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Nurses Want More Protection From Ebola Exposure, Say CDC Guidelines Not Sufficient

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Nurses in the Bay Area, and all over the nation, are worried that if they have to help treat an Ebola patient, their lives would be in danger because they say the government does not require that they wear the highest level of protective gear.

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Bay Area nurses claim that the Center for Disease Control and Protection's guidelines for protective gear is not enough for hospital workers. Wearing masks, googles and gloves is simply not adequate to prevent the spread of Ebola from a patient to a medical professional, they say.

Bonnie Castillo is a spokeswoman for National Nurses United, the largest union of registered nurses in the country and said that all hospitals should be equipped with protective suits—just like the ones worn by those who transport Ebola patients from West Africa to the U.S.

"We want to ensure that the very highest levels of protections, including those suits, are available for everyone that is interfacing directly with that patient," Castillo said.

The CDC has said that the suits are not necessary, are too bulky and require an elaborate system of procedures to make sure they are worn properly and decontaminated afterwards.

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