Ebola outbreak - general thread #7

[Redux]

..... No person who was touching money, doorknobs, a corny dog, a bus seat, etc . have gotten it. So think about that and it's pretty good news. I did wonder, initially , if people might come down with it all over, neighbors from the apartments, Duncan's barista at starbucks, the pizza guy who delivered, etc. .....

SBM, BBM.

:thinking: :waitasec:

 

[Elley Mae]

about blood types

http://viewzone.com/blood.html

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

A surprising fact has emerged: a high proportion of the Gabonese population is immunized against the disease: 15.3% possess antibiotics against Ebola, even in areas where no epidemic has ever been recorded .

http://en.ird.fr/the-media-centre/scientific-newssheets/337-possible-natural-immunity-to-ebola

Treatment of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever with Blood Transfusions from Convalescent Patients

http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/179/Supplement_1/S18.long

 

[Footwarrior]

A question for those who find a doctor asking about their travel history offensive. What if Mr. Duncan had told the ER team that his travels were none of their business?

 

[Sonya610]

This is what I read (learned) regarding minor exposure to ebola....it makes sense.

Tiny amounts of the Ebola virus (like 10 of them, let's say) have to get on you, and then get in you, and then infect the right cell before your body kills them off.

With a trace amount of exposure those little Ebola viruses have a tough job to do and often can't do it. But with enough of them (i.e. body fluids from a heavily infected person) that story changes as thousands or millions get on you; then one is very likely to succeed (sort of like sperm and the egg).

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Carnival Cruise Lines statement regarding Ebola precautions onboard Carnival Magic:

http://carnival-news.com/2014/10/17/carnival-magic-statement-october-17-2014/

 

[dandy]

Wearing multiple layers of protection does not help if your technique of taking off the gear is faulty.

just wanted to thank everybody for all the info/links - i've been emailing them to my dd who's an e/r nurse in nyc . . . here's her latest email on this subject (didn't include the part about not sending sooo much info):

Haha nope no Ebola yet...lots of people who think they have Ebola because the news creates mass panic and hypochondriacs. There was one old lady who came in for an "episode of chills" and said there was a black man coughing near her on the subway and she wanted to be tested for Ebola.....people are nuts!! We have been all going through "Ebola training" though, practicing putting on all the protective equipment and taking it off...since that's how the nurse in Texas got it. Who knows though, nyc is such a hub of people from all over the world so I won't be surprised when someone walks in saying they were in Africa recently and now they feel sick.

 

[Footwarrior]

Every Frontier airliner has a different animal painted on the tail. Does anyone know which animal is on the tail of the aircraft that was decontaminated?

As for the decontamination, the Ebola virus does not survive for long outside a host. It is destroyed by many common cleaning agents. But as we all know, fear can persist long after the risk is gone.

 

[SStarr33]

She said: "1 year after it is frozen. "

Great, thank you and tell her thank you Can you ask her if she knows if testing the blood for communicable diseases is a big deal? Explain to her (if she doesn't already know), about how many of the people in Africa have hiv, malaria etc....Do they test all blood donated her for communicable diseases, or are they on the honor system?

 

[CARIIS]

Ask her how long plasma can be stored. Thank you--this is great.

Would you ask , all this time in, why that have not taken blood from the bats to see if they have antibodies?

 

[SStarr33]

Haven't read yet, but looks like it will be a good story about the Duncan family quarantine:

Life in Quarantine for Ebola Exposure: 21 Days of Fear and Loathing

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/u...la-exposure-21-days-of-fear-and-loathing.html

ETA, looks like it is about different people in quarantine.

 

[CARIIS]

Believe it or not they do that now -- mostly govt!


New Emphasis on Custom...

Health Care Mystery Shoppers

http://www.aarp.org/health/doctors-...emphasis_on_customer_service_in_medicine.html

[h=1]New Emphasis on Customer Service in Medicine[/h] [h=2]“Secret shoppers” help improve the real patient’s experience[/h] by: Sandra G. Boodman, from: AARP Bulletin, August 13, 2010

Thanks for the inside info! I heard they hired actors in NYC to go into ERs and pretend to be ebola pts to see how they respond.

 

[Trino]

All I can say is WOW. Ebola symptoms, according to this article, can take as long as 42 days to appear.

http://www.ohio.com/news/ebola-symp...21-days-to-appear-who-and-others-say-1.532687

 

[Brightbird]

I would never travel outside of the country without whatever shots I would need or require. I am not a citizen from a country fighting a deadly disease trying to enter a country trying to keep it out. jmo idk I am not an exception.

Personally, I'd rather everyone just answer a few basic screening questions, regardless of where they're from or what their opinions are.

 

[Sonya610]

This was expected, and good for him and future dogs. He'll be a little lonely, but they need to check to know about his viral load/shedding.

"Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center

Bentley had a very comfortable evening in his temporary housing snuggled up with all of the wonderful toys and supplies you have all provided - Thank you! This morning the Texas A&M Emergency Response Veterinary Team dawned their suits under the watchful eye of our own Dr. Cate McManus, and headed in to begin Bentleys daily care ritual, which he has become very comfortable with. He is such a good boy and is quickly adapting to the routine! Bentley is still resting comfortably in his crate in-between his care routine visits.

We wanted to let everyone know that we will shortly move into the next phase of Bentley's quarantine. This temporary phase will include moving Bentley to a special kennel that will help us collect his urine and bowel movements for monitoring and testing . This is the least invasive, safest and most comfortable way to complete this process for Bentley, and for everyone involved. This phase isn't expected to last more than a day or so, and as soon as this phase ends, Bentley will be returned to his current set up and care routine.

Stay tuned for the morning pics once the family has given us permission to release them. Remember, we have put this process in
place to ensure that Nina has first glimpse at her number one cheerleader.

Yeah, this morning the phase would last 3 weeks and "Bentley could suck it up" according to the head vet.

Now suddenly they are saying a day so, so they can get "sterile samples". Huh? A cage with a dog walking around in it provides sterile samples? Try sterilizing a ROOM for the dog and NOT tracking in germs with your hazmat suit, then you can get samples!

Eyes are on that little dog so those vets had best use common sense (and they were not when they said "Bentley will just have to suck it up" for three weeks in metal cage with NO human contact, no humans even entering the room).

They can just "suck it up" if Nina has to make a statement regarding how Bentley is being treated from her hospital bed.

(Sorry but that really just peeved me off).

 

[Footwarrior]

But it should NOT be faulty because you should have HELP! And also you should be able to be sprayed down with disinfectant BEFORE you even try to take off the gear. And a HELPER should be watching to assist and make sure you don't make a mistake.

The staff at MSF clinics in West Africa step into a bucket if bleach solution as they leave the hot zone. Protective gear is then sprayed with liberal amounts of bleach solution before even starting the removal process. If the outer surface of the garment is touched by mistake, any virus transferred is likely to be dead. It is possible that the Dallas hospital did not use enough bleach.

Another problem in Dallas may have been waste disposal. Disposable items from Duncan's treatment were simply piled up awaiting disposal. The clinics in Africa were burning infected disposable items regularly.

 

[SteveS]

Not sure why they are not getting plasma from Africa because surely not everyone over there has hiv, malaria, etc...

It seems obvious to me that whatever helpful plasma they have donated there would be used to treat one of the thousands of people in their own area that need it, rather than sending it to the US for one of the 2-3 cases here.

 

[LaborDayRN]

The staff at MSF clinics in West Africa step into a bucket if bleach solution as they leave the hot zone. Protective gear is then sprayed with liberal amounts of bleach solution before even starting the removal process. If the outer surface of the garment is touched by mistake, any virus transferred is likely to be dead. It is possible that the Dallas hospital did not use enough bleach.

Another problem in Dallas may have been waste disposal. Disposable items from Duncan's treatment were simply piled up awaiting disposal. The clinics in Africa were burning infected disposable items regularly.

BBM: In the initial phases of treatment, I don't believe they were using bleach at all. Does anyone recall??

 

[jjenny]

Yeah, this morning the phase would last 3 weeks and "Bentley could suck it up" according to the head vet.

Now suddenly they are saying a day so, so they can get "sterile samples". Huh? A cage with a dog walking around in it provides sterile samples? Try sterilizing a ROOM for the dog and NOT tracking in germs with your hazmat suit, then you can get sterile samples!

Eyes are on that little dog so those vets had best use common sense (and they were not when they said "Bentley will just have to suck it up" for three weeks in metal cage with NO human contact, no humans even entering the room).

They can just "suck it up" if Nina has to make a statement regarding how Bentley is being treated from her hospital bed.

(Sorry but that really just peeved me off).

Better this than euthanasia like they did in Spain.

 

[Elley Mae]

I went to my doctor's office yesterday to get my 'flu shot.

Receptionist did ask if I had traveled to Africa or knew anyone who had traveled to Africa, and if I had had contact with anyone with 'flu or 'flu-like symptoms.

Not Directed at you Laughing.

Going to answer this as best I can, again. I will not tell the Receptionistone thing about me or my where abouts, it is not for her/him to know. If a Dr.s office is screening for ebola then they need to have a nurse/Dr out in the parking lot and not allow the people that may be infected with ebola in. If I had a Dr who had a receptionist that asked the patients questions at the front desk, I will find a new Dr. jmo idk

 

[Sonya610]

Better this than euthanasia like they did in Spain.

Do we really want to play the "better than" game?

That is unacceptable as are the lies. There is NO logical reason to do that to Bentley and it should not be tolerated or excused, it makes no sense and needs to be called out just as so many other things do.

Since when do we compare ourselves to the lowest common denominator?