I am no Medical Professional however my immediate feeling is relief they are being monitored. The guy who actually has it went to the Hospital first, was sent home, and then returned again when he got worse correct? It appears they are aware there is an issue and taking it seriously.
I am as well, but 80 is just scary to me. But, I am not really in a bunker so I am glad they are monitoring. I heard something on CNN that he was not asked for travel, at first, history so that does make me nervous. Other than that, I am ok.
If you're here from Liberia, you're going to have a big family get together while you're here. In my family that would put 30 people on monitoring right out of the gate, 60 if I saw both sides, and I could hit 80 with ILs. I don't know if Liberian family culture is more or less fertile than lapsed Catholics.
I am as well, but 80 is just scary to me. But, I am not really in a bunker so I am glad they are monitoring. I heard something on CNN that he was not asked for travel, at first, history so that does make me nervous. Other than that, I am ok.
It's my understanding that he was asked, and he told them he'd traveled from West Africa. However, that useful bit of information wasn't communicated with the rest of the medical team.
I am as well, but 80 is just scary to me. But, I am not really in a bunker so I am glad they are monitoring. I heard something on CNN that he was not asked for travel, at first, history so that does make me nervous. Other than that, I am ok.
It's my understanding that he was asked, and he told them he'd traveled from West Africa. However, that useful bit of information wasn't communicated with the rest of the medical team.
Yup. So much for "but the American healthcare system would do a super duper job of containing any Ebola cases so no need to worry."
I'm not panicking, but it doesn't inspire a ton of confidence either.
A hospital in Dallas that diagnosed America's first-ever known Ebola case also failed to recognize the patient's Ebola potential when he first sought care, missing an opportunity to isolate him when he was already contagious.
The patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, had been visiting the US from Liberia. He left Monrovia on September 19 and traveled through Brussels and Washington, DC, arriving in Dallas on September 20. He had no symptoms when he was departing Liberia or entering the US, which means he wouldn't have been infectious at the time.
Four days later he started to feel ill, which means he would have been infectious. Two days after that, he sought care at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. He was diagnosed with a "low grade, common viral infection" and sent home with an antibiotic.
The patient's sister said that Duncan told a nurse that he had come from Liberia. This vital information "was not fully communicated throughout the full team," said Mark C. Lester, executive vice president of the health-care system that includes Texas Health Presbyterian. "As a result, the full import of that information wasn't factored into the clinical decision-making." Ebola was not suspected.
If this is correct, the hospital did not follow CDC guidance. In advance of Ebola reaching America, the CDC put out guidance for health workers, including this recommendation: "Treat all symptomatic travelers returning from affected West African countries as potential cases and obtain additional history."
A thorough medical history can help health professionals diagnose between 70 and 90 percent of illnesses.
By September 28, Duncan — who is in his mid-40s, according to the New York Times, and recently quit his job in Monrovia as a driver for a shipping company — had fallen gravely ill. He was sent to Texas Presbyterian in an ambulance. At that point, he was running a high fever and vomiting. This time, hospital staff suspected Ebola and placed Duncan in an isolation unit. On September 30, the CDC confirmed that he has Ebola.
Duncan remains in intensive care and isolation at the hospital, where he is in serious condition.
Public health authorities following potential cases
The misstep in failing to diagnose Duncan at an early stage has affected the lives of everyone with whom he came into close contact. Up to 18 people are reportedly at risk, though NBC reports that a total of 80 people had some kind of exposure to Duncan or his family.
The close at-risk contacts include five school children who attend four schools. The children have been advised to stay home from school.
The three members of the ambulance crew that transported Duncan to the hospital have tested negative for Ebola, Reuters reported, and are being monitored and restricted to their homes. Duncan's family members are being monitored, too, and have been ordered to stay home. So far no one has fallen ill.
"THERE IS ZERO RISK OF TRANSMISSION ON THE FLIGHT"The CDC director Tom Frieden said he is not concerned about the people who shared Duncan's flights, United Airlines flight 951 to Washington Dulles and flight 822 to Dallas/Fort Worth, since Duncan was not symptomatic then and shedding the virus. "There is zero risk of transmission on the flight," said Frieden.
According to the New York Times, Duncan probably contracted the virus from his landlord's daughter who was sick with Ebola. On September 15, he helped bring the woman to the hospital. She was turned away, like many Liberians, because of a lack of capacity to care for her. She later died in her home.
We've had hemorrhagic fevers in the US that didn't spread
"It is certainly possible that someone who had contact with [Duncan]... could develop Ebola in the coming weeks," Frieden said. Still, he added: "I have no doubt we will stop this in its tracks in the US. I also have no doubt as long as this continues in Africa, we need to be on guard."
He has reason to be confident. While the Texas patient is the first-ever diagnosed with Ebola in America, several travelers have brought similarly deadly viruses to the US in the past and didn't give them to anyone.
There have been four cases of Lassa hemorrhagic fever, a viral infection common in West Africa, here. This isn't surprising since Lassa infects up to 300,000 people in Africa each year, which makes it a lot more common than Ebola. Like Ebola, Lassa isn't easily spread — only through contact body fluids — so, reassuringly, there were no secondary cases here.
We've also had one case of Marburg, another hemorrhagic fever, imported to the US in a traveler from Uganda. Again, the patient didn't transmit the virus to anyone else.
As an aside, there is a fairly high population of West Africans in Atlanta, along with the busiest airport in the world, so I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before it pops up here as well.
As an aside, there is a fairly high population of West Africans in Atlanta, along with the busiest airport in the world, so I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before it pops up here as well.
I am hoping Grady, Piedmont, North-side, Crawford long, etc , handle it somewhat different. I am so happy this thing isn't airborne. A coworker of mine just got back from Ghana he said they have shutdown the borders.
Thomas Duncan is basically an Ebola refugee. He lived in a city where Ebola was ravaging the population. He called his family and either said "I'm getting the hell out of here!" or "Get me out of here" and he fled to Texas. I would do the same.damn.thing. if I was in a hot zone and either I or my family had the resources to get out.
That being said, he knew he came from Liberia, and he had contact with an ebola infected person. It was incumbent on him and his family to shout that from the rooftops. When he called the ambulance, the family was screaming and shouting and they let him vomit outside. I read a case study of someone who vomited in a restaurant and the blow pattern of the vomit caused something like 8 cases of Ebola.
And we can fuck right off with "the best healthcare system in the world." Because they sent an ebola patient home. Nope, nope. We have excellent medical care if you are diagnosed with ebola. The medical profession will protect itself. But let's not pretend denial and incompetence aren't there in the front lines.
As an aside, there is a fairly high population of West Africans in Atlanta, along with the busiest airport in the world, so I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before it pops up here as well.
I am hoping Grady, Piedmont, North-side, Crawford long, etc , handle it somewhat different. I am so happy this thing isn't airborne. A coworker of mine just got back from Ghana he said they have shutdown the borders.
I told you about my friend's father who had his severed finger stolen from Grady???
Also thank you for calling it Crawford Long. I refuse to call it that new name they gave it. It is and will forever be Crawford Long.
I am hoping Grady, Piedmont, North-side, Crawford long, etc , handle it somewhat different. I am so happy this thing isn't airborne. A coworker of mine just got back from Ghana he said they have shutdown the borders.
I told you about my friend's father who had his severed finger stolen from Grady
Also thank you for calling it Crawford Long. I refuse to call it that new name they gave it. It is and will forever be Crawford Long.
I am hoping Grady, Piedmont, North-side, Crawford long, etc , handle it somewhat different. I am so happy this thing isn't airborne. A coworker of mine just got back from Ghana he said they have shutdown the borders.
I told you about my friend's father who had his severed finger stolen from Grady???
Also thank you for calling it Crawford Long. I refuse to call it that new name they gave it. It is and will forever be Crawford Long.
My mom shattered her knee cap a few blocks from Grady. She begged the ambulance driver to take her ANYWHERE ELSE. You go to Grady to die.
I told you about my friend's father who had his severed finger stolen from Grady
Also thank you for calling it Crawford Long. I refuse to call it that new name they gave it. It is and will forever be Crawford Long.
WHAT??
He accidentally cut off his finger doing yard work, and put the finger in a bag on ice and brought it with him to the ER. Somehow, at some point while he was waiting to be seen, somebody took the bag and it was never found again. So now he is missing a finger on that hand.
Thomas Duncan is basically an Ebola refugee. He lived in a city where Ebola was ravaging the population. He called his family and either said "I'm getting the hell out of here!" or "Get me out of here" and he fled to Texas. I would do the same.damn.thing. if I was in a hot zone and either I or my family had the resources to get out.
That being said, he knew he came from Liberia, and he had contact with an ebola infected person. It was incumbent on him and his family to shout that from the rooftops. When he called the ambulance, the family was screaming and shouting and they let him vomit outside. I read a case study of someone who vomited in a restaurant and the blow pattern of the vomit caused something like 8 cases of Ebola.
And we can fuck right off with "the best healthcare system in the world." Because they sent an ebola patient home. Nope, nope. We have excellent medical care if you are diagnosed with ebola. The medical profession will protect itself. But let's not pretend denial and incompetence aren't there in the front lines.
Do you think he came here knowing he was probably sick and wanted treatment HERE rather than there (where they were turning people away)? I don't hate him if that was his plan, but I hate him a little bit for not saying, "I think I have Ebola" if his whole purpose for being here was to get treatment for his Ebola. Also, are we guessing no insurance and dark skin? Hmmmm....
My presumption is he came here to run away from ebola. Seeing it all around you must be freaking terrifying. If he knew he had it and came here anyway I hope he gets better to I can bitch slap him because fuck that guy. But I don't think he knew. I think he was afraid, which is exactly what I would do, and I bet you there are a LOT of families getting the fuck out of dodge to Western countries right now. Anybody with anybody outside of West Africa and a passport is like see ya!
I told you about my friend's father who had his severed finger stolen from Grady???
Also thank you for calling it Crawford Long. I refuse to call it that new name they gave it. It is and will forever be Crawford Long.
My mom shattered her knee cap a few blocks from Grady. She begged the ambulance driver to take her ANYWHERE ELSE. You go to Grady to die.
Ummmm not true at all. You go to Grady if you have Trauma seeing as for a long time it was the only Trauma one hospital in the entire region. frlcb I forget that the other one is. You go there to get stable and THEN you get transferred somewhere else. As a taxpayer in the City of Atlanta I take no issue with my tax dollars going to that place.
And I'm sure the fact that the "Americans with Ebola" survived has made the media in West Africa. So they figure if you get to the USA you can survive with the special medicine we have here and are not sharing. (Which is sort of true because your chances are a hellofalot better here with supportive care than in Liberia.)
As an aside, there is a fairly high population of West Africans in Atlanta, along with the busiest airport in the world, so I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before it pops up here as well.
In all seriousness though, I thought NPR told me that it doesn't become highly contagious (just somewhat contagious) until right after someone has died. They said that part of the reason they can't get it quite under control is two fold. They can't convince people to come to the hospital early enough and they can't get people to not wash, kiss, and prep the body for burial.
So I would *think* we'd be okay.
But just in case, I'm mapping out all of the makeup locations to I can loot the palettes should things come down to that.
"Duncan, a Liberian national, may have contracted the virus in Liberia while taking a deathly ill neighbor to the hospital four days before he flew to Dallas to visit family members, The New York Times reported."
And I'm sure the fact that the "Americans with Ebola" survived has made the media in West Africa. So they figure if you get to the USA you can survive with the special medicine we have here and are not sharing. (Which is sort of true because your chances are a hellofalot better here with supportive care than in Liberia.)
I thought we were out of the special medicine. Stocks are sky high for the companies that make it because there is not enough and it's still in development. It will be hella expensive for YEARS. We had like 3 vials of it and already used two.
Yes, this is what we know. But I'd still risk it if I was at risk, right? The Americas have it and it's just for them there? I would so think if I could get here maybe they'd find some?
While the Texas patient is the first-ever diagnosed with Ebola in America, several travelers have brought similarly deadly viruses to the US in the past and didn't give them to anyone.
Oh. Well then.... stand down, People. I thought Marburg and Lassa were more common than Ebola, but just as deadly? Fuck that Richard Preston.
And I'm sure the fact that the "Americans with Ebola" survived has made the media in West Africa. So they figure if you get to the USA you can survive with the special medicine we have here and are not sharing. (Which is sort of true because your chances are a hellofalot better here with supportive care than in Liberia.)
I thought we were out of the special medicine. Stocks are sky high for the companies that make it because there is not enough and it's still in development. It will be hella expensive for YEARS. We had like 3 vials of it and already used two.
They don't know that.
But I thought a large part of surviving ebola is quality care. So I can see the appeal even if you know that we don't have some magic cure. But it's easy to believe that we do.
"Duncan, a Liberian national, may have contracted the virus in Liberia while taking a deathly ill neighbor to the hospital four days before he flew to Dallas to visit family members, The New York Times reported."
This makes me a little mad at him. Cause he knew.
Right?!? C'mon. He came here for TREATMENT. And then didn't tell the folks at the hospital that he had been exposed to and suspected he had EBOLA.
That doesn't absolve the hospital from being grossly negligent, but seriously. YOU KNEW YOU HAD EBOLA!
I just read his nephew called the CDC on him to get him treatment. FUCK that texas hospital. They seriously screwed the pooch on this one. I am wondering if "nurse" is RN or like a triage LPN or Medical assistant. But they all should know better...
"Duncan, a Liberian national, may have contracted the virus in Liberia while taking a deathly ill neighbor to the hospital four days before he flew to Dallas to visit family members, The New York Times reported."
This makes me a little mad at him. Cause he knew.
Right?!? C'mon. He came here for TREATMENT. And then didn't tell the folks at the hospital that he had been exposed to and suspected he had EBOLA.
That doesn't absolve the hospital from being grossly negligent, but seriously. YOU KNEW YOU HAD EBOLA!
Ok you guys almost have me here but I am perplexed at someone just letting the hospital release them when you think you have Ebola. Cause I would be like " Where are those special drugs and my room in a bubble? I'm gonna stay a while."
I want to know when he bought his ticket....Maybe he had been planning for six months to visit...but he's not blameless here. But I had the hospital more.
Blame for everyone! YOU get some blame! YOU get some blame!
Right?!? C'mon. He came here for TREATMENT. And then didn't tell the folks at the hospital that he had been exposed to and suspected he had EBOLA.
That doesn't absolve the hospital from being grossly negligent, but seriously. YOU KNEW YOU HAD EBOLA!
I just read his nephew called the CDC on him to get him treatment. FUCK that texas hospital. They seriously screwed the pooch on this one. I am wondering if "nurse" is RN or like a triage LPN or Medical assistant. But they all should know better...