ÃIt is important for medical sociologists atmore than one biocontainment unit to beinvolved, the staff is highly trained andwell-prepared, and the U.S. StateDepartment believes it is necessary tobuild a national resilience to treatingEbola by emphasizing socially constuctedmedical knowledge.

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Nebraska Medicine'sBiocontainment Unit Omaha's Role in

the EbolaOutbreak of2014-2015

The U.S., a higher-income nation, respondeddifferently to the Ebola outbreak this timearound because Americans were affected - anexample of social epidemiology.

Is Ebola highly contagious to the OmahaCommunity?

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Biosafety level-3 unit used at Nebraska Medicinefor Ebola (out of 4)

Why are patients being treated in Omaha?

FDA approved medicine was used on the Americansbeing treated here, which proved to be successful.However, lower-income nations cannot controlthese outbreaks and cannot find funding to bringthese situations to clinical trials for advancement.

Ebola treatment requires more than justmedicine. Hospitals where the Ebola virushas struck do not have consistentelectricity or running water. It is crucialthat patients receive supportive care usingIV fluids, blood pressure medicine, andmonitoring of organ function for saferesults. Africa is a low-income nation anddoes not have a well- developed socialconstruction of health like the U.S.

Built ten years ago for the purpose of containingand treating patients with infectious diseases

Contributors:Carley BrewerWah DohMayra RuizLacy ThompsonCelestina Toledo

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No. Although there is a high mortality rate,Ebola is only transmitted through directcontact with bodily fluids of an infectedperson. Medical sociologists and engineersdeveloped a highly secure and sealed unitaway from the public. Individuals are onlycontagious when they have legitimation.

Question & Answer

ÃWhat did the Nebraska Medicine staff doto prevent an accidental exposure?

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See references page for more information.

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ISO-POD: collapsible, single-patient, reusable,tent-like device used for patient transport

Over 70 policies and procedures alongside the use of PPE.These include: transportation of the patient, obtainingand processing laboratory specimens, protocol forlaundry and removal of biohazardous waste, strategizedplans to accommodate a growing capacity of patients,and the removal of a patient's remains. The PPE usedinclude: gloves, gowns, eye protection, N95 masks, etc.

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Why can't the hospital send medicine orstaff to Africa to reduce the risk for us?

The staff works in teams while remainingconfident to go above and beyondnormal personal protective equipmentprocedures before entering and leavingthe biocontainment unit to reduce thestigmatization of illness.

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1 of 4 highly specialized and secureBiocontainment Units in the United States

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University of Nebraska at OmahaSociology 1010: 003Dr. Crystal Edwards

Ebola & Media

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Symptoms:MalariaFeversVomitingDiarrheaHeadacheJoint & Muscle AchesAbdominal PainHemmorhage

Those Affected

"Today is a joyfulday. Thanks a lot,doc." -Mukpo whileleaving the hospital

West Africa heldthe longest termsof an ongoingoutbreak of Ebolain 2014

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In a YouTube video, Taylor Wilson (Sr. Media RelationsCoordinator at Nebraska Medicine), spoke on the plansUNMC had to have before the Ebola patients arrived. Theyconsidered who would talk to the media, and also themedia relations had to consider where the media vansand crews would be placed when the patients werecoming into the hospital. Each member of the media teamplays a role in the macro level media coverage, and onemember cannot do coverage on a crisis this large alone.

Rick Sacra, MDDischarged

Preventions:

Vaccines

Trained Workplace

Isolation Units

PersonalProtectiveEquipment (PPE)

Discoveredin 1976 inYambuku

In the eyes of government officials, theBiocontainment Unit at UNMC and Nebraska Medicineexemplified their expertise in medical sociology bytreating patients (no matter the diagnosis or culturalbackgroung), as well as providing education for safeand effective treatment of Ebola. Nebraska Medicineshowed their ongoing cooperation for this socialepidemiology and formed an extraordinary identity asa result of patient interaction.

For more information visit the World HealthOrgainization, Centers for Disease Control, andthe National Institutes of Health websites.

"2014 Midlanders of the year": 22 nurses, 10lab workers, 6 respiratory therapists, 5 caretechs, and 24 physicians put their lives atrisk every day to bring affected individualsout of quarantine. These courageousindividuals have made Nebraska aninternational leader against Ebola.

Martin Salia, MDDeceased

"I thought I might die. Iam so grateful to havegotten through thisillness. Thanks to Godand to the team here atNebraska Medicine. Onbehalf of my family andSIM, thank you so much.You have made me feelso welcome that I amnow an official lifetimeHuskers fan. Go Big Red!" -Dr. Sacra afterdischarge

Interactionists

Ashoka MukpoDischarged

National Leaders

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Ebola is a deadly virus transmittedthrough bodily fluids and is not anairborne disease. The socialepidemiology reveals reasons for theoutbreak occurring in a low-incomenation versus a high-income nation.

What is Ebola?

Funcionalists

Dr. Rick Sacra, AshokaMukpo, and Dr. MartinSalia were the threepatients treated atNebraska Medicine inOmaha, Nebraska. BothSacra and Mukpocontracted Ebola whileworking in low-incomeLiberia at a hospitalclinic. They were bothsuccessfully treated andnow live Ebola-free. Saliawas the third patient tobe treated in Omaha, butunforunately he passedaway without recovering.He was extremely criticalbefore arriving in Omaha,which made it moredifficult for the team torecover him.