Patient-zero drill put health facilities to the test-40% of them failed

Key Points:

• A regional drill testing healthcare facilities' response to a simulated H5 bird flu patient revealed significant weaknesses, with only 60% of 73 facilities passing by masking and isolating the patient as required.
• Emergency departments had the lowest pass rate at 55%, and many facilities failed to meet timing goals, with median times of 2 minutes to mask and 11 minutes to isolate the patient, exceeding the ideal targets.
• Despite 93% screening for symptoms, very few staff (only 7 facilities) asked about bird flu-specific exposure, and personal protective equipment (PPE) use was inconsistent, with only 25% of clinicians wearing all recommended PPE.
• The study highlights risks of virus transmission in healthcare waiting areas due to slow and inadequate infection control measures, and suggests actual preparedness may be worse since some facilities declined participation or may have been forewarned.
• Authors emphasize the urgent need for improved training and protocols to ensure earlier identification, masking, and isolation of potentially infectious patients to better prepare for pandemic threats.