WALLS, FLOORS, AND WORK SURFACES
For “clean” walls and floors, mop or otherwise clean with 1:100 bleach solution.
For spills or splatter on walls and floors, pour 1:10 bleach solution and let soak for 15 minutes before removing with a towel. Discard the towel.
BEDDING
For plastic sheeting: Remove liquid or solid waste with absorbent towels, then discard. Wash with 1:100 bleach solution daily.
For cloth sheeting: Remove sheets from the bed and place in a bucket or plastic bag. Soak in bleach solution for 30 minutes. Remove and place in soapy water overnight. Rinse and line-dry.
Mattresses: If heavily soiled, remove and burn (this is why plastic sheeting is so important). If the mattress must be reused, soak in 1:10 bleach until soaked on both sides. Dry in the sun (on both sides) for several days.
PATIENT UTENSILS
Eating utensils are medical supplies, too. Wash and rinse in 1:100 bleach solution and then air-dry.
PATIENT WASTE
Cover the contents of a bedpan or waste bucket with 1:10 bleach solution then empty the contents into a dedicated patient toilet or latrine. Rinse in 1:100 bleach solution before returning it to the sick room. For toilets, beware of splatter.
Burn towels, cloth, and paper waste after applying 1:100 bleach solution.
TIP
All instruments, such as stethoscopes or thermometers, should be washed after use. For this, you will use ordinary rubbing alcohol (70 percent isopropyl) or 1:100 bleach solution.
MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS
All instruments, such as stethoscopes or thermometers, should be washed after use. For this, you will use ordinary rubbing alcohol (70 percent isopropyl) or 1:100 bleach solution.
Place the alcohol or bleach in a container of appropriate size. This should be kept in the sick room. Dip a paper towel or clean cloth into it and wipe down the metal head of the stethoscope for 30 seconds. Glass thermometers may be soaked in the fluid for 10 minutes. Allow to air-dry and properly dispose of paper waste.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
Reusable clothing: Set aside a laundry area for Ebola patients. Place the laundry in 1:100 bleach solution and soak for 30 minutes, then place in soapy water. Soak overnight, then rinse and line-dry. Use worn clothing as cleaning implements.
Disposable clothing: Use 1:100 bleach solution then burn.
Boots: Have a pan with 1:100 bleach solution to clean soles and a sprayer for upper portions. Let air-dry.
Goggles: Dip in 1:100 bleach solution and air-dry.
Gloves: You should have these in quantity. Wear two pairs at a time. If there is more than one patient in the room, you could wash in soap and water and then dip in 1:100 bleach solution before going to the next patient. Dry first. The gloves won’t last long using this method, so it is best to dispose after each use.
Masks: Dispose after each use.
ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURES
Many inexperienced or untrained medical personnel will have an inadvertent exposure on their skin to Ebola virus. This doesn’t mean it’s the end of the line. You can:
• Immerse the exposed area in rubbing alcohol for 20–30 seconds, then wash with soap and water.
• Flush the area with running water for 20–30 seconds
• If the skin has been broken, cover with a dressing.
NOW YOU KNOW…
A sick room should be designated to handle patients with infectious disease before an epidemic occurs. Furnishings should be minimal and utilitarian. Accumulation of medical supplies for the room should take into account bedding, utensils, protective clothing for caregivers, and disinfectants. Used items can sometimes be cleaned, but are best discarded in most cases. Bleach solution is effective in killing Ebola virus and is easily prepared, but must be replenished daily.
9. Your Strategy
Now you know how to create an effective sick room and how to keep it disinfected. At this stage, you should be accumulating supplies to furnish it and to disinfect items properly that will be used in the care of the Ebola patient.
Luckily, at the time of this writing, no community-
wide outbreaks have occurred in the United States. In the uncertain future, however, a true epidemic of Ebola or another infectious disease may arrive in your town. What should be your strategy in the event that multiple cases spring up in your area? What are some things you can do now to be ready?
The situation in Dallas should give you an indication of the level of vigilance that you should adopt. In Dallas, the only individuals to have contracted the disease from patient Thomas Duncan have been health-care workers who were in close proximity or handling his bodily fluids. So far, no casual contacts appear to have come down with the disease.
In this situation, the alert level for you, as an average person, is relatively low. You are unlikely to be involved in the care of an Ebola patient. No cases are turning up in the neighborhood. There are still hospitals with open beds, and efforts are being made to correct errors made in the care of the victims.
What should you do right now to decrease your chances of catching infections and staying healthy? This applies to Ebola, but also goes for influenza or whatever the next epidemic candidate might be.
Wash your hands. Good hand hygiene will result in your being less likely to be infected with any infectious disease. When I say this, I mean washing your hands frequently. Over the course of a typical day, I’d like you to keep a running count of how many times you do this every day. Did you wash your hands every time you used a restroom? After you ate? After you shook hands with someone? After opening a door? Few people can say that they did. Certainly, this can amount to many hand washings a day.
The benefits of frequent hand washing (or using alcohol-
based hand sanitizer) can hardly be denied. Concerned about getting dry hands? Use hand lotion. It may be an annoyance but it’s much better than getting sick.
This is simple advice, but it isn’t easy to get into the habit of frequent hand washing. Use common sense, and you’ll realize how important it is to decrease the viral or bacterial count on your hands. Hand washing should be a developmental milestone for kids on the same level as toilet training.
Keep your hands off your face. Piece of cake, right? I doubt it. Observe one of your kids or friends for a half hour and count the times they touch their face with their hands. I’ll bet you’d be surprised how often it happens. Each time is an opportunity for a disease-causing organism to get in your mouth, nose, or eyes.
Don’t touch door handles with bare hands. After a trip to the restroom, use a paper towel, if available, to open the door as you leave. Bathroom door handles are loaded with germs. Throw the paper towel away as soon as you exit.
Boost your immune system. Eat healthily, avoid stress, get enough sleep, and stay fit. People who can accomplish these four things are in a lot better shape to resist infectious diseases. Some folks will take supplements of vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, or selenium, all known to strengthen your immune system.
TIP
Don’t touch door handles with bare hands. After a trip to the restroom, use a paper towel, if available, to open the door as you leave. Bathroom door handles are loaded with germs. Throw the paper towel away as soon as you exit.