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Background: The first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic in early 2020 required a rapid roll-out of infection prevention and control (IPC) training for healthcare workers (HCW), including use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Education about respiratory droplet and aerosol transmission was of paramount importance to ensure safe working practices and improve confidence., Methods: A joint working group of Infectious Diseases and IPC staff developed a 'train the trainers' programme, to be rapidly deployed over a three-week period. This model utilised a snowballing approach, training selected staff with the intention that they would train their teams, facilitating swift cascading of information. Targeted invitations prompted staff from diverse departments of the hospital to attend. Pre- and post-session questionnaires evaluated staff confidence with regard to appropriate PPE use., Results: The programme trained 130 HCW over a three week period, was well received and led to increased confidence with PPE use amongst staff. Real-time evaluation ensured content could be adapted to the specific needs of HCW involved. We highlight perceived gaps in training despite existing and enhanced training structures., Conclusion: Provision of face-to-face training in transmission-based precautions, including PPE use, is required to maintain confidence in safe and appropriate IPC amongst hospital staff. We highlight the importance of including non-clinical staff in PPE educational programmes, recognising that these roles are vital for patient care and are frequently patient-facing. We recommend adopting the train the trainers model to facilitate rapid dissemination of education, with interactive multidisciplinary training in future outbreaks to improve HCW confidence and effective IPC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The magnitude of the 2014-2015 West African Ebola virus disease outbreak was unforeseen at its onset and the initial international response was slow. The high mortality and the panic that this outbreak induced had a major effect on health systems. In this article we discuss some of the key public health and clinical lessons from this Ebola outbreak, including combining epidemiology, modelling and anthropology, and the initial evidence for the importance of fluid and antibiotic management., (© Royal College of Physicians 2015. All rights reserved.)