Anyone else who was around back in 1980 during the first AIDS crisis having deja vu now

[Mojorabbit]

82. I also worked well before universal precautions were the norm

I cared for a huge amount of HIV patients before anyone knew what was causing the illness and without gloves or precautions of any kind except good handwashing.
I see today that nurses are saying they are unprepared to handle an influx of ebola patients.

U.S. Nurses Say They Are Unprepared To Handle Ebola Patients
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Nurses argue that inadequate preparation could increase the chances of spreading Ebola if hospital staff fail to recognize a patient coming through their doors, or if personnel are not informed about how to properly protect themselves.

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Samios said she and other members of the emergency department staff were trained just last week on procedures to care for and recognize an Ebola patient, but not everyone was present for the training, and none of the other nursing or support staff were trained.

"When an Ebola patient is admitted or goes to the intensive care unit, those nurses, those tech service associates are not trained," she said. "The X-ray tech who comes into the room to do the portable chest X-ray is not trained. The transporter who pushes the stretcher is not trained."

If an Ebola patient becomes sick while being transported, "How do you clean the elevator?"
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Nurses at hospitals across the country are asking similar questions.

A survey by National Nurses United of some 400 nurses in more than 200 hospitals in 25 states found that more than half (60 percent) said their hospital is not prepared to handle patients with Ebola, and more than 80 percent said their hospital has not communicated to them any policy regarding potential admission of patients infected by Ebola.

Another 30 percent said their hospital has insufficient supplies of eye protection and fluid-resistant gowns.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/03/nurses-unprepared-ebola_n_5926828.html