This is the critical question. She probably dons and doffs protective gear a few dozen times per day, as do most of us who work in a hospital, but we rarely practice doing so correctly. The topological distinction between in and out becomes totally blurred when most people remove their gowns. Therefore, it is probable that many people would think they are correctly removing full protective gear, but have never or rarely correctly removed such gear and therefore got themselves contaminated in the process. Less likely, we don't understand the transmission vector and some fomite is at play. Ideally, in an unusual situation such as this, there should be observers closely eying all contact including de-gowning.

Somewhere I read that if you're really serious about this, you get yourself sprayed with something that glows in ultraviolet light, remove the protective gear, and then look for spots where the agent made its way onto you.

That's a common training technique (a lower tech method is simply to spread some sticky liquid (like maple syrup) on your PPE).

Video recording of that room would be interesting. Might be able to find mistakes.

I'm not sure if that's standard practice but if not it seems like a very good idea. They could use it to find errors or potential errors, refine the protocols and make the information available to all medical workers worldwide.

> The topological distinction between in and out becomes totally blurred when most people remove their gowns.

Make them a different colour on the inside.

It's a bit late for that to be a solution for the current epidemic. And that'll cost more ... calls for a hack, putting tape on the insides or outsides where you need to distinguish between the two. Or a magic marker ... after you determine ones that won't break down the plastic too quickly.

Btw, it's a she, not a he.