The U.S. military is forming a 30-person medical team to prepare to respond to additional cases of Ebola in the United States, the Pentagon announced Sunday. The "expeditionary medical support team" will consist of 20 critical care nurses, five doctors trained in infectious disease, and five trainers in infectious disease protocols, Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement.| As my friends in the hood like to say, "shit just got real..." |
The team will begin specialized training in infection control and the use of personal protective equipment within the next week, at Fort Sam Houston.
"Upon conclusion of training, team members will remain in a 'prepare to deploy' status for 30 days, available to be sent to other [contiguous United States] locations as required," Kirby said. "They will not be sent to West Africa or elsewhere overseas and will be called upon domestically only if deemed prudent by our public health professionals."
Up to 4,000 American troops are being deployed to assist in responding to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, but they are not involved in direct patient care.
The Pentagon team formation follows last week's Ebola diagnosis of a second health care professional in Dallas, the third confirmed case of the virus in the United States, causing public concern about the spread of the disease to reach new heights.