Isolation & Quarantine
Measures in Response to a Smallpox Emergency
Infection
Control in Places without Infrastructure
In places where
the existing medical infrastructure has been overwhelmed or where
one doesn’t exist, several things should still be implemented:
- Suspected
patients should be segregated away from other patients as much
as possible is areas where there is good air circulation to the
outside of the facility (open windows, encourage airflow from
the room to the outside of the facility).
- Healthcare
workers should still utilize standard precautions to prevent
mucous membrane deposition of body fluids and protect themselves,
even if vaccinated.
- If suspected
smallpox patients are grouped together, must vaccinate them all.
- Clean water
is important to prevent secondary bacterial infection in patients
with extensive skin lesions.
Burning is the
easiest method of waste disposal in places where the medical infrastructure
is compromised. Surface cleaning with a fresh bleach solution would
serve as an acceptable means of decontamination.
Burial Issues
Embalming and
open casket funerals should not be done for people who have died
from smallpox. Outbreaks have been associated with open casket
funerals. If possible, the safest way to deal with remains is cremation,
but if that is not possible, containing and sealing the remains
then burying them in the ground can be done.
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