CDC Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations

for Hospitalized Patients with Known or Suspected Ebola Virus Disease in U.S. Hospitals

And here's a quote from Medline's Nurse: "I remember when we were dealing with Anthrax.  Fear was prevalent in America and hospitals were being locked down due to people being exposed to white powder.  In that case and with Ebola there are two factors that correlate.  Care settings must be prepared to protect their employees and the public. Training the healthcare team and public on how to correctly respond to a possible infectious disease is critical.  Having the right protective gear to any possible exposure to assure proper protection is imperative.

Even given that, what struck me the most about the conversations was the lack of understanding that they had one of the most potent tools before them in preventing disease and exposure. It doesn’t cost a lot and done correctly is the single most important, simplest, and least expensive means of reducing the prevalence of healthcare-acquired infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. It simply is known as hand washing!"

Q: Are PURELL® products effective against Ebola?

A: Ebola viruses are high-risk pathogens that must be contained and are not readily available for laboratory testing. As of today, we are not aware of any hand sanitizers that have been tested against Ebola viruses, including PURELL® Hand Sanitizer. However, it is important to note that the Ebola virus is an enveloped virus. Enveloped viruses, in general, are easily killed or inactivated by alcohol. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a preventive measure during this outbreak.