Ebola outbreak - general thread #9

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Untested Ebola drug given to patients in Sierra Leone causes UK walkout
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The title is a simplified version of events. The article appears to explain the concerns, etc of the medical personnel.

Our immediate concerns were surrounding the use of amiodarone on this vulnerable and difficult group of patients with complex physiology and the concern that the toxic side-effects of amiodarone could in fact be contributing to increased morbidity within the ETC. Given that the mortality rate in the Lakka ETC is around 67% despite aggressive intervention, and that there seemed to be a high rate of otherwise unexplained respiratory distress, it would appear that there may be an aspect of this intensive therapy which may be having a detrimental effect.”
Rossella Miccio, the coordinator of Emergency’s humanitarian office in Sierra Leone, said that the mortality rate was not as high as 67%. “It was around less than 60% – 58 to 59%,” she said. Médecins sans Frontières, which does not use aggressive interventions, has a mortality rate of between 50% and 60% at its centres.
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http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ted-drug-patients-sierra-leone-uk-staff-leave
 
Whoopsie at the CDC. JMO. I'm not sure why they are monitoring if the sample was just moved and not opened.

In a statement emailed to reporters, the CDC in Atlanta acknowledged that an error was made in moving the sample from one biosafety laboratory to another. The material was moved from a BSL-4 lab, the highest level of security for the contagious virus, to a BSL-2 lab on a sealed plate. But the move should not have been done at all, the agency said.
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http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-cdc-monitoring-worker-for-ebola-20141224-story.html
 
Returned from Sierra Leone on Sunday evening and became unwell early Monday.

She is currently in hospital in Glasgow but will be transferred to the dedicated Ebola isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30628349

Apparently she was tested twice in Sierra Leone before she left and appeared to be clear, so it would seem she must be in very early stages which should be good news for her prognosis.
 
Lyra500 said:
Returned from Sierra Leone on Sunday evening and became unwell early Monday.

She is currently in hospital in Glasgow but will be transferred to the dedicated Ebola isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30628349

Apparently she was tested twice in Sierra Leone before she left and appeared to be clear, so it would seem she must be in very early stages which should be good news for her prognosis.
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But why was she tested? Was she showing symptoms already? Sounds like she flew commercial airline, which isn't good (obviously).
The last guy we flew into US for treatment tested negative, even though he was very symptomatic already. By the time he was tested positive it was too late. He died despite all kind of measures.
 
jjenny said:
But why was she tested? Was she showing symptoms already? Sounds like she flew commercial airline, which isn't good (obviously).
The last guy we flew into US for treatment tested negative, even though he was very symptomatic already. By the time he was tested positive it was too late. He died despite all kind of measures.
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She was following the same protocol which all health workers travelling to help with the outbreak follow on their return. They are supposed to self-monitor for symptoms on return from West Africa.

She was asymptomatic on the flight and showed no signs of illness on leaving Sierra Leone, however, she became feverish overnight and did the correct thing by alerting medical authorities. She was then admitted to hospital and tested for Ebola since she had (obviously) been at risk due to working in an Ebola centre. She then tested positive.

Nothing suspicious and no conspiracies, just someone following protocol.
 
Lyra500 said:
She was following the same protocol which all health workers travelling to help with the outbreak follow on their return. They are supposed to self-monitor for symptoms on return from West Africa.

She was asymptomatic on the flight and showed no signs of illness on leaving Sierra Leone, however, she became feverish overnight and did the correct thing by alerting medical authorities. She was then admitted to hospital and tested for Ebola since she had (obviously) been at risk due to working in an Ebola centre. She then tested positive.

Nothing suspicious and no conspiracies, just someone following protocol.
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BBM Awwww. You are taking all the fun out of posting. :( Just kidding. :seeya:

I too am wondering why she was tested before she came home. They don't test everyone do they?
Was she feeling a little icky? Did something happen that they thought she should be tested just in case? New departing volunteer protocol?
 
Yoda said:
BBM Awwww. You are taking all the fun out of posting. :( Just kidding. :seeya:

I too am wondering why she was tested before she came home. They don't test everyone do they?
Was she feeling a little icky? Did something happen that they thought she should be tested just in case? New departing volunteer protocol?
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Hi

I have just double checked as I was paraphrasing a post from elsewhere.

What CNN reported (VT rather than written report) was that she was screened twice (meaning temperature and symptom check, not Ebola test) - once leaving Sierra Leone and again on landing at Heathrow and was not symptomatic or feverish on either occasion. This again is in line with agreed protocols. So, she seemed fine and was only admitted to hospital after developing a fever. So apologies for the lack of clarity.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/29/health/ebola-scotland/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

To repeat myself, I think this should auger well for the outcome, as they have caught the infection just about as early as possible and she was not even feverish wehen travelling, so the likelihood of anyone else being infected seems pretty remote.
 
Elley Mae said:
Investigating the zoonotic origin of the West African Ebola epidemic

http://embomolmed.embopress.org/content/early/2014/12/29/emmm.201404792

Exposure to fruit bats is common in the region, but the index case may have been infected by playing in a hollow tree housing a colony of insectivorous free‐tailed bats (Mops condylurus).
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Bats can be very dangerous. They have very high metabolism so they can carry extremely dangerous viruses without getting sick themselves.
 
Lyra500 said:
Hi

I have just double checked as I was paraphrasing a post from elsewhere.

What CNN reported (VT rather than written report) was that she was screened twice (meaning temperature and symptom check, not Ebola test) - once leaving Sierra Leone and again on landing at Heathrow and was not symptomatic or feverish on either occasion. This again is in line with agreed protocols. So, she seemed fine and was only admitted to hospital after developing a fever. So apologies for the lack of clarity.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/29/health/ebola-scotland/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

To repeat myself, I think this should auger well for the outcome, as they have caught the infection just about as early as possible and she was not even feverish wehen travelling, so the likelihood of anyone else being infected seems pretty remote.
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That makes sense. I was thinking they tested her for ebola twice before she left seirra leone.
 
Yoda said:
That makes sense. I was thinking they tested her for ebola twice before she left seirra leone.
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Apparently her temperature was tested seven times whilst she was at Heathrow because she told officials that she felt as if she might be developing a fever. However, each time her temperature was below the UK algorithm threshold of 37.5 degrees centigrade (99.5 degrees F) - hence she was allowed onto the flight to Glasgow.

Anyway - she has progressed to the next stage and today is described as 'deteriorating and in critical condition'. I expected her to deteriorate for a time at least, but the use of the word critical and the tone of the announcement do seem to paint a picture which suggests she may not be responding as well as (say) the two nurses from Dallas.

A British nurse who was diagnosed with Ebola after returning from Sierra Leone is now in a critical condition, the London hospital treating her has said.

The Royal Free Hospital said it was "sorry to announce that the condition of Pauline Cafferkey has gradually deteriorated over the past two days".

Ms Cafferkey, from South Lanarkshire, was given an experimental anti-viral drug and blood from disease survivors
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I do hope that even if the anti-viral drug she received is not proving effective, the serum anti-bodies and robust supportive care will help her to beat this.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30666265
 
Lyra500 said:
Anyway - she has progressed to the next stage and today is described as 'deteriorating and in critical condition'. I expected her to deteriorate for a time at least, but the use of the word critical and the tone of the announcement do seem to paint a picture which suggests she may not be responding as well as (say) the two nurses from Dallas.





http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30666265
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I agree-it sounds rather ominous. :(
 
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