I don't want to panic anyone, but Ebola may be coming to a town near you

[Skyy God]

At least we won't have to slog through another 7-9 Chiefs season....

Now there are American casualties.

Not in Gaza, and not on the ill-fated Malaysian airliner. Now there are American casualties in another war very far away so maybe, goddammit, somebody should start paying more attention to it.

Kent Brantly, 33, an American doctor who has been working in Liberia since October for the North Carolina-based aid organization Samaritan's Purse, is receiving intensive medical treatment after he was infected with Ebola, according to a spokeswoman for the group. Melissa Strickland said Brantly, who is married and has two children, was talking with his doctors and working on his computer while being treated. A second U.S. citizen, Nancy Writebol, also has tested positive for Ebola, Samaritan's Purse said. Writebol is employed by mission group SIM in Liberia and was helping a joint SIM/Samaritan's Purse team treating Ebola patients in Monrovia. Writebol is married with two children, the organization said. "Both of them tonight are in stable condition," Ken Isaacs, Samaritan Purse's vice president of programs and government relations, said Sunday. "But they are not out of the woods yet."

That's some serious Damien-at-Molokai hero stuff right there, still being at your computer while you're being treated for one of the most vicious diseases on the planet. Other medical professionals, alas, are not as lucky.

A Liberian government official said Sunday that one of that country's highest-profile doctors has died in what the World Health Organization (WHO) calls the largest recorded outbreak of the disease...The first Liberian doctor to die of the disease was identified as Samuel Brisbane. He was working as a consultant with the internal medicine unit at the country's largest hospital, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Medical Center in Monrovia. Brisbane, who once was a medical adviser to former Liberian President Charles Taylor, was taken to a treatment center on the outskirts of the capital after falling ill with Ebola and died there, said Tolbert Nyenswah, an assistant health minister. He said another doctor who had been working in Liberia's central Bong County also was being treated for Ebola at the same center where Brisbane died. The situation "is getting more and more scary," Nyenswah said.

Yes, you could say that. The disease is now in both Nigeria and Liberia, and not in the backwater places any more, either, but in the capital cities. The ones with millions of people. And airports.

Over the weekend, health officials in Nigeria raced to stop the spread of Ebola after a man sick with the disease arrived on a flight in Lagos, Africa's largest city with 21 million people. He later died. The man's ability to board an international flight raised new fears that other passengers could carry the disease beyond Africa because of weak passenger inspection and the fact that Ebola's initial symptoms can resemble those of other illnesses. Isaacs said in an interview that "where it gets really scary" is that the disease, which was previously seen only "in very remote, small villages in Africa" is now being contracted by people in the capital cities of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. "Now the disease has been introduced into the big urban areas with millions of people," he said. "In the big cities, people can get on an airplane and fly out." Isaacs does not believe this outbreak his peaked. "I think the worst is yet to come," he said. "I hope I'm wrong."

Meanwhile, the local customs aren't helping a lot, either.

Koroma, 32, a resident of the densely populated Wellington district, had been admitted to an isolation ward while blood samples were tested for the virus, said Sidi Yahya Tunis, a health ministry spokesman. The results came back on Thursday. "The family of the patient stormed the hospital and forcefully removed her and took her away," Tunis said. "We are searching for her."

Jesus save us. I don't mean to sound like a cultural imperialist -- although I seriously doubt that the people in rural Sierra Leone are acting out of what they know about the Tuskegee experiments, or what happened in Guatemala in the 1940's -- but snatching an Ebola patient out of the hospital doesn't sound like a very good way to fight the disease, family networks notwithstanding. (The purloined patient eventually died.) This thing is one airplane flight away from being an international catastrophe, but there is no boom-boom, and without boom-boom, there is no news. However, you know, Americans are getting sick now. Hey, Wolf! Over here?

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politic...Ebola_Outbreak

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by kepp

From what's being reported, she contacted the CDC and got the OK to do it. I don't know if that's true or not. IMO, they're both negligent.

Both are inexcusable. This is all one big train wreck waiting to happen.

[ThaVirus]

I'm aware that she got the OK from the CDC but I'd have to say if I were in her situation there's no way I'd even risk visiting family.

Seriously. If I think I'm getting a cold I won't even attempt to go visit my little brother.

[Coach]

[ToxSocks]

And the morans have already started...sure didn't take long

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/...tudent-closed/

CHULA VISTA — A student said she made up the story that she and her sick sister shared a plane with a Dallas nurse who was later diagnosed with Ebola -- a tale that prompted a classroom building to be cordoned off Thursday, a Southwestern College official said.

The student told a faculty member that she had missed classes because her sister was hospitalized with flu-like symptoms after she and her family shared a flight with a nurse later diagnosed with Ebola, college spokeswoman Lillian Leopold said. Actually, the student's sister was home with a cold after the trip and the family had never shared a flight with the infected nurse.

The result: the 470 building, where the student was at the time, was closed off for several hours in "an abundance of caution," Leopold said. Students were told not to leave by campus security officers and media descended on the community college campus. Fears in the U.S. over Ebola have grown stronger this week with the news that two nurses were infected while treating an Ebola patient in Dallas who later died.

The Southwestern student was not exhibiting any flu-like symptoms and was thoroughly examined by a college nurse. Officials gave the all-clear message shortly before noon.

"Our campus nurse has thoroughly examined the student and there's no expectation of Ebola," Leopold said at the time.

Students said they were being kept together in small groups outside closed classrooms after the building was cordoned off with yellow caution tape.

"We are detained," Vinnie Avia-Walker, 25, said shortly before noon. "We are within a 20-feet area between the person who is sick and then an officer who is telling us not to leave."

Leopold said that everyone was removed from the building but that no one was under quarantine.

"Southwestern College is OK. We acted as fast as we could," Southwestern College Police Chief Michael Cash said in a televised news conference shortly before noon.

College officials initially said the county Health Department had been notified as a precaution and health officials were on their way to assess the situation. However, Leopold later said that information was inaccurate and health officials did not go to the campus.

When asked whether the student would face any consequences, Leopold said college officials are investigating the entire incident and how it relates to the college's student policy.

[Aries Walker]

Originally Posted by kepp

I'm betting it's the Dallas nurse's fiance that is quarantined.

Boy, that will test a relationship.

"My girlfriend scratched my truck."
"My wife spends all of my money."
"My fiance gave me Ebola."
"Ummmmm . . ."

[Donger]

Stupid woman...

(CNN) -- A nurse with Ebola may have shown symptoms of the virus as many four days before authorities once indicated, meaning that she might have been contagious while flying on not just one, but two commercial flights, officials said Thursday.

Amber Vinson was hospitalized Tuesday, one day after she took a Frontier flight from Cleveland to Dallas. Tests later found that Vinson -- who was among those who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, at Dallas' Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital -- had Ebola.

Authorities indicated that Vinson had a slightly elevated temperature of 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit, which was below the fever threshold for Ebola, but didn't show any symptoms of the disease while on her Monday flight. This is significant because a person isn't contagious with Ebola, which spreads through the transmission of bodily fluids, until he or she has symptoms of the disease.

But on Thursday, Dr. Chris Braden of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters in Ohio that "we have started to look at the possibility that she had symptoms going back as far as Saturday. ... We can't rule out (that) she might have had the start of her illness on Friday."

"So this new information now is saying we need to go back now to the flight that she took on Friday the 10th and include them in our investigation of contacts," said Braden.

Specifically, the CDC announced later Thursday that is "expanding its outreach to airline passengers now to include those who flew from Dallas-Fort Worth to Cleveland on Frontier flight 1142" last Friday -- which is how Vinson got to Ohio, from Texas, originally.

[Mr. Laz]

Obama Authorizes National Guard, Reserves for Ebola Fight

Obama Authorizes Call-Up of National Guard to Fight EbolaNIGHTLY NEWS



President Barack Obama issued an executive order on Thursday paving the way for the deployment of National Guard and Reserve forces to West Africa to help contain the Ebola outbreak there.

Under the mandate, the secretaries of defense and homeland security can order to active duty some members of the Selected Reserve and the Individual Ready Reserve mobilization.

Sources earlier told NBC News that eight engineers and logistical specialists from the Guard, both active-duty and reservists, would probably be included in the first deployment. They are expected to help build 17 Ebola treatment centers, with 100 beds apiece. The sources said no decision had yet been made.

Defense Department officials said the executive order was necessary to speed the deployments, and would allow the president to send additional forces as needed. Health officials have recorded more than 2,400 Ebola deaths in Liberia, the highest of any country.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by DaFace

For the record, I have no powers whatsoever, other than the ability to call up the guy who is in charge to have him temporarily grant me access to stuff from time to time when something needs fixed.

fair enough

sorry

[Bowser]

There is a guy at work that is absolutely convinced that this is the first step of the Powers That Be in culling the world population. He says this strain of Ebola is a bioengineered weapon meant to kill millions. He's absolutely convinced. Kind of spooky to listen to him talk about it - not so much that it may all be true, but just the pure belief that he's speaking the truth.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by Bowser

There is a guy at work that is absolutely convinced that this is the first step of the Powers That Be in culling the world population. He says this strain of Ebola is a bioengineered weapon meant to kill millions. He's absolutely convinced. Kind of spooky to listen to him talk about it - not so much that it may all be true, but just the pure belief that he's speaking the truth.

Oh, you work with rabblerouser?

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Bowser

There is a guy at work that is absolutely convinced that this is the first step of the Powers That Be in culling the world population. He says this strain of Ebola is a bioengineered weapon meant to kill millions. He's absolutely convinced. Kind of spooky to listen to him talk about it - not so much that it may all be true, but just the pure belief that he's speaking the truth.

I've heard crazy shit like that too.

This ebola outbreak is just so Obama can legally detained people who own guns under the guise that they are infected.

Ebola haz takin 'r gunz!!!!!

He was dead serious ... angry serious ... Obama is a secret muslim terrorist who has infiltrated 'merica to destroy us serious. He was born in AFRICA and BROUGHT EBola from AFRICA serious.



inbred idiots

[Iowanian]

I'm just curious what the magic number of Americans that is acceptable to get or die due to Ebola before it's ok to become upset with the people who have allowed this shit to happen?

Is 1 death ok? ooops
10?
100?

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I'm just curious what the magic number of Americans that is acceptable to get or die due to Ebola before it's ok to become upset with the people who have allowed this shit to happen?

Is 1 death ok? ooops
10?
100?

I don't think anyone's saying that it's OK for people to die. I just haven't seen anyone have any reasonable suggestions about what we're expecting the CDC to do that they haven't already been doing.

That said, the Dallas hospital lack of following protocol, and the woman getting on the plane, are both pretty major oversights. It's not like every person on the plane is going to be infected or anything, but it's entirely possible that a handful could be. Hopefully not and they can get it contained again relatively quickly.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I'm just curious what the magic number of Americans that is acceptable to get or die due to Ebola before it's ok to become upset with the people who have allowed this shit to happen?

Is 1 death ok? ooops
10?
100?

The CDC estimates that between 3000 and 49,000 people die of influenza every year. Who allowed that shit to happen? Is it acceptable? We are a lot more susceptible to diseases than people want to believe.

At this moment, the US health care system is unprepared to deal with Ebola. But that is true for dozens upon dozens of potential health crises. Humans deal with problems when they are real problems, rather than potential problems.

Ebola is a new problem for the US health care system. There are a lot of leaks in the system that are going to allow people to get infected. Hospitals are ill equipped. People aren't trained to use the PPE gear properly. We don't have enough isolation beds. We don't have a commitment to the kind of layered isolation procedures that would greatly increase the ability to contain the spread. In time, they will figure this out, but in the mean time, people are going to die. But the numbers will likely be relatively low.

If we are able to contain the deaths to 10 or 100, the US health care system will have done a remarkable job.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by cdcox

The CDC estimates that between 3000 and 49,000 people die of influenza every year. Who allowed that shit to happen? Is it acceptable? We are a lot more susceptible to diseases than people want to believe.

At this moment, the US health care system is unprepared to deal with Ebola. But that is true for dozens upon dozens of potential health crises. Humans deal with problems when they are real problems, rather than potential problems.

Ebola is a new problem for the US health care system. There are a lot of leaks in the system that are going to allow people to get infected. Hospitals are ill equipped. People aren't trained to use the PPE gear properly. We don't have enough isolation beds. We don't have a commitment to the kind of layered isolation procedures that would greatly increase the ability to contain the spread. In time, they will figure this out, but in the mean time, people are going to die. But the numbers will likely be relatively low.

If we are able to contain the deaths to 10 or 100, the US health care system will have done a remarkable job.

Solid post.