Ebola outbreak - general thread #6

[CarmelEyesD]

Hospital Worker Who Handled Ebola Samples on Caribbean Cruise

A Dallas health care worker who handled clinical specimens from an Ebola-infected man from Liberia who later died is on a Caribbean cruise ship - where the worker has self-quarantined and is being monitored for any signs of infection, the State Department said in a statement.

According to the government statement, the worker departed on a cruise ship from Galveston, Texas on Oct. 12 and was out of the country before being notified of active monitoring required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/hospit...la-samples-caribbean-cruise/story?id=26263642

 

[CarmelEyesD]

Reports tonight are that two individuals possibly infected with the Ebola virus are in Belizean waters. Local TV station Channel 7 monitored in the capital City Of Belmopan tonight, reported having credible reports that a couple from a Texas-based cruise ship presently anchored off Belize City, is on a ship tender, unable to return to the cruise ship, while being refused entry to Belize City to catch an air ambulance awaiting at the International Airport to take them to the their country of origin, the U.S.A

The patient exhibiting Ebola symptoms has been confirmed to be a nurse at a Dallas hospital traveling with her husband.

http://belizean.com/belize-confirms-patient-with-ebola-symptoms-on-cruise-ship-off-its-coast-1814/

Edited to add: The ship is reportedly carrying 3652 passengers and a total population of 4633 persons.

 

[CarmelEyesD]

How donated plasma can help Ebola patients fight the disease

A Dallas nurse being treated for Ebola has received a plasma transfusion from a doctor who beat his own infection with the deadly virus after getting a similar treatment. The reason: Antibodies in the blood of a survivor may help a patient fight off the germ.

Q&A-good article

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/sci...ght-disease/HHkbEWoqgBirZRMGfuTJGL/story.html

 

[Lyra500]

Here is an article on PPE and how it was/was not employed at Texas Presbyterian.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-29638724

It does have some interesting stats.

When I posted a while ago that the doctors and medical personnel in Africa wore far more all encompassing PPE someone pointed out that many of them had died of Ebola anyway.

Whilst it is absolutely true that the death toll has been dreadful, a good number of these people died from unknowingly treating Ebola patients in the early days of the outbreak - because they did not realise the nature of the illness or thought it was something else, they wore no PPE.

The article from Vanity Fair that someone posted a link for gave a really fascinating account of the early days of the outbreak leading up to the Ebola announcement by WHO in March 2014. Because they had never had an outbreak in that part of Africa before and many of the symptoms mimic other tropical diseases, they spent weeks thinking it was something else. Also, very unfortunately, tests on a group of about nine patients in the very early days came back positive for cholera in seven of them which threw them of the scent for some time.

Finally, whilst the Hot Zone is a great read, it is rather sensationalist about the symptoms displayed and many people die without bleeding out, so it is not as easy as one might think to differentiate Ebola.


Even if you don't feel like reading the article, scroll half way down for the photo of the baby and hazmat suited healthcare worker.

 

[Lyra500]

Hospital Worker Who Handled Ebola Samples on Caribbean Cruise

A Dallas health care worker who handled clinical specimens from an Ebola-infected man from Liberia who later died is on a Caribbean cruise ship - where the worker has self-quarantined and is being monitored for any signs of infection, the State Department said in a statement.

According to the government statement, the worker departed on a cruise ship from Galveston, Texas on Oct. 12 and was out of the country before being notified of active monitoring required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/hospit...la-samples-caribbean-cruise/story?id=26263642

Reports tonight are that two individuals possibly infected with the Ebola virus are in Belizean waters. Local TV station Channel 7 monitored in the capital City Of Belmopan tonight, reported having credible reports that a couple from a Texas-based cruise ship presently anchored off Belize City, is on a ship tender, unable to return to the cruise ship, while being refused entry to Belize City to catch an air ambulance awaiting at the International Airport to take them to the their country of origin, the U.S.A

The patient exhibiting Ebola symptoms has been confirmed to be a nurse at a Dallas hospital traveling with her husband.

http://belizean.com/belize-confirms-patient-with-ebola-symptoms-on-cruise-ship-off-its-coast-1814/

Edited to add: The ship is reportedly carrying 3652 passengers and a total population of 4633 persons.

Once again I think some clarity is required (and an avoidance of rushing to Defcon 5 unless absolutely warranted).

Is this the same person or are two Tex. Pres staff on cruises at the same time?

If it is the same person, then they are not a nurse according to other reports, but a lab worker.

Also, one report says they are being monitored with no mention of them actually being ill and the other says they are exhibiting symptoms.

Inaccurate reporting in the current climate seems pretty irresponsible IMHO.

NB This is a comment on how the press are reporting stuff - in no way a criticism for posting it here. It would just be nice if we could all rely on at least a few information sources, but I really don't know who to trust now apart from the BBC and some of the more classy UK newspapers like the Independent which are less prone to hyperbole and getting the information mangled.

 

[SthrnRaine]

Conflicting stories continue on the Cruise Ship situation.....

Texas Hospital Worker Who May Have Handled Ebola Samples Is on Caribbean Cruise

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/eb...-have-handled-ebola-samples-caribbean-n227971

The employee has been checked by the ship’s doctor and is in “good health,” the State Department statement added. “Following this examination, the hospital employee and traveling partner have voluntarily remained isolated in a cabin. We are working with the cruise line to safely bring them back to the United States out of an abundance of caution.”

And this story has the couple stranded out at sea not being allowed on land or back on the boat.

Ebola Stricken Cruise Passenger Denied Entry to Belize

http://worldmaritimenews.com/archiv...-denied-entry-to-belize/#.VEDlyFWMtZE.twitter

The couple has been prevented from entering Belize City to be airlifted to the U.S.A., and is currently on a ship tender unable to return to the cruise ship, according to the Belizean media reports.

 

[Brightbird]

I hope the big media outlets are donating cash to ebola ngo's.

Yeah right!

 

[Sonya610]

BTW, did any of you who watched the video of Nina in the hospital take note of the PPG her nurse was wearing?

I noticed the same thing about the vet caring for Bentley. The first photo shows the vet in a suit without a hood or mask calling the little dog (mask and goggles had been tossed to the ground probably so Bentley could see her face and not be afraid).

Second photo 3 days later shows vet in a FULL hood with what appears to be a powered respirator attached (?) and now vet is taping her wrists too so everyone seems to be more cautious.

 

[Hatfield]

Reports tonight are that two individuals possibly infected with the Ebola virus are in Belizean waters. Local TV station Channel 7 monitored in the capital City Of Belmopan tonight, reported having credible reports that a couple from a Texas-based cruise ship presently anchored off Belize City, is on a ship tender, unable to return to the cruise ship, while being refused entry to Belize City to catch an air ambulance awaiting at the International Airport to take them to the their country of origin, the U.S.A

The patient exhibiting Ebola symptoms has been confirmed to be a nurse at a Dallas hospital traveling with her husband.

http://belizean.com/belize-confirms-patient-with-ebola-symptoms-on-cruise-ship-off-its-coast-1814/

Edited to add: The ship is reportedly carrying 3652 passengers and a total population of 4633 persons.

Wonder if this is the same person(s) that went on the cruise and is supposed to be self-monitoring.

The handling of the Ebola crisis really could not have been much worse. The total incompetance shown by the CDC chairman is beyond incredible. Just think about it....

People that had direct or indirect contact with the infected Duncan were allowed to fly on planes, go shopping and to other stores + restaraunts, and now take Cruises with thousands of other people. It really doesnt get much worse than this.

The confinement of others on planes + now cruise ships means the chance of catching it (if the monitored people are infected) is much greater because of the limited amount of space on planes + cruise ships.

I am convinced the CDC chairman just does not take this disease serious enough. You can tell by listening to him from day 1. He is just so non-chalant about it.

- "Oh, dont worry" ---WRONG
- "We have it under control" --- WRONG
- "Any hospital can handle ebola patients" --- WRONG

JMO of course

 

[SStarr33]

West Africans in Washington say they are being stigmatized because of Ebola fear

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...4c6-11e4-892e-602188e70e9c_story.html?hpid=z2

 

[Sonya610]

Dallas Animal Services facebook page has updates on Bentley. Apparently a lot of folks are sending gifts for Bentley and the other animals at the shelter, they say the UPS man needed backup to bring all of yesterday's packages.

People are posting well wishes from all over the world, especially other Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owners.

https://www.facebook.com/dallasanimalservices

 

[Lyra500]

Wonder if this is the same person(s) that went on the cruise and is supposed to be self-monitoring.

The handling of the Ebola crisis really could not have been much worse. The total incompetance shown by the CDC chairman is beyond incredible. Just think about it....

People that had direct or indirect contact with the infected Duncan were allowed to fly on planes, go shopping and to other stores + restaraunts, and now take Cruises with thousands of other people. It really doesnt get much worse than this.

The confinement of others on planes + now cruise ships means the chance of catching it (if the monitored people are infected) is much greater because of the limited amount of space on planes + cruise ships.

I am convinced the CDC chairman just does not take this disease serious enough. You can tell by listening to him from day 1. He is just so non-chalant about it.

- "Oh, dont worry" ---WRONG
- "We have it under control" --- WRONG
- "Any hospital can handle ebola patients" --- WRONG

JMO of course

I do start to wonder whether there was an element of arrogance and superiority from people at the CDC underlying the way this has been handled in the US (I genuinely do not mean to cause offence by posting this).

It is almost as if they have looked at the months of film footage of medics and carers dressing in full space-suit hazmat style and thought "Oh look at those poor primitive Africans - they can't manage the outbreak without going OTT with their protective equipment and bleach sprays. Now here in the USA we know how to handle barrier nursing and we don't need all that stuff"

Well - you live and learn. And unfortunately it may be that some die as a result of ineffectual safeguards.

 

[TexMex]

http://www.defenseone.com/threats/2...ine-military-using-africa/96713/?oref=d-river
The military is using an Ebola screening machine that could have diagnosed the Ebola cases in Texas far faster, but government guidelines prevent hospitals from using it to actually screen for Ebola
It’s a toaster-sized box called Film Array, produced by a company called BioFire, a subsidiary of bioMérieux
Incredibly, it was present at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital when Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan walked through the door, complaining of fever and he had just come from Liberia. Duncan was sent home, but even still, FDA guidelines prohibited the hospital from using the machine to screen for Ebola.

 

[Hatfield]

Thats great news about the dog. People are generally compassionate. We just want things to be handled properly.

I heard another CDC related interview the other day and the guy said "Look, we so far have only had 3 patients with Ebola." True, but look at all the money and hoops we have had to jump through because of the mishandling of this crisis. Private Planes being chartered, Frontier plane having carpet + seats being ripped out, dress shops closing down, entire Dallas hospital essentially losing all its business, etc. The money loss alone is phenomenal.

 

[SStarr33]

re: clipboarddude

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...suits-transporting-ebola-patient-9798637.html

He said: "Touching one of the suited people and, particularly, accepting an object carried by that person is a serious breach of protocol. Once the suits go on and they have contact with the patient, they and anything they touch should be disinfected."

 

[angela]

I think Nina is on the road to recovery but I am very worried about Amber. It seems Nina reported her symptoms and began treatment earlier than Amber did.

 

[Sonya610]

On another note it appears Tyvek suits are already back ordered, I ordered one a week ago and it was was supposed to already be here (it was "in stock") now today they say it will be "another week".

I imagine hospitals and other agencies are buying up cases of them as fast as they can (and they probably got the one I had already paid for! Grrrrrr.....).

 

[SStarr33]

On another note it appears Tyvek suits are already back ordered, I ordered one a week ago and it was was supposed to already be here (it was "in stock") now today they say it will be "another week".

I imagine hospitals and other agencies are buying up cases of them as fast as they can (and they probably got the one I had already paid for! Grrrrrr.....).

Do you sew? I bet they sell it by the yard:biggrin:

 

[Sonya610]

Do you sew? I bet they sell it by the yard:biggrin:

Why yes I do! Could be a great little cottage industry except jumpsuits would be a pain to sew. Maybe there will be a market for tyvek ponchos? Those would be quick and easy.

For Joe Schmoes I would think any type of plastic or waterproof material that could be doused in disinfectant before removal would work okay as a general precaution.

 

[Yoda]

A good article about our troops.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/in-liberia-u-s-soldiers-race-ebola-1413501880