Ebola Lessons Can Be Used In COVID-19 Fight, Former Army Medical Instructor Says

The man who led training for the UK medical response to the Ebola outbreak says Britain can use some of the lessons from the crisis as it fights against coronavirus.

Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Chris Gibson says giving health workers the confidence and reassurance they are protected, is critical in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

The year 2015 saw hundreds of NHS staff training alongside the military to respond to the outbreak of Ebola.

Lieutenant Colonel Gibson led the UK training to respond to the crisis and says there are things which can be mapped across for use in the current situation.

"I was at two major hospitals last week, and there was a lot of anxiety among staff, so for me, that's really key that we get after that anxiety in whatever response we're putting together now.

"Three components to a winning capability - the physical, the moral and the conceptual. If you don't get the moral bit right, so that our healthcare workers believe and understand that the system is doing everything to protect them, they will not be able to deliver the best effect to the patient.”

He believes the standardisation of practice, and equipment, as was employed in the fight against Ebola, is crucial.

"What we did with Ebola was that we worked really hard to get the appropriate PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] solution in place. We worked exceptionally hard in getting that right. Once we got it right, we created the posters, we created the learning videos, we created an online learning platform, we translated that into multiple languages".

"Aristotle once said that excellence is a habit, not an act. You've to make sure that people are absolutely comfortable in donning, wearing and then doffing that equipment. Through that, it reinforced the fact that it was safe to work in that environment and it got rid of the anxiety."

He also told Forces News the military may be able to work with the NHS further, in replicating the model of London's ExCel Centre, across the country:

"I don't think we're going to see field hospitals built. What we may see is the resilience forums of major cities looking to build capabilities within infrastructure they already have, a la the ExCel."