Ebola and the Risk to Healthcare Workers

When we reported to our morning shift, we were handed 5 patients; 3 in Confirmed and 1 each in Probable and Suspected Wards-a very light census.  Someone’s parting remark to us was to try not to have a very long day.  It has been ten days since we last have a positive patient.  Faday wanted psychosocial team to go to his house to check on his child who was reported to be sick.

In the late morning after the patients had their meals and nursing care, we started rounding from the outside of the fence.  Patients were mainly stable.  Ishmael seemed slightly better sitting up across from Peter Rabbit, although he seemed to be groaning and whining a great deal.  His mother, Aminata had been encouraged to interact with him.  It was nice to see him lying on top of her belly.  He shook his head when we asked him whether he had such-and-such a symptom and went through a whole list of food trying to find something enticing that he would be willing to eat but he only nodded to peppered soup.

St. John triaging sent a four-year-old girl Asiatu to be admitted to the Suspected Ward and mom and aunt came along.  Mother was none too happy to be sent to the ETC and refused to have anything done to her daughter.  After a lot of persuading and explanation of the risks of staying with Asiatu in the ETC, her aunt insisted on staying with her.  Asiatu’s mom has another baby who is still nursing.

Here in Lunsar I have very little news of the world but some of my colleagues mentioned that a British and an America volunteer have contracted Ebola, both working in Sierra Leone.  The America volunteer works with PIH and is flown back to Bethesda for treatment.  Here in Lunsar we admitted another national healthcare worker working with PIH in the same ETC in Maforki in Port Loko District as the American.  In the span of a few days, there have been three volunteers contracting Ebola, hitting home the fact that we have to be always vigilant with our infection control practices.  It is very easy to let our guard down when the cases are decreasing.  However, I am puzzled as to why the national healthcare worker did not get admitted into the ETC for healthcare workers in Kerry Town.

At one of the weekly round table conferences, we could have brushed shoulders with many of the healthcare workers.  We are in it together fighting this epidemic, when one of us is down, it sure affects us all.

As volunteers here we are also concerned that after such a long period of calm without an American volunteer coming down with Ebola, the media frenzy surrounding this case might throw the public into a kilter again. My brother sent me an e-mail " Re: US care worker down with Ebola" wondering if I might be the one and wished I were safe at home in the US and if not to come home safely from Sierra Leone.