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| Some US troops battling Ebola in Africa to have direct contact with potential patients | |
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| A handful of highly trained American troops will have direct contact with potential Ebola patients in west Africa, thehead of the US Africa command said during a Pentagon briefing on the military’s response to the Ebola outbreak. | A handful of highly trained American troops will have direct contact with potential Ebola patients in west Africa, thehead of the US Africa command said during a Pentagon briefing on the military’s response to the Ebola outbreak. |
| US service members will not treat patients who have been diagnosed with Ebola, and the majority of the deployed troops will have no direct contact with the ill. However, a small contingent of soldiers will be involved with testing the blood of people who display symptoms associated with Ebola. They will help run testing labs to distinguish those stricken with Ebola from those suffering from flu or malaria, General David Rodriguez, commander of US Africa Command (Africom), said during the press briefing on Tuesday. | US service members will not treat patients who have been diagnosed with Ebola, and the majority of the deployed troops will have no direct contact with the ill. However, a small contingent of soldiers will be involved with testing the blood of people who display symptoms associated with Ebola. They will help run testing labs to distinguish those stricken with Ebola from those suffering from flu or malaria, General David Rodriguez, commander of US Africa Command (Africom), said during the press briefing on Tuesday. |
| “[The soldiers] can operate in a nuclear, biological and chemical environment,” Rodriguez said. “They’re specifically trained to do that and that’s their primary skill set.” Three to four specially trained personnel, dressed in full protective gear, will be stationed at as many as seven testing labs, he said. | “[The soldiers] can operate in a nuclear, biological and chemical environment,” Rodriguez said. “They’re specifically trained to do that and that’s their primary skill set.” Three to four specially trained personnel, dressed in full protective gear, will be stationed at as many as seven testing labs, he said. |
| The Department of Defense (DoD) has pledged as many as 4,000 troops to the region. Rodriguez said he does not expect to need more than that number, but said he could not rule out that possibility. | The Department of Defense (DoD) has pledged as many as 4,000 troops to the region. Rodriguez said he does not expect to need more than that number, but said he could not rule out that possibility. |
| US soldiers will assist the local authorities by providing “command and control” operations, logistical expertise, medical training and engineering support, as part of a broader response by the US government to stop the epidemic. | US soldiers will assist the local authorities by providing “command and control” operations, logistical expertise, medical training and engineering support, as part of a broader response by the US government to stop the epidemic. |
| The Defense Department has tapped 3,200 troops to deploy by late October to Liberia, where they will help build and staff 17 100-bed Ebola treatment units across the country. The US mission also includes setting up and operating Ebola testing labs in the region, two of which opened recently in Liberia. The New York Times last week detailed significant logistical delays in the US military’s aid effort. | The Defense Department has tapped 3,200 troops to deploy by late October to Liberia, where they will help build and staff 17 100-bed Ebola treatment units across the country. The US mission also includes setting up and operating Ebola testing labs in the region, two of which opened recently in Liberia. The New York Times last week detailed significant logistical delays in the US military’s aid effort. |
| The administration says the new facilities have doubled the lab capacity in Liberia and slashed the time it takes to get results from several days to a few hours. | The administration says the new facilities have doubled the lab capacity in Liberia and slashed the time it takes to get results from several days to a few hours. |
| Rodriguez estimated the US mission in Liberia, which he said could take a year, will cost roughly $750m over six months. A fact sheet issued by the White House said that the DoD is prepared to spend more than $1bn on the country’s response efforts. | Rodriguez estimated the US mission in Liberia, which he said could take a year, will cost roughly $750m over six months. A fact sheet issued by the White House said that the DoD is prepared to spend more than $1bn on the country’s response efforts. |
| Rodriguez stressed that all precautionary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the deployed troops, as well as to prevent the disease from being brought back to the US with the soldiers. | Rodriguez stressed that all precautionary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the deployed troops, as well as to prevent the disease from being brought back to the US with the soldiers. |
| “I am confident we can ensure our service members’ safety and the safety of the American people,” he said, adding that any soldier who is exposed to Ebola will be flown back to the US for treatment. | “I am confident we can ensure our service members’ safety and the safety of the American people,” he said, adding that any soldier who is exposed to Ebola will be flown back to the US for treatment. |