The cavalry isn’t coming, but the infectious diseases are. On a November morning in 2018, a man checked into a crowded emergency department (ED) in California reporting fever and body aches. The clerk who checked him in quickly deduced that he had arrived 2 days prior from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where an outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was raging.
Confusion ensued. The patient was swiftly isolated: staff members walked him to a room while maintaining the recommended 6 feet of distance. Once roomed, however, they had difficulty locating the appropriate Tier 3 personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to safely deliver care. Per local protocol, any staff member entering the room was required to wear a Tyvek suit, surgical gown, apron, three pairs of gloves, surgical boots, and a purified air protection respirator.