"Clipboard Guy": What's wrong with this picture???

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

An unknown man with a clipboard was caught on national television with a blatant breach of PPE protocol as he escorted an Ebola patient to Atlanta without wearing any protective gear, even getting on the plane with the patient. This is the type of blunder that could have far-reaching effects.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2794854/what-thinking-mystery-man-without-hazmat-suit-seen-helping-2nd-ebola-nurse-board-plane-atlanta-joining-them.html

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/26801886/mysterious-clipboard-guy-flies-to-atlanta-with-ebola-patient

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I spit my tea out when I saw this on the news.....then they were passing the clip board back and forth....my daughter called from the other room...."What have they done now?"

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

While I was watching it last night, I could not believe it. Then the news official....can't remember who it was....said...."This is not the type of image we want the American public to see."

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

This is turning into a circus of mishaps and poor judgement. I can understand that they don't want to cause panic...but they are not instilling confidence. From the beginning the CDC director had the look that he was hiding something.

BUt the arrogance that "It can't happen here" is going to bite us in the behind.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I'm beginning to think that what finally wipes out humans as a species is NOT going to be a deadly supervirus.....but overall deadly STUPIDITY.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

I'm beginning to think that what finally wipes out humans as a species is NOT going to be a deadly supervirus.....but overall deadly STUPIDITY.

And unfortunately, stupidity is a virus for which there is no cure.

[Semolina]

Apparently he is the medical protocol supervisor.

'Clipboard Man' Without a Hazmat Suit at Ebola Flight Explained - ABC News

[wanderlust99]

How long before CDC top officials are fired? This is such a mess.

[Sloan RN]

Which one is the patient? The guy in yellow?

I watched a documentary about Ebola in Africa the other day and the Doctors Without Borders people don't wear PPE if they are outside the infectious zone of the hospital...more than 6 feet away from the patient seems to be the threshold of when you need PPE.

Passing the clipboard back and forth is dumb, but other than that, what is the concern here? I'm not asking to be a troll, I'm really interested. How do we think the man with the clipboard would become infected if he remains 6 feet away from the patient at all times, the patient appears to be dressed in some kind of extensive PPE, and Clipboard Guy doesn't touch any of the caregivers? What would be the mode of transmission there?

[d00d00butter]

i read somewhere that the unknown man is a CDC director. Also did he get on the plane too?

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Here is a video of his movements which put him closer than 6 feet, including touching one of the guys in the hazmat suits. He walked up the same steps to the plane. touching the same surfaces that everyone else did. And he was in the plane unprotected. What is the patient threw up? In one of the photos in the post above, you can see that he came in contact with a red biohazardous trash bag.

Why take the risk???????

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/clip/10695802/who-is-clipboard-guy

[Sloan RN]

If the patient threw up, Clipboard Guy would only get it if he touched the emesis and then touched his eyes/nose/mouth. Or maybe if the patient ripped her Hazmat suit off and then threw up directly on his face.

I get Ebola is scary for everyone, but it's not magic. I'm just having a hard time understanding what the mode of transmission would be in this particular scenario.