Universal precautions

I am getting a little weary of health care facilities everywhere talking about not being ready to handle Ebola patients.

From almost the first day of nursing school, we were taught to view all patients as having a contagious, life-threatening condition. We learned about universal precautions, to use gloves and other necessary articles of personal protective equipment for procedures that could lead to exposure to any body fluid.

When patients were already in isolation, we gloved, gowned, masked, used eye protection if necessary and wore booties. We learned how to remove these items without exposing ourselves to anything that might be on them after giving care. Vigilant hand washing was also stressed as a necessity.

Yes, Ebola is a dreadful disease, but if universal precautions are always followed to the letter, the chances of transmission should be very low. I also think that any person who wishes to travel from those African countries where Ebola is raging should be subject to a 21-day quarantine and allowed to leave Africa only if they are symptom-free at the end of those 21 days.

Karen Buck

Spokane