The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a bulletin urging health care facilities nationwide to be prepared in case they receive patients with infectious diseases, such as Ebola, or Ebola virus disease.
Medical and government officials have stated it is unlikely the Ebola crisis in West Africa will arrive in the U.S. But the CDC issued a "checklist" on Tuesday to ensure facilities know what to do in case a patient with the virus arrives for treatment.
"Facilities should review infection control policies and procedures and incorporate plans for administrative, environmental, and communication measures," the CDC wrote, adding that the checklist is not mandatory.
Treatment centers should also "define the individual work practices that will be required to detect the introduction of a patient with EVD or other emerging infectious disease, prevent spread, and manage the impact on patients, the facility and staff."
Health care personnel, from doctors to housekeepers involved in patient care, should make sure personal protective equipment, PPE, is accessible, the list says. If a medical worker becomes sick, they should have immediate access to a treatment consultation, "including via telephone," the CDC wrote.
Facilities are advised to provide refresher training courses for cleaning staff and review all procedures for environmental cleaning, according to the list.
Staff are also advised to make sure they know symptoms of Ebola, such as fever, muscle pain, diarrhea and vomiting, according to the CDC. Symptoms usually appear eight to 10 days after infection, but symptoms have been seen as early as two days.
The checklist comes as President Barack Obama announced a major plan to step up U.S. efforts to mitigate the outbreak in West Africa, including sending troops, more health care workers and materials like portable hospitals.
There is no official cure for Ebola, a deadly disease that has killed at least 2,400 people and infected thousands more in the largest outbreak in history. Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have seen the most cases, with Nigeria recently reporting cases of Ebola.
