Watch the video above: Health-care workers are seen in protective gear as they transfer Amber Vinson to an air ambulance in Dallas. However, one man is seen with no protective gear at all.
TORONTO – A video that has raised questions about protocol for caring for Ebola patients has been explained, according to a recent media report.
Amber Vinson, the 29-year-old health-care worker from Dallas who is being treated for Ebola was being loaded into an air ambulance run by Phoenix Air for transfer from Dallas to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Five people are seen wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). But one man is seen in plain clothes, raising concerns that Ebola safety protocol wasn’t followed.
Both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) state that health-care workers treating Ebola patients wear protective gear in order to ensure that the disease is not spread.
READ MORE: The fight against Ebola: Is protective gear all that protective?
However, according to ABC News, the gentleman seen in the video wasn’t supposed to be wearing any protective gear.
The equipment, they were told, limits vision and hearing. The ‘clipboard man,’ as many are calling him, was there to ensure that the transfer was done safely without anything hindering his senses.
“Our medical professionals in the biohazard suits have limited vision and mobility and it is the protocol supervisor’s job to watch each person carefully and give them verbal directions to ensure no close contact protocols are violated,” a spokesperson from Phoenix Air was quoted as saying to ABC News.
“There is absolutely no problem with this and in fact ensures an even higher level of safety for all involved,” the spokesperson said.
There has been no comment from the CDC about the incident.
Comments