Is the agency walking its talk when it comes to crisis management and safety protocol?
The CDC is supposed to be setting the standard for coping with Ebola, but a recent slip brought about a major backlash from the scientific community.
The NY Times’ Denise Grady and Donald G. McNeil, Jr report:
The error occurred on Monday, when a high-security lab, working with Ebola virus from the epidemic in West Africa, sent samples that should have contained killed virus to another C.D.C. laboratory, down the hall.
But the first lab sent the wrong samples — ones that may have contained the live virus. The second lab was not equipped to handle live Ebola. The technician there who worked with the samples wore gloves and a gown, but no face shield, and may have been exposed.
The mixup was discovered on Tuesday, Dr. Stuart Nichol, chief of the C.D.C.’s Viral Special Pathogens Branch, said in an interview. He ascribed it to human error.
In a statement, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the C.D.C., said he was “troubled by this incident” and promised “a full review of every aspect.” Thousands of agency scientists, he said, “have taken extraordinary steps in recent months to improve safety.” The C.D.C. promised last summer to improve its safety procedures and chose a panel of outside experts to advise it on how to do so.
Considering the CDC’s promise to beef up safety protocol after scientists and staff members were accidentally exposed to live anthrax this is being dismissed by many as merely paying lip service to what is clearly a major danger, not the impression you want to send when in the midst of crisis management not only for your public image, but also a serious health crisis.
If we were advising the CDC we would make certain the organization A) actually steps up safety measures, and B) shows stakeholders, and specifically the scientific community, what they’re doing to keep them safe from harm.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com