CDC director: Second U.S. Ebola case suggests 'breach in protocol'
A Texas health care worker who tested positive for the Ebola virus after treating Thomas Eric Duncan in Dallas suggests the hospital breached protocol, Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on CBS' Face the Nation.
"Clearly there was a breach in protocol," Frieden said in an interview reported by the Dallas Morning News. "We know from many years of experience that it's possible to care for patients with Ebola safely, without risk to health care workers, but we also know that it's hard and that even a single breach can result in contamination."
Frieden speculated that the breach in protocol may have occurred as the health care worker removed his or her contaminated gear. The Ebola virus can only be spread through direct contact with an infected person's bodily fluids.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Why NATO, Ukraine are nervous about a second Trump presidency
The Explainer A 'radical reorientation' of U.S. policy is possible
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - October 11, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - gang warfare, sporting shocks, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Han Kang of South Korea wins literature Nobel Prize
Speed Read She is the first South Korean and first Asian woman to win the award
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published