Ebola Spread Shows Flaws in Protective Gear and Procedures - Scientific American

 

Texas health worker tests positive for Ebola | CIDRAP

 

Where did you get that from?? "In the real world.." I just received my degree in Biology with a concentration in immunology and infectious disease.. I assure you that it does happen although yes unlikely. It ultimately depends on the vector host by which it is being transmitted after it mutates and then from there it can undergo a secondary mutation to indeed become more infectious via airborne etc pathways. YES it is UNLIKLEY but YES it happens in the REAL WORLD haha.

 

First we were told not to worry. Ebola was restricted to Africa only and could not become a worldwide epidemic. Upon hearing this news, everybody was happy and went about their business.

As Ebola started to kill thousands, the US sent medical personnel to Africa because western medicine could help curb the spread of the disease. We were worried, until they told us there's no chance Ebola could reach the US.

Then the first person with Ebola arrived in the US. OMG how could anyone see this coming? But don't worry, proper containment procedures are in use and there's no chance it could spread among Americans. And the people continued to go about their lives...

Then the first aid worker became infected, despite following "protocol." It was the first time Ebola spread between Americans on American soil. But the government insists there's nothing to see here, there's no chance it could become an epidemic in the US...

Everybody see where this is going?

Seriously, is anyone else as fed up with government incompetence as I am? And with all the people acting cool and pretending not to worry? Our own arrogance and stupidity will kill us, the CDC needs to stop being complacent and treat this virus with the respect it demands

 

Yes. Nowhere. Some people need to be frightened of something. Ebola should not be one of them.

 

Meanwhile 47 people have died from West Nile this year, which you get by sitting out in your yard in the evening.

 

Yes. And thousands will die from the flu. Tens of thousands from food poisoning, traffic accidents, gunshots etc. But these aren't scary ways to die compared to shark attacks or terrorism or a disease that causes you to bleed from the inside, so it doesn't make the 24-news hysteria cycle.

Ebola = scary death = ratings = money.

 

Rest assured, as a moderator, 80kts knows more than you do about anything on this board.

 

Why does the CDC Responders now wear FULL Self Contained PPE when dealing with a suspected Ebola patient and or items the patients may have contaminated?

Laws on preventing sick and or contagious persons from entering the U.S. have been on the books since the late 1890s and such laws still exist but are not being enforced. There was a time where a person with "pink eye" would be prohibited entry into the U.S. because there was no cure or treatment and a high risk of an epidemic was present.

Enforcing these law would decrease the threat of an Ebola patient from legally entering the U.S. by 80%. Illegal immigration is still an unenforceable issue under current federal SOPs.

On a daily basis people are entering the U.S. with all sorts of communicable disease and no one cares about the threat this presents to Public Heath. An example are recent cases in Arizona where Border Agents assigned to detention facilities that have been infected with disease from the illegal aliens in custody. What about the illegals that were successful in evading the Border Police???

Also look at the numerous cases of TB where patients have been diagnosed with active TB, ignored prescribed medication protocols and follow up care, and where Courts have had to mandate custody until the TB patient is fully recovered or non contagious.

Read "The Hot Zone" this 1990's non-fiction story documents the unexpected and rapid airborne spread of a strain of Ebola where full scale isolation and PPE protocols were in place. This is in a lab in Reston VA. where active experiments of virus development and transmission were taking place.

If you doubt that the virus cannot be transmitted via air, like previously mentioned, a virus will mutate and, like in the Reston incident, caught the researchers with their pants down.

I have first hand knowledge by being assigned and working OCONUS where we would, on a daily basis be contacting persons that possibly had communicable diseases. I've caught and seen coworkers infected with communicable diseases due to our duty assignments. Transmission ranged from airborne transmission, to contaminated food/water and infections spread by insects. Why did these Countries not control these preventable diseases? MONEY. WHO and USAID monies were (and still are) diverted from these common health prevention programs into illicit gains.

I believe in briefing/educating ANYONE that, through the course of their duties, could contact a possible health threat, not only to protect themselves, their families, and to prevent the spread of ANY communicable disease. PPE is available but not being use to the extent that should be maintained at a level to stop unnecessary transmissions.

Nuff said

 

That's a pretty arrogant statement considering over 4,000 people have died...when a disease can have up to a 90% fatality rate, yes it deserves a little more attention.

I'm not saying "be afraid of Ebola;" my point is to respond proactively and with at least a little urgency before it spirals out of control.