Yesterday Twitchy reported on a mystery man on the tarmac at DFW airport assisting Ebola victim Amber Joy Vinson board the CDC jet to Atlanta who was, surprising us and lots of others on Twitter, not wearing a hazmat suit:
So… as the patient is transferred… what's up with the dude with the clipboard? Oh, and NO PROTECTIVE GEAR!?! pic.twitter.com/AjOHhzvSUX
— Ron Terrell (@RonTerrell) October 15, 2014
And now the mystery is solved: He was SUPPOSED to be there, in regular clothes!
Who is the mystery man wearing plain clothes during an #Ebola patient's transfer? http://t.co/kuBPGq3k62 via @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/NrdXoo1RkX
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 16, 2014
Via NBC News:
The sight led viewers to question why the mystery man was unprotected while everyone else, including Vinson, was covered from head to toe. Two of the workers who helped her from the stretcher even wore respirators
Those questions were answered Thursday morning, when officials confirmed the man was indeed following protocol and supposed to be there.
“His role is to oversee the process of transport including on the tarmac,” Randy Davis, vice president at Phoenix Air, told NBC News. “Part of our protocol is to have 1 person NOT in a bio-Hazard suit. “
Davis said the man, who he did not name, is the team’s medical safety coordinator. Standard protocol is for him to wear street clothes, Davis said, because the suits can block field of vision and hearing. Davis said the man has been trained on keeping safe distance from patients and is ready to “suit up” if needed.
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He was trained to stay a “safe distance” away from Ebola. Phew.
Related:
This photo of second Ebola-infected nurse boarding a CDC plane is unbelievable
Full Twitchy coverage of Ebola here.
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