Ebola Virus in the Workplace

Policy Analysis Powerpoint

Kelly Talbert
SW 4710
October 7, 2014

Ebola
Currently there is a large Ebola virus disease
outbreak in the West African countries of
Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria
(Oakwood Hospital,2014,p.1)
Currently, risk of transmission to the United
States remains low according to the
CDC/WHO (Oakwood Hospital,2014,p.1).


What is Ebola
Ebola hemorrhagic fever is one of numerous
viral hemorrhagic fevers. It is a severe, often
fatal disease in humans with a high case of
fatality rate. When symptoms occurs,
symptoms usually begin abruptly (Oakwood
Hospital,2014,p.1).
Transmission Route
This occurs through direct contact with blood
or body fluids: urine, feces, saliva, semen, and
vomit of an infected person, deceased patient
or exposure to objects: needles with infected
secretions (Oakwood Hospital,2014,p1).
Ebola is not a food-borne, water-borne, or
airborne illness (Oakwood Hospital,2014,p.1).
Individuals who are not symptomatic are not
contagious (Oakwood Hospital,2014,p.1).

What Policies are currently in place
CDC's Public Health Law Program
The Public Health Law Program (PHLP) works to
improve the health of the public through law by
developing law-related tools and providing legal
technical assistance to public health practitioners
and policy makers in state, tribal, local, and
territorial jurisdictions. Program staff also
facilitate collaboration within the public health
law community through a listserv, contact
directories, and training sessions (CDC,2014).

Occupational Safety & Health
Administration
Several OSHA standards and directives are directly
applicable to protecting workers against transmission of
infectious agents. These include OSHA's Bloodborne
Pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) which provides
protection of workers from exposures to blood and body
fluids that may contain bloodborne infectious agents;
OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment standard (29 CFR
1910.132) and Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR
1910.134) which provide protection for workers when
exposed to contact, droplet and airborne transmissible
infectious agents;and OSHA's TB compliance
directive which protects workers against exposure to TB
through enforcement of existing applicable OSHA standards
and the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act (OSHA, 2014).
Healthcare Personnel Controlled
Environment
Consult Infectious Disease and notify your site Infection
Control Department immediately to discuss patients
epidemiologic risk and testing (Oakwood Hospital,2014,p.1)
If person meets EVD case place them in contact and
airborne isolation, maintain log of all persons entering
room (Oakwood Hospital,2014,p.1)
PPE : gloves, gowns, eye protection, face mask, disposable
shoe covers and leg coverings (Oakwood Hospital,2014,p.1)
Do not begin routine lab specimen collection until patient is
isolated and infection control is notified of any EVD patients
(Oakwood Hospital,2014, p.1)
Support from President Obama
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-
video/video/2014/10/06/president-obama-
provides-update-ebola-outbreak
(WhiteHouse,2014)

Interview with Advocate
Cheryl Aerson, Assistant Clinical Manager OHMC-D
Emergency Department
Q. Do you think the policies put in place are good ones?
A. Yes, these policies are well placed for dangerous
diseases. HCP is our way of implementing the right action
to care for the immediate patient and care providers.
Q . Was EVD immediately discussed with management and
Infectious Disease Department before the Emergency Staff
was informed ?
A. Yes, It is OHMC-D practice to provide appropriate
emergency preparedness with Healthcare Personnel.

(C.Aerson, Personal Communication, October 6,2014)
References
C.Aerson(Personal Communication, October 6, 2014).

Center for Disease Control and Prevention.(n.d.).State,Tribal,Local,and Territorial
Public Health Professional Gateway.cdc.gov.Retrieved October 6,2014 from
http://www.cdc.gov/stltpublichealth/publichealthlaw/index.html

Oakwood Hospital.(8/26/14).8/14 Clinical Alert
EbolaGuidanceforHCP.Oaknet.Retreived October 6,2014 from
http://oaknet/documents/services/infection_prevention/Ebola_Guidance.pdf#search=Ebola

Occupational Safety & Health Administration.(n.d.).Safety and
HealthTopics.osha.gov.Retrieved October 6, 2014, from
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthcarefacilities/infectious_diseases.html

White House Video.(10/6/14).President Obama Provides an Update on the Ebola
Outbreak.whitehouse.gov.Retreived October 7, 2014 from
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2014/10/06/president-obama-
provides-update-ebola-outbreak