When I worked as a courier toward the end of my working career I picked up all manner of hazardous waste that was in sealed containers; however, I wore no protective gear whatsoever. Didn’t get sick. Maybe I was lucky.
That, and most hazardous waste is only potentially hazardous, rather than actually hazardous.
Hazardous waste or biological waste? For instance, asbestos goes into a yellow bag with appropriate black warnings and must be double bagged to prevent airborne pollution. Bloodborne pathogens,blood shit, vomit, wipes, etc goes into red bags. Needles, sutures and staples go into hard case red containers (jugs, I guess). Hazardous waste does not mean you need protection (eg spent automotive batteries), such as HazMat gear. BBP does not mean you need a Biological HazMat suit (Such as Aids, Mersa, etc.), but in the case of Ebola, we DO NOT know what this disease is. We NEVER had a case of this in the USA until the Mocha Messiah got control. Ebola has never existed in THESE environmental conditions, these sanitary conditions and these transportation systems. I FEAR our sanitary facilities (sewers, drainage systems and the general complacently of the people and governments) could allow this to go “wild”. I DO NOT mean to be reactionary, but there a LOT of unknowns and we need to eradicate the cases we are sure of, prevent the ones we can by quarantine of those countries, and allow the ones overseas to eradicate themselves, thereby stopping it where it came from (until the next time).