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phases, says Ms. Thompson.
• If there's a confirmed case in the United States …
the center will
educate staff on Ebola signs and symptoms, establish a "buddy
system" for staff to use PPE properly and assign key staff mem-
bers to monitor the national Ebola situation.
• If there's a confirmed Ebola patient in the state …
the center will con-
E B O L A V I R U S
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE FLU
Will Ebola Outbreak Divert Your Resources?
E
xperts in infection prevention and control are warning that while hos-
pitals and surgical centers are working to prepare for a potential
Ebola outbreak in the United States, resources and attention may
shift away from more common infections, like the flu and MRSA.
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
(APIC) notes that because of the intense training staff undergoes to prepare
for Ebola, as well as the personal protective equipment facilities need to pur-
chase, resources are being diverted from other, more common infections,
like the flu, C. diff., MRSA and even enterovirus-68.
"We have to drop so many other things to take this on," says APIC
President Jennie Mayfield, BSN, MPH, CIC. "No one wants a flu epidemic in
their facility."
While APIC says that preparing for Ebola is a must, the group reminds
healthcare workers to also be on the lookout for other infections. APIC is
calling on hospitals to increase their funding of infection prevention and con-
trol programs in their facilities to help take on Ebola, as well as other harmful
infections.
"Infection control is under resourced and the Ebola situation is exasperat-
ing that," says Kristina Crist, MBA, CEO of APIC. "We need more resources
to be prepared overall."
— Kendal Gapinski
