Two Americans who got infected with the deadly Ebola Virus was cleared and discharged after recovering fully from the effects of the pathogen. Meanwhile, researchers claim that safety measures being adopted to curb the virus might cause more harm than good.
The two American infected with the deadly Ebola Virus are 60-year-old Nancy Writebol and 33-year-old Kent Brantly who were infected in Monrovia. The were doing missionary work in the middle of the outbreak, killing over 1, 400 people and infecting over 2, 000 in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
According to the report from Reuters, the two Americans who got infected with the deadly Ebola virus were treated with experimental drugs and was closely monitored for three weeks in an Atlanta hospital.
Meanwhile, medical researchers have warned that fear of ebola might be causing a lot of US hospitals to be paranoid and proceed with safety measures that have the possibility to cause more danger and risk both for medical workers and patients with Ebola.
The cases of Writebol and Brantly have been the only confirmed Ebola cases in the United States who came from Liberia, both were discharged this week after making full recovery.
Author Dr. Michael Klompas of Harvard Medical School stated that the extra steps taken by US hospitals are "understandable given the horrific mortality of this disease," he also said that these maybe unnecessary and could possibly endanger the health workers and patients instead.
Dr. David Kuhar of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited the instance wherein doctors and nurses don gears such as hazmat suits, "there is absolutely a risk of making mistakes and contaminating yourself" with the patient's bodily fluids infected with Ebola.
Klompas also noted that "going overboard could also hurt patients," and advised that should health workers need to wear these safety suits before going inside the room of a suspected Ebola-infected patient, they would likely look after patients less frequently.
The CDC has received alerts from hospitals over 29 states in the US for 68 possible cases, and the institution have ruled out 66 while waiting for the two more test results.
The deadly Ebola virus can only be spread through a direct contact with the infected person's bodily fluids, like blood, saliva and semen.
Experts from CDC have instructed medical institutions to isolate suspected Ebola-infected patients in one room and doctors and medical workers to wear a gown that is fluid-impermeable, protective gloves, surgical masks, goggles or face shields.
Meanwhile, if the patient is secreting a lot of fluids, the CDC advices health workers to wear coverings for shoes and legs and two pairs of gloves to prevent accidental contact. If the patient must undergo procedures that can push the Ebola virus to go airborne like inserting a breathing tube, for example, doctors and nurses should use respirators.
