Ebola outbreak - general thread #4

[SStarr33]

Thanks for that link!

But... hoh: Those are some varied suspicions! Appendicitis I can see, but stroke? With a fever and abdominal pain??

It sounds like they are throwing every possible outcome into the mix in order to cover themselves? Because I'm sorry, fever, abdominal pain, and recent travel to Africa would not say "stroke" to me.

I mean, they looked for stroke, but not even malaria?? hoh:


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He had a "sharp headache".

 

[SStarr33]

Officials Admit a ‘Defeat’ by Ebola in Sierra Leone
By ADAM NOSSITEROCT. 10, 2014
NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/11/w...t-a-defeat-by-ebola-in-sierra-leone.html?_r=0

snipped
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Acknowledging a major “defeat” in the fight against Ebola, international health officials battling the epidemic in Sierra Leone approved plans on Friday to help families tend to patients at home, recognizing that they are overwhelmed and have little chance of getting enough treatment beds in place quickly to meet the surging need.

"It’s basically admitting defeat,” said Dr. Peter H. Kilmarx, the leader of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s team in Sierra Leone, adding that it was “now national policy that we should take care of these people at home.”

But many patients with Ebola are already dying slowly at home, untreated and with no place to go. There are 304 beds for Ebola patients in Sierra Leone now, but 1,148 are needed, the World Health Organization reported this week.

Nobody knows exactly how many have died from Ebola in this country. The government figure of 900 to 1,000 is thought by international officials to be a serious underestimation. Even some senior government figures have suggested it is untruthful, and the situation in holding centers and cemeteries suggests the government number is far from reality.

Defeat? I love that they are doing this.

 

[SStarr33]

Lawsuit may be coming in Ebola victim's death, family friend says

http://www.dallasnews.com/ebola/hea...n-ebola-victim-s-death-family-friend-says.ece

A spokeswoman for Thomas Eric Duncan’s family said Friday they may sue Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas for its treatment of Duncan, who died of Ebola on Wednesday.

Saymendy Lloyd also said that Duncan’s 19-year-old son, Karsiah, has been indefinitely barred from Angelo State University, where he attends college. University officials denied that, saying he could return whenever he likes.

Lloyd, speaking with reporters in Washington, said the family may sue the hospital when they finish mourning.

“At the moment they are in a grieving process,” she said.

...................................

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/eb...-lawsuit-success-unlikely-experts-say-n221591

Thomas Eric Duncan, the Ebola patient in Dallas who died Wednesday, may have been sent home while ill with the disease, and the doctors and nurses treating him may have failed to act on his report of coming from West Africa. But will those health-care providers or their hospital be legally liable? Not likely, Texas legal experts say. Legal changes in Texas since 2003 have made it one of the most difficult states in which to bring a medical malpractice suit, said Charles Silver, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin. "I doubt that you could find a plaintiff's attorney to even take this case unless it was solely for the publicity value," Silver said.

TX caps awards at 250K x 2. If they get any money will they have to pay it to the hospital?

 

[Sonya610]

http://m.livescience.com/48141-how-doctors-test-for-ebola.html
"Somebody could be in the hospital for three to five days before a diagnosis [of Ebola] is confirmed," Cinti told Live Science. "The important thing is keeping the patient isolated until you can get to a diagnosis." Meanwhile, doctors will be running tests to rule out other diseases, such as malaria, which can be detected more quickly than Ebola, he said.

This sounds worrisome, the "fast" malaria tests show positive for previous exposure even if there is NO active malaria infection. Is the CDC turning out warnings regarding that? Lots of folks from Africa, South America, etc... would test positive with a snap malaria test and if doctors then decided "Oh it is just malaria, no worry about Ebola" that could cause big problems.

I would like to THINK that all of the hospitals and medical folks around this country know that but.....that seems very unlikely at this point.

 

[nomoresorrow]

A business man set aside his company to develop and manage a plan to wipe out ebola in his former community in Sierra Leone. He included all parties into the plan including tribal chiefs and witch doctors. They beat ebola. Now there is a model others will no doubt follow:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...the-last-ebola-free-district-in-sierra-leone/

I actually have some concerns regarding his model, such as what exactly the terms of his loans are for the local business owners who are now forbidden from making their deliveries?

"While most small business owners are not allowed to leave Koinadugu to visit Freetown on supply runs, he set up a $45,000 revolving fund to make loans for the importation of food, fuel and medicine, with deliveries coordinated by the task force."

I do not doubt his desire to protect the community from Ebola, however, he's also a businessman and the locals are poor and extremely vulnerable, especially right now. What choice really would local business owners have at this time but to take a loan from him in order to make their deliveries and keep their businesses afloat?

JMO ~

 

[1&2&3]

From what I am reading, in Africa the Ebola patients that are fortunate enough to get a bed in an Enola center/hospital, receive no medicine, just comfort care. So, Mr. Duncan was ahead of the game leaving the hospital with a RX. When he did go back, he was treated with much more sophisticated equipment and comfort care than he would have had in Africa.

If the infectious disease doctors could figure out why some people live while more than half die, it would be a big step in understanding Ebola. Perhaps if none of Duncan's family comes down with Ebola, that will give the scientists a new ground to study. Why has not one person that had direct contact with him not gotten sick? A good question, right?

 

[SStarr33]

From what I am reading, in Africa the Ebola patients that are fortunate enough to get a bed in an Enola center/hospital, receive no medicine, just comfort care. So, Mr. Duncan was ahead of the game leaving the hospital with a RX. When he did go back, he was treated with much more sophisticated equipment and comfort care than he would have had in Africa.

If the infectious disease doctors could figure out why some people live while more than half die, it would be a big step in understanding Ebola. Perhaps if none of Duncan's family comes down with Ebola, that will give the scientists a new ground to study. Why has not one person that had direct contact with him not gotten sick? A good question, right?

If no one in that family gets it, we need to figure out why. Could it be because our immune systems are just tougher than theirs? Have we had vaccines that are covering us? It will be very strange if none of them get it.

 

[SStarr33]

If infected with Ebola, troops would fly out of Africa on special charter

http://www.stripes.com/news/if-infe...fly-out-of-africa-on-special-charter-1.307742

VICENZA, Italy — Any servicemember falling ill with the Ebola virus during deployment to Liberia will likely be evacuated the same way at least nine Ebola patients have already been transported to the U.S. and Europe: on one of two jets specially equipped to provide medical treatment and prevent transmission of the contagious, deadly disease.

The jets belong to a small, Georgia-based air charter company called Phoenix Air. Officials say it is the only carrier capable of performing the evacuations.

“We’re it,” Dent Thompson, Phoenix Air vice president, said in a phone interview. “We’ve done (six) evacuations back to the U.S. and three to Europe, two into Germany and one into France,” Thompson told Stars and Stripes said before the company had evacuated a Norwegian last week. “It’s a steady program, we figure, for at least a year,” he said.

 

[Yoda]

Brazil's suspected case tests negative.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/braz...0141272752572793684304580207991765529702.html

 

[Yoda]

If infected with Ebola, troops would fly out of Africa on special charter

http://www.stripes.com/news/if-infe...fly-out-of-africa-on-special-charter-1.307742

VICENZA, Italy — Any servicemember falling ill with the Ebola virus during deployment to Liberia will likely be evacuated the same way at least nine Ebola patients have already been transported to the U.S. and Europe
“We’re it,” Dent Thompson, Phoenix Air vice president, said in a phone interview. “We’ve done (six) evacuations back to the U.S. and three to Europe, two into Germany and one into France,” Thompson told Stars and Stripes said before the company had evacuated a Norwegian last week. “It’s a steady program, we figure, for at least a year,” he said.

SBM. BBM Hmm, six?

1. Dr. Kent Brantly arrived Emory, Atlanta, Aug 2
2. Nancy Writebol arrived Emory, Atlanta, Aug 4
3. Dr. Rick Sacra arrived Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha Sept 5
4. unknown arrived Emory, Atlanta, Sept 9
5. Ashoka Mukpo arrived Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Oct 6
6. ?

 

[Gardenlady]

From what I am reading, in Africa the Ebola patients that are fortunate enough to get a bed in an Enola center/hospital, receive no medicine, just comfort care. So, Mr. Duncan was ahead of the game leaving the hospital with a RX. When he did go back, he was treated with much more sophisticated equipment and comfort care than he would have had in Africa.

If the infectious disease doctors could figure out why some people live while more than half die, it would be a big step in understanding Ebola. Perhaps if none of Duncan's family comes down with Ebola, that will give the scientists a new ground to study. Why has not one person that had direct contact with him not gotten sick? A good question, right?

Not all facilities in Africa are the same. Some facilities can do more than simply comfort care. People do survive Ebola in Africa.

But regardless, we are not talking about Africa. Mr Duncan presented to a hospital in a major city in the US. Whether that is ahead of the game as compared with where he might have been treated in Liberia is immaterial. He and any patient deserves to be treated according to customary practices here.


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[Elley Mae]

Good catch Yoda, found this.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/31/world/africa/ebola-virus-outbreak-qa.html?_r=0

 

[Sonya610]

Preparing for the Apocalypse Is Turning Into a Huge Business

One day after news broke of a case in Dallas, CNBC reported that sales of one type of full-body protective suit climbed by 131,000 percent on Amazon. Gas masks and Ebola survival guides shot up the rankings as well.

http://time.com/3478438/apocalypse-business/

Dupont and 3M are increasing their output of suits and masks to meet the current demand, I am guessing a LOT of hospitals and health departments around the world will need to stock up at some point too if they start seeing infections.

 

[SStarr33]

SBM. BBM Hmm, six?

1. Dr. Kent Brantly arrived Emory, Atlanta, Aug 2
2. Nancy Writebol arrived Emory, Atlanta, Aug 4
3. Dr. Rick Sacra arrived Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha Sept 5
4. unknown arrived Emory, Atlanta, Sept 9
5. Ashoka Mukpo arrived Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Oct 6
6. ?

And, in his talk yesterday, Brantly said 5 or 6 patients have come here.....hmmmmmm

 

[Yoda]

Good catch Yoda, found this.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/31/world/africa/ebola-virus-outbreak-qa.html?_r=0

Good data on this link. Im going to add this to the ebola info thread. Thanks :seeya:

 

[Sonya610]

"While most small business owners are not allowed to leave Koinadugu to visit Freetown on supply runs, he set up a $45,000 revolving fund to make loans for the importation of food, fuel and medicine, with deliveries coordinated by the task force."

It says it is a "revolving fund" so maybe he just created a fund to pay for supplies in the city so that local businessmen can ORDER supplies and have them shipped and then pay for them on arrival? Vs. them having to travel to the city and pay up front?

 

[SStarr33]

Good catch Yoda, found this.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/31/world/africa/ebola-virus-outbreak-qa.html?_r=0

But that still does not account for number 6.

 

[jjenny]

Not all facilities in Africa are the same. Some facilities can do more than simply comfort care. People do survive Ebola in Africa.

But regardless, we are not talking about Africa. Mr Duncan presented to a hospital in a major city in the US. Whether that is ahead of the game as compared with where he might have been treated in Liberia is immaterial. He and any patient deserves to be treated according to customary practices here.


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Do you expect everybody to survive Ebola here? It's a deadly disease. There is no approved treatment. Mr. Duncan appears to have been treated according to customary practices here. He was put on ventilator and dialysis when his organs failed.

 

[Sonya610]

Good catch Yoda, found this.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/31/world/africa/ebola-virus-outbreak-qa.html?_r=0

From your article......wow.

In some parts of West Africa, there is a belief that simply saying “Ebola” aloud makes the disease appear.

Such beliefs have created major obstacles for physicians trying to combat the outbreak.

 

[Brightbird]

Not all facilities in Africa are the same. Some facilities can do more than simply comfort care. People do survive Ebola in Africa.

But regardless, we are not talking about Africa. Mr Duncan presented to a hospital in a major city in the US. Whether that is ahead of the game as compared with where he might have been treated in Liberia is immaterial. He and any patient deserves to be treated according to customary practices here.


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Thanks button not enough. I was thinking the same thing. I don't understand why people compare his treatment to that which he would have recieved in Liberia.