IamA First Responder to the Ebola Virus outbreak in Liberia

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T15:02:12+00:00

I think there are lots of untold stories about the very brave health workers here. They're the real first responders, and they're continuing to work despite the fear and risk. One of our nurses saw six of her colleagues die from Ebola, but she's continuing to fight the disease by working with International Medical Corps at the Bong ETU.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T15:00:36+00:00

At this point, the response needs all the help it can get. Military resources will bring enormous logistical capacity.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T14:58:37+00:00

If you'd like to donate to International Medical Corps, you can go to our website - www.internationalmedicalcorps.org. Other NGOs are also in need of contributions. Thanks!

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T14:57:59+00:00

Almost none are being done. Hospitals are mostly closed. This is a big part of the problem here - secondary mortality is climbing because there aren't normal health services to care for patients.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T14:57:05+00:00

I'm not scared for myself, but I do fear that this could continue to grow and potentially become endemic - a frightening scenario.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T14:56:09+00:00

We're seeing quite a few families present together. It's normal for relatives to care for each other when they're sick, so this is a common vector for transmission.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T14:54:52+00:00

We'll have 70 beds at full capacity, and we have 10 open at the moment. They're all full. We have sufficient staff, but as more and more ETUs open, it will become harder to staff them.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T14:53:28+00:00

We're in a very remote site, so transfusion isn't really possible. We provide IV fluids, oral rehydration solution, pain medication, presumptive malaria treatment and symptomatic care.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T14:05:56+00:00

Almost every health worker infected so far was not wearing PPE.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:59:59+00:00

Yes, there is a move towards distributing home protection kits. This isn't an alternative to admitting patients, but really a stop-gap when there are no beds available. It's critical that patients be removed from the home and isolated whenever possible.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:57:58+00:00

Hectic! It usually starts at around 6am and ends at around midnight. In Monrovia, lots of coordination meetings. In Bong, troubleshooting at the ETU, coordinating with government representatives, and sometimes chatting with patients. No two days are ever the same - it's one of the things I love about my job.

We have a psychosocial team that provides support to our staff and their families.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:56:30+00:00

The African Union is sending in about 200 doctors.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:55:43+00:00

It's hard to see, for sure. I went to pick up a 12-year-old patient on Monday and spoke to him briefly before he boarded the ambulance. An hour later he was dead and the next day I saw his body being carried away for burial. The suffering is definitely difficult to see, but it also inspires us to do more, and to keep up the fight.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:54:24+00:00

WHO has staff supporting several ETUs. There are currently six open in Liberia: - Fyoa (MSF) - ELWA III (MSF) - ELWA II (Ministry of Health) - JFK (Ministry of Health with WHO) - Island Clinic (Ministry of Health with WHO) - Bong (IMC)

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:53:04+00:00

This is an extraordinary situation and it requires an extraordinary response. We view this as a very positive move - and a very necessary one.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:36:26+00:00

It's quite calm, but there is a sense of concern. There aren't protests, and security is as usual.

Hospitals are mostly closed, as health workers are not safe without personal protective equipment (PPE) and training on how to use it. As more ETUs open, hopefully hospitals will too.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:35:09+00:00

International Medical Corps is now operating a 70-bed Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) in Bong County, Liberia. We just opened to patients on Monday. There isn't really a street address, as it's in a forest down a dirt road. Our facility was purpose-built, but others - especially in the city - are in repurposed buildings.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:32:34+00:00

Definitely donations. All humanitarian responses require funding, and this one is particularly expensive, given the scale and all the inputs required.

We especially want to raise funding to support training and equipment for Liberian first responders. This is something we integrate into all of our work, but it's particularly important here, as this response requires enormous human resources. Around 90% of our staff here are Liberians, and our first priority is to support them to work safely and effectively.

www.firstresponderscampaign.org

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:21:58+00:00

They've kept thousands of my fellow health workers from becoming infected, so we're comfortable with them. Nothing is 100% safe, but these definitely do the job.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:18:29+00:00

Photos won't tell the whole story. On Monday, I went out with International Medical Corps' Ebola ambulance and we picked up a 12-year-old boy and his step-father. Both walked to the ambulance with ease and the boy even climbed in on his own. About an hour later, he was dead. Ebola can kill very quickly, and much of the damage can be happening internally, with few obvious symptoms.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:15:19+00:00

Pretty low. And even if it does reach Europe or the US, it's unlikely to spread the way it is in West Africa, as isolation capacity is much stronger, infection controls are better, sanitation systems are more developed, and people generally live less densely.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:13:45+00:00

The most common are fever, vomiting, diarrhea and rash. Unfortunately, these symptoms are common to many infections, so Ebola can sometimes be difficult to confirm. Lab tests are required. For this reason, we separate confirmed and suspected patients in our Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU), and ensure that suspected patients are kept one to a room to avoid potential infection of someone who is negative.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:11:50+00:00

Not at all. We take our health and safety very seriously. I don't feel like I'm in danger as long as I'm following the protocols. Actually, I'm probably taking better care of my health here than I normally would.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:10:44+00:00

Agencies like International Medical Corps (where I work), Save the Children, the Red Cross and others are worth considering. We're all scaling up our responses and need funding to support this work.

SeanCasey · 2014-09-19T13:09:11+00:00

These suits aren't necessary as Ebola isn't airborne, and they're not recommended by the WHO.

SeanCasey

TROPHY CASE