Ebola outbreak - general thread #3

[SwampMama]

?? I thought it was already said there was no zmapp left?

"The Norwegian woman, infected by the Ebola in Sierra Leone and currently receiving treatment in Oslo, will get the last dose of the virus treatment medicine ZMapp available in the world. "
http://www.thelocal.no/20141007/norwegian-ebola-victim-to-get-worlds-last-dose-of-zmapp

http://www.thelocal.no/20141006/ebola-virus-victim-arrives-in-norway
The woman is identified as a Norwegian The Norwegian woman, diagnosed with Ebola while working for a charity organization in Sierra Leone, will arrive in Oslo for treatment on Tuesday..... The woman, who was working for Médecins Sans Frontières, fell ill at the weekend and was placed in isolation on Sunday.

I have no problem that there is another dose and that it did not go to patient Duncan in Texas. This woman was a volunteer for a medical group who went into the relief effort and helped with an organized joint effort and was among the worldwide "first responders" (so to speak). To do such a selfless and extraordinarily giving thing should also come with some assurance that extraordinary measures will be taken. Not to mention that this worker is highly valuable as a research subject because her past, her activities and such are readily available.

First responders put their lives on the line and do many difficult and dangerous tasks so that others may live. Many do so for NO pay at all. In doing so, there also come some reassurances and special protection and care afforded to them. I would be thankful to know that there are a few doses left for such amazing souls who would leave their comfortable safe life in one country to go help. work and risk their lives in an ebola zone to help complete strangers.


Oddly enough , I had been curious about that, even curious enough to spend a few HOURS looking to find or great a comprehensive list of just who had gotten Zmapp so far. Apparently there had been 7 doses of which 5 patients had recovered and 2 died. Due to vague or incomplete reporting, compiling a factual list became rather dodgy and I gave up the efforts because I did not want to have to cite conflicting sources only to create a list that like was not complete or right.

 

[SStarr33]

CDC briefing:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/CDC-Adding-Quarantine-Stations-to-US-Airports-278327861.html

They are still talking about how limiting flights will hurt the fight.

so dumb.

 

[SStarr33]

CDC: per hospital--sounds like no change in Duncan--still tubed and dialysis.

 

[SwampMama]

About making mistakes, I wonder......

What if on the first visit, all personnel seeing Duncan were aware he had been in Liberia, do you think they would have feared Ebola and isolated him immediately? I'm not sure I do. He came in with only stomach cramps and a mild fever; isn't that right? He had no diarrhea or vomiting or red eyes on that visit. Sure, now after the fact, the hospital would be on guard for mild symptoms, but should they have been more diligent then? Unlike so many, I can understand and forgive the hospital for making the mistake they did. I hope they are not hit with a law suit, because financial punishment won't help anything, except make the beneficiary wealthy.

The thing is that he was in a huge community of others who were of similar nationality. There seems to be a concentration of refugees, immigrants , people of whatever status who came from Africa. So such people so not stand out as extraordinary as they might where I live ( in a town of 200). I would be curious to know how many other patients of similar nationality that hospital sees on a daily and weekly basis.

I do not think it was made clear to the hospital that he was only in the country a few days and had been with a dying, bleeding woman for many hours as she died in an area that was so overwhelmed with ebola cases that there was no room for a 7 months pregnant hemorrhaging woman who was obviously in such dire straits that she died hours later.

I do not think there should be no financial gain from a lawsuit for this. There is too much care, money and effort going into this patient and family as it is and they should not expect a windfall from it. Contributory negligence comes to mind as well as the fact that extraordinary efforts to secure the family and provide for them have been costly enough already.

 

[SStarr33]

CDC--will not be telling us today what new steps will be for screening

 

[Footwarrior]

One man contracted Ebola in Africa and entered the US before he showed any symptoms. Now we have a raging epidemic with zero new cases.

Yes, we could end up with a few more infected persons. But this really is a success story, even if everything was not done perfectly. If we get another case like this, we should expect fewer mistakes.

The bad part is that as long as the epidemic is raging in West Africa, the rest of the world will remain at risk. We should expect an occasional case like the one in Dallas to crop up in the US or Europe. The only way to stop it completely is to quash the epidemic at its source. Doing that requires us to stop thinking like members of a tribe and start thinking like members of the human race.

 

[SStarr33]

Dude on the phone asking about LA times article!!! CDC guy is skirting around the fact that the virus can be aerosolized. He did not answer the guy on the phone question at all.

This is why people do not trust the CDC. They think we are stupid.

 

[ButForFortune]

I wonder if a mod might be able to start a thread specific to the discussion of whether or not Duncan lied. It seems to be monopolizing a good portion of this thread, which I was under the impression was for the Ebola outbreak in general. Others may disagree, but for me it's difficult to find the posts specific to the outbreak. Thanks!

I think this would be an excellent idea. IMO it no longer matters if Duncan lied or not - he's here, he's sick, all that matters is controlling an outbreak. Beating a dead horse here!

 

[Tricia]

I think this would be an excellent idea. IMO it no longer matters if Duncan lied or not - he's here, he's sick, all that matters is controlling an outbreak. Beating a dead horse here!

Thank you for your suggestions. For now we are not going to start a separate thread.

As ButForFortune says Duncan is here and he is sick. That's what matters now.

You are not going to change anyone else's mind about whether he lied or not.

Let's do our best to keep the discussion on the topic of Ebola. I don't want to restrict discussion but I will if this thread gets crazy like it did yesterday.

We can all agree Duncan is here and he is sick. Let's continue the discussion about Ebola.

 

[SStarr33]

CDC--The have done no testing on potential ebola testing pts in TX--they are just monitoring.

 

[SStarr33]

CDC--question about euthanizing dog--CDC guy laughs and says they have not identified this as a means of transmission but will be keeping their options open. TX says they are not monitoring any animals.

 

[Tricia]

FOX 10 Phoenix ‏@FOX10Phoenix 3m3 minutes ago
Rev. Jesse Jackson in Dallas to help Ebola patient http://bit.ly/1vLdq10

Let's keep to discussing the topic of the thread which is Ebola.

For the sake of the discussion it doesn't matter that Jessie Jackson is in Dallas.

Thank you

 

[popsicle]

ABC News ‏@ABC 2 hours ago
Hospital: Dallas Ebola patient remains in critical condition on a ventilator, receiving kidney dialysis; liver function has improved.

 

[SStarr33]

TX official says they will continue to be transparent. CDC robot guy finishes with a bunch of meaningless rhetoric. Presser over

 

[Lyra500]

http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2014/10/07/5433a9a7268e3e94268b4575.html

I dont read spanish but was told this says the Nurse in spain husband now in hospital with Ebola and another nurse that worked with her also. If anyone can translate that would be nice.

Our news is saying they are in hospital for observation rather than them actually having Ebola, but maybe we are behind the times.

 

[SStarr33]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/16/health/hospitals-in-the-us-get-ready-for-ebola.html

The C.D.C. says that health care workers treating Ebola patients need only wear gloves, a fluid-resistant gown, eye protection and a face mask to prevent becoming infected with the virus. That is a far cry from the head-to-toe “moon suits” doctors, nurses and aides have been seeing on television reports about the outbreak.

Some hospital officials are skeptical of the new advice. “It’s not going to be enough for my health care workers to feel comfortable going into an isolation room,” said Peggy Thompson, the director of infection prevention at Tampa General Hospital.

 

[Detective Klimpt]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/16/health/hospitals-in-the-us-get-ready-for-ebola.html

The C.D.C. says that health care workers treating Ebola patients need only wear gloves, a fluid-resistant gown, eye protection and a face mask to prevent becoming infected with the virus. That is a far cry from the head-to-toe “moon suits” doctors, nurses and aides have been seeing on television reports about the outbreak.

Some hospital officials are skeptical of the new advice. “It’s not going to be enough for my health care workers to feel comfortable going into an isolation room,” said Peggy Thompson, the director of infection prevention at Tampa General Hospital.

What do they do with these protective garments once removed? Gee, it would be hard to get one of the moon suits off without touching the outside. I wonder what the price of one of them costs. They couldn't be reusable.

 

[SeekingJana]

I watched ALL of the CDC press conference and there is no indication that Ebola Zaire ( the strain affecting people in W. Africa, and Mr. Duncan and scattered health workers) has or will mutate to become airborne.
It has remained 99.4% stable for over 20 years.
As an aside, and perhaps a teaching guide,aerosolized does not mean the same thing as airborne in a medical setting.
Secretions such as blood or other fluid in the lungs can and do become aerosolized when a person is on a mechanical ventilator and coughs. Or is suctioned and the suctioned airway is cleared with sterile saline. That's why the right kind of masks with the correct usage time limits are important.

So MANY things that occur with an infected person's body secretions can be classified as a health care worker or the machinery they are hooked up to causing aerosolization within the Isolated Area and Field.
This is definitely not the same thing as John Doe contracting Ebola and breathing without presence of the signs and symptoms of the disease ( which are respiratory as well as GI and generalized systemic disease later on).
Ebola is NOT spread through the air with normal breathing. It is not a disease transmitted through the respiratory tract of asymptomatic individuals.

 

[SStarr33]

What do they do with these protective garments once removed? Gee, it would be hard to get one of the moon suits off without touching the outside. I wonder what the price of one of them costs. They couldn't be reusable.

If a suspected Ebola patient arrives at her hospital, Ms. Thompson intends to outfit staff members in fluid-resistant jumpsuits with bootees, taped seams and hoods. They cost about $175 per dozen. She has not decided how many to order.

 

[SeekingJana]

What do they do with these protective garments once removed? Gee, it would be hard to get one of the moon suits off without touching the outside. I wonder what the price of one of them costs. They couldn't be reusable.

They are burned in special medical incinerators which are constructed for the purpose of disposing of infected or harmful waste.