Over the past several weeks an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is being monitored by international health organizations. The EVD outbreak is localized to a region in western Africa including the countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a severe, often fatal illness, with a case fatality rate of up to 90%. It is one of the world’s most virulent diseases. The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are health workers, family members and others in close contact with sick people and deceased patients.
Quick facts about EVD:
- Ebola Virus Disease is rare.
- In Africa, fruit bats, particularly species of the genera Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti and Myonycteris torquata, are considered possible natural hosts for Ebola virus;
- Infection is by contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person or an animal infected or by contact with contaminated objects.
- Symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and in some cases, bleeding.
- Regions where cases of Ebola have recently been confirmed can be found at http://www.who.int/csr/don/2014_08_04_ebola/en/.
- Persons who come into direct contact with body fluids of an infected person or animal are at risk.
- There is no licensed vaccine.
- Practice careful hygiene and follow universal precautions.
- Avoid all contact with blood and body fluids of infected people or animals.
- Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids.
- If you stayed in the areas where Ebola cases have been recently reported seek medical attention if you feel sick (fever, headache, achiness, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, or red eyes).
Universal Precautions:
Universal precautions are simple cautionary measures taken to prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogens, like EVD, that include:
- Treat ALL blood or body fluids as if they are potentially infectious / contaminated.
- Always wear personal protective equipment in exposure situations.
- Replace personal protective equipment (PPE) that is torn or punctured.
Following Covidien’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, we have identified the following Covidien personnel as in potential risk of exposure:
- Sales and account representatives covering the western Africa region;
- Technical Services technicians providing services in the western Africa region, or conducting repair service on equipment used in affected regions;
- Other personnel visiting hospitals, clinics, or health care facilities, or handling medical instruments or equipment at or coming from these types of facilities;
- Personnel who provide first aid or emergency medical response services;
- Personnel who inspect, assess or evaluates product coming from health care facilities (e.g. quality complaints, field returns, etc.); and,
Other Covidien personnel working in or traveling to affected zones.
Personnel working in areas where there is potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens shall control exposure by:
- Ensuring proper personal protective equipment is worn and is maintained in good working conditions;
- Conduct regular hand washing practices including before and after donning personal protective equipment;
- Follow hygiene rules in areas where exposure is possible, including never eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics or handling contact lenses;
- Follow general precautions with needles and sharps;
- Decontaminate surfaces exposed to potentially infectious material;
- Handle regulated material and waste following applicable regulations and standards.
More Information:
For more information regarding EVD you can search the webpage on EVD of the World Health Organization (WHO) at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/, or the US Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) EVD update page at http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html.
You can also find information on Covidien’s plans and standards in the Pulse:
- Covidien’s Pandemic Preparedness Plan
o http://teams/sites/EnvironmentHealthSafety/om/Occupational%20Medicine%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=http%3a%2f%2fteams%2fsites%2fEnvironmentHealthSafety%2fom%2fOccupational%20Medicine%20Documents%2fPandemic%20Flu&FolderCTID=0x012000471D3D129A189B4C9D1E8D09B4B73191
- Covidien’s EH&S Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
o http://teams/sites/EnvironmentHealthSafety/PolicyStandardsProcedures%20documents/Standards%20and%20Gap%20Analyses/Standards/STD.3.004%20Bloodborne%20Pathogens%20Revision%202.pdf
o Training Material - http://teams/sites/EnvironmentHealthSafety/Training%20documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=%2fsites%2fEnvironmentHealthSafety%2fTraining%20documents%2fWebinars%2fTopics%2fBlood%20Borne%20Pathogens&FolderCTID=&View=%7b9188CE38%2dEAC1%2d41AD%2dB5D9%2d6958393A37AD%7d
If you have any questions you can contact the following Corporate Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) personnel:
- Joe Jansen, Vice-President of EH&S
o Email - Joe.Jansen@Covidien.com
o Phone – +1.314.281.5936
- Julio González, Director of EH&S, International, Medical Devices, Contract & Regional Manufacturing
o Email – Julio.Gonzalez@Covidien.com
o Phone – +1.508.452.4445
- Jerry Porter, Director of EH&S, Medical Supplies
o Email – Jerry.Porter@Covidien.com
o Phone - +1. 508.261.8084
- Silvia Montisci, Manager EH&S, EMEA
o Email – Silvia.Montisci@Covidien.com
o Phone – +44 (0) 1329-224363
- Nick Ni, Manager EH&S, APAC
o Email – Nick.Ni@Covidien.com
o Phone – +86.21.33230295
Over the past several weeks an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is being monitored by international health organizations. The EVD outbreak is localized to a region in western Africa including the countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a severe, often fatal illness, with a case fatality rate of up to 90%. It is one of the world’s most virulent diseases. The infection is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected animals or people. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. During an outbreak, those at higher risk of infection are health workers, family members and others in close contact with sick people and deceased patients.
Quick facts about EVD:
- Ebola Virus Disease is rare.
- In Africa, fruit bats, particularly species of the genera Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti and Myonycteris torquata, are considered possible natural hosts for Ebola virus;
- Infection is by contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person or an animal infected or by contact with contaminated objects.
- Symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and in some cases, bleeding.
- Regions where cases of Ebola have recently been confirmed can be found at http://www.who.int/csr/don/2014_08_04_ebola/en/.
- Persons who come into direct contact with body fluids of an infected person or animal are at risk.
- There is no licensed vaccine.
- Practice careful hygiene and follow universal precautions.
- Avoid all contact with blood and body fluids of infected people or animals.
- Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids.
- If you stayed in the areas where Ebola cases have been recently reported seek medical attention if you feel sick (fever, headache, achiness, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, or red eyes).
Universal Precautions:
Universal precautions are simple cautionary measures taken to prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogens, like EVD, that include:
- Treat ALL blood or body fluids as if they are potentially infectious / contaminated.
- Always wear personal protective equipment in exposure situations.
- Replace personal protective equipment (PPE) that is torn or punctured.
Following Covidien’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, we have identified the following Covidien personnel as in potential risk of exposure:
- Sales and account representatives covering the western Africa region;
- Technical Services technicians providing services in the western Africa region, or conducting repair service on equipment used in affected regions;
- Other personnel visiting hospitals, clinics, or health care facilities, or handling medical instruments or equipment at or coming from these types of facilities;
- Personnel who provide first aid or emergency medical response services;
- Personnel who inspect, assess or evaluates product coming from health care facilities (e.g. quality complaints, field returns, etc.); and,
Other Covidien personnel working in or traveling to affected zones.
Personnel working in areas where there is potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens shall control exposure by:
- Ensuring proper personal protective equipment is worn and is maintained in good working conditions;
- Conduct regular hand washing practices including before and after donning personal protective equipment;
- Follow hygiene rules in areas where exposure is possible, including never eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics or handling contact lenses;
- Follow general precautions with needles and sharps;
- Decontaminate surfaces exposed to potentially infectious material;
- Handle regulated material and waste following applicable regulations and standards.
More Information:
For more information regarding EVD you can search the webpage on EVD of the World Health Organization (WHO) at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/en/, or the US Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) EVD update page at http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html.
You can also find information on Covidien’s plans and standards in the Pulse:
- Covidien’s Pandemic Preparedness Plan
o http://teams/sites/EnvironmentHealthSafety/om/Occupational%20Medicine%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=http%3a%2f%2fteams%2fsites%2fEnvironmentHealthSafety%2fom%2fOccupational%20Medicine%20Documents%2fPandemic%20Flu&FolderCTID=0x012000471D3D129A189B4C9D1E8D09B4B73191
- Covidien’s EH&S Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
o http://teams/sites/EnvironmentHealthSafety/PolicyStandardsProcedures%20documents/Standards%20and%20Gap%20Analyses/Standards/STD.3.004%20Bloodborne%20Pathogens%20Revision%202.pdf
o Training Material - http://teams/sites/EnvironmentHealthSafety/Training%20documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?RootFolder=%2fsites%2fEnvironmentHealthSafety%2fTraining%20documents%2fWebinars%2fTopics%2fBlood%20Borne%20Pathogens&FolderCTID=&View=%7b9188CE38%2dEAC1%2d41AD%2dB5D9%2d6958393A37AD%7d
If you have any questions you can contact the following Corporate Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) personnel:
- Joe Jansen, Vice-President of EH&S
o Email - Joe.Jansen@Covidien.com
o Phone – +1.314.281.5936
- Julio González, Director of EH&S, International, Medical Devices, Contract & Regional Manufacturing
o Email – Julio.Gonzalez@Covidien.com
o Phone – +1.508.452.4445
- Jerry Porter, Director of EH&S, Medical Supplies
o Email – Jerry.Porter@Covidien.com
o Phone - +1. 508.261.8084
- Silvia Montisci, Manager EH&S, EMEA
o Email – Silvia.Montisci@Covidien.com
o Phone – +44 (0) 1329-224363
- Nick Ni, Manager EH&S, APAC
o Email – Nick.Ni@Covidien.com
o Phone – +86.21.33230295
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