The transmission of the deadly Ebola virus from a patient who recently died in a U.S. hospital to a health care professional who took care of him is a stark reminder of how Ebola may spread despite precautions.
The first case of an Ebola transmission outside the African continent also involved a health care professional, an assistant nurse in Spain who provided care to a missionary who had contracted the virus in Sierra Leone and who subsequently died. It is suspected that the nurse accidentally touched her face with contaminated gloves while removing her protective gear. A committee from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control who visited the Madrid hospital that treated the initial victim concluded that it was not suitable for dealing with emergencies such as an Ebola outbreak.
The Texas hospital’s failure to suspect Ebola infection during the patient’s first ER visit, and the subsequent infection of the nurse who provided care for the patient, are a cause for alarm. The previous assurance by the U.S. authorities that any hospital in the country should be able to handle Ebola cases has been proven wrong.
Since the epidemic became an international concern, Korea has had its share of Ebola scares. Most recently, a 17-month-old boy from Sierra Leone who was found to have a high fever upon arrival at the airport was put in isolation and tested for the Ebola virus. The test came out negative. In August, there was a case in which the whereabouts of two men who had arrived from Liberia could not be traced. It was only 10 days later that the authorities were able to locate them.
The upcoming ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan from Oct. 20 to Nov. 7, which will include about 124 people from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, is causing anxiety among residents of Busan, the country’s second-largest city.
The health authorities have said that detection efforts at the airports, including temperature screening, will be heightened and that delegates from the four countries will be asked to self-monitor their temperature every day.
However, these measures alone cannot quell concerns about the virus sneaking into Korea. The authorities should assure the public that there is a contingency plan that will kick in once a patient has been identified, and that everyone is familiar with the protocol.
On Saturday, the U.K. carried out an 8-hour simulation exercise, planting actors posing as Ebola patients to test the government and health authorities’ responses. Such a test would prove vital in detecting any shortfalls that could then be remedied. The government there has warned that the country could eventually see a “handful” of cases.
The virus that has already claimed more than 4,000 lives, causing great havoc in the three worst hit countries ― Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone ― could infect as many as 20,000 people within nine months, according to the World Health Organization.
Ebola should be seen as a public safety issue and the government should take all necessary measures to block it at the entry points and, at the same time, be prepared if the virus were to arrive here, too. There is no need to cause public panic, but one of the best defenses against such panic is education and preparedness.
