scenario – unfolds. But the methods to ensure this might not be the ones you have mind. 

That is because lost in the discussion of whether to quarantine or execute a travel ban for Americans returning from Ebola-infected nations in West Africa is the concern over whether our nation’s preparedness issues have been adequately resolved, particularly in regards to how Ebola-contaminated medical waste is handled and discarded. 

As we said in a letter to Congress recently, Ebola has become a harbinger for our readiness to treat emerging exotic diseases only an airplane ride away. 

“We have to rethink the way we address Ebola infection control,” Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently said. We at the HCEP could not agree more. 

Here is a start: We need to work together to ensure that the best American and international guidelines regarding infection control procedures are being used to contain the disease and improve preparedness. 

The nation has already taken significant steps forward in addressing many of its preparedness issues, such as the CDC recently clarifying that Ebola waste is not the same as other regulated medical waste and hence should not be handled or transported as such. 

However, there is more work to be done. 

For instance, there a few simple solutions that can be quickly implemented to avoid further infection. They include designating treatment centers, establishing protocols for patient movement, disinfecting solid and liquid waste on-site and as close to the source as possible, and mobilizing waste sterilizers. 

In addition, it would be wise to route patients from hospitals that are not appropriately prepared to handle exotic infectious diseases, like Ebola, to pre-designated healthcare facilities that have the right protocols, complete on-site disinfection, a highly trained staff, and the necessary bio-containment units on site to treat and contain the virus. This would not only completely isolate Ebola-infected patients away from non-infected patients, but it would also allow for the efficient utilization of supplies by trained staff for complete infection control. 

It is also vital that on-site sterilization of Ebola-infected waste is implemented before it leaves a facility, and liquid waste is disinfected before it is put into a municipal sewer system. The CDC suggests that utilizing autoclave sterilization and bleach solutions works best. Securing greater quantities of mobile waste sterilizers and sending them to many healthcare facilities that need them would also help treat Ebola waste quickly – and correctly. 

These suggestions underline the need of policymakers to adopt measures that are more proactive in the effort to protect healthcare providers and the public, and that ensure that the aforementioned worst-case scenario forecast does not materialize. After all, the best way to combat Ebola is to prevent further contamination. 

The time is right for our leaders to take a few more steps in the right direction by carrying out a thoughtful and comprehensive approach that allocates our resources toward better preparedness and awareness. 

Henry is executive director for the Healthcare Coalition for Emergency Preparedness.