The Healthcare Coalition for Emergency Preparedness, an organization formed to raise awareness and educate the public on issues in plans to maintain healthcare facility operations in a crisis, is questioning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's infection control recommendations for Ebola.
Ebola fits the CDC's definition of a biosafety level 4 pathogen since it is a "life-threatening disease that is frequently fatal, for which there [is] no vaccines or treatments." However, the CDC is treating it similarly to a level 2 pathogen, according to the group. "BSL 2 level safety precautions — as long as they are followed in compliance with the blood-borne pathogens safety standards — should be adequate for handling Ebola," said Brandi Limbago, PhD, deputy branch chief at CDC Atlanta.
Additionally, according to the group, waste from the Ebola-infected patients is being released into the public sewer system.
"The CDC's contradictory statements on guidelines for dealing with dangerous and communicable diseases could create confusion and put healthcare workers — and the public — at great risk," Darrell Henry, executive director of the Healthcare Coalition for Emergency Preparedness, said.
The group recommended that HHS consider making stricter guidelines to protect healthcare workers and the public from Ebola.
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