My daughter works at a major university medical center (one with biological safety level 3 -- BSL3 -- accreditation, about $17M and 36 months away from attaining BSL4). Hospital staff have gotten only the most rudimentary direction on how to handle an Ebola patient.
Ebola is a Classified as a BSL4 pathogen. There are only 14 BSL4 facilities in the US (most gov't labs) and only a subset are allowed to study Ebola. This is how you're supposed to handle contact with an Ebola patient:
When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a positive pressure personnel suit, with a segregated air supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a level four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors from opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a biosafety level 4 (or P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Note that none of these safeguards were in effect with the Dallas patient. And they're saying the nurse who contracted Ebola in Dallas "breached established protocols", as if she's to blame. Taping your pants cuffs with duct tape might work for deer ticks, but not a BSL4-level virus.
That patient was intubated, routinely suctioned, was on dialysis, had diarrhea, and they even attempted resuscitation at the end (WTF? Multiple catastrophic organ failure? BSL4 virus?). There must have been virus slung all over that ward. Good thing this isn't something that's easy to catch. That said, I'll be shocked if more cases don't spawn from that admission.