Ebola - all or nothing?

[DrDemento]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

If it wasn't, we'd have a world wide epidemic on our hands already, because it's not like other countries in Europe or Asia have closed their airports. The fact that we've only had one imported case and two medical providers says we should be vigilant but shouldn't panic.

I agree fully-panic really solves nothing. I am just not sure that we have indeed been vigilant enough. As a society, we have been a bit spoiled by medicine which has been able to treat most things. Occasionally we run up against something we cannot treat. In the history of medicine, that was very common in the old days. Without antibiotics, bacterial infections claimed many lives. The past is full of entities that were just not treatable-plague, TB(called consumption back then), even the sweating sickness that swept Europe in the 1400's and 1500's. I am not sure we know what we are really dealing with Ebola. Not only is it viral(and antibiotics useless), but it seems to change and mutate easily. Worse, it has come about at a time of rapid international travel. You can wake up in Capetown feeling fine, board a plane, and land in Boston sick as a dog in 12-16 hours. As recently as the 1800's and early 1900's, anyone who developed some odd untreatable disease leaving from some far away place, took weeks to arrive here and if the infection was that virulent, usually died in route and the contagion stage never reached the isolated Americas. We are dealing with a totally different world now and I medicine and epidemiology has to adapt quickly to it.
Am i in a panic? Most certainly not. Am I scared? Not really. Am I concerned? You betcha. There is just too much that is unknown about this disease entity. We are really just at the beginning of learning about it. The history of it has been rather short and the number of infections had been so limited and the locations so isolated. There is just too much unknown to make any blanket statements about it.

[DrDemento]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Make that two.

I had not heard of the second case. Did that doctor in NY turn out to be positive? If so, did he travel back here before or after the 5 airports started screening? Or has someone else tested positive?

[Slap Shot]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Dr, slow travel to this (or virtually any major county) has been all but eliminated for the majority of travelers for decades. Not that it means we're free and clear...

[Kepler]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Now it all makes sense.

[DrDemento]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Dr, slow travel to this (or virtually any major county) has been all but eliminated for the majority of travelers for decades. Not that it means we're free and clear...

SS: There have been lots of things that have helped keep this country from experiencing some of the epidemic scourges of olden times. Slow travel getting here only being one of them. It most certainly did help that most of the sick died before they could get here. Perhaps going further back, not being discovered by the Europeans before the 15th century helped also. The development of various disease treating drugs were of no doubt major significance. The fact that some diseases were just limited to tropical environments was also of some benefit. I was merely pointing out that the ball game has changed. Diseases and epidemics that were rarely to ever even thought of here, are now able to reach our doorstep in hours rather than weeks to months. Even the pattern and spread of influenza is vastly different now that it was as recent as the 1950's. Back then, the Asian or Hong Kong Flu(as they were called) took longer to arrive and spread throughout the US allowing for more time to institute containment and control measures(whether they worked or not is another question).
There is some really bad stuff out there(just watch the show on Animal Planet 'Monsters Within Me' on Thursday nights). Some treatable, some not. I am just pointing out that we are not as safe from them as we were generations ago and that we need to be taking some extra (and new) precautions to protect. For some of these entities it is not as important as others-some are either not all that bad or not all that contagious. But the clock is ticking for the time when we do face one that is both-dangerously lethal and very contagious. I am just not sure how truly ready we are to face something like the 1917 outbreak of Spanish Flu that swept the world and killed millions in a rather short period of time. A combination of virulence and contagion that we really had not seen before. Of course, this is just my opinion after almost 50 years of medical practice.

Edit: I am suddenly reminded of the Kevin Bacon character in 'Animal House" at the end when all heck breaks loose at the final parade yelling-"All is Well" and "Remain Calm"

[FreshFish]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Make that two.

There is also a family in quarantine in West Haven CT (broadcast news item) after exhibiting potential symptoms. Not confirmed yet.

The broadcast said that there was round-the-clock police presence outside. One wonders if it was meant to make sure they don't leave. They are being supplied with all their necessities at state expense, and a fund-raising drive is already underway to help them with their needs.

[FreshFish]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

I had not heard of the second case. Did that doctor in NY turn out to be positive? If so, did he travel back here before or after the 5 airports started screening? Or has someone else tested positive?

The broadcast news story indicated that this doctor worked in Guinea treating Ebola patients there for Doctors without Borders, returned to US on Fri Oct 17 and was diagnosed yesterday (Thursday Oct 23). He was in contact with four people after symptoms appeared, and three of them (fiancee and two close friends) are in quarantine. Silence on the Uber driver (4th person) from what I had heard so far. More details will doubtless emerge during the course of the day.

Background story said that Senegal and Nigeria also had reported cases, then thanks to swift and decisive action, including closing their borders to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea and internal quarantines, are now Ebola-free.

[Timothy A]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

The broadcast news story indicated that this doctor worked in Guinea treating Ebola patients there for Doctors without Borders, returned to US on Fri Oct 17 and was diagnosed yesterday (Thursday Oct 23). He was in contact with four people after symptoms appeared, and three of them (fiancee and two close friends) are in quarantine. Silence on the Uber driver (4th person) from what I had heard so far. More details will doubtless emerge during the course of the day.

Background story said that Senegal and Nigeria also had reported cases, then thanks to swift and decisive action, including closing their borders to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea and internal quarantines, are now Ebola-free.

There needs to be protocol for medical workers when they get back from infected region. He's back 6 days, bombs all over NYC. He of all people should know how dangerous this is. He get's credit for calling the Authorities right away when he got the fever. He get's and F for the rest of his time he was home. From what I have read and heard, there is some question as to how it's really passed on since literally hundreds of properly dressed and cleaned Workers in Africa got ebola per the AP. We as a country are really underestimating this situation. The government needs to set up an arrival protocol other than "arrive in US, not have a fever and immediately do whatever the **** you want."

[FreshFish]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

The fact that we've only had one imported case and two medical providers .

it looks like 11 confirmed cases overall on US soil so far, some of which were people brought here from other places for treatment after they were diagnosed.

[FreshFish]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

The government needs to set up an arrival protocol other than "arrive in US, not have a fever and immediately do whatever the **** you want."

Don't worry, the big government lefties will be along shortly to reassure you that you have nothing to worry about, big government will protect you.

[DrDemento]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Don't worry, the big government lefties will be along shortly to reassure you that you have nothing to worry about, big government will protect you.

I have been amazed by just who is now practicing medicine in this country-and all without any medical training and certainly no license to do so.

[DrDemento]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

There needs to be protocol for medical workers when they get back from infected region. He's back 6 days, bombs all over NYC. He of all people should know how dangerous this is. He get's credit for calling the Authorities right away when he got the fever. He get's and F for the rest of his time he was home. From what I have read and heard, there is some question as to how it's really passed on since literally hundreds of properly dressed and cleaned Workers in Africa got ebola per the AP. We as a country are really underestimating this situation. The government needs to set up an arrival protocol other than "arrive in US, not have a fever and immediately do whatever the **** you want."

Tim: Just because you go to medical school and get a degree does not make you smart or have any common sense. Over the years, having treated in my office over 48,000 patients, many were far smarter than i was and a great number were blessed with more common sense. I know only about 4 things well in this world-everything else I am just a bit informed about but really take a back seat to anyone else who has more knowledge. I think it very important not only to know things well-but also to know when you do not know something and be willing to admit it. The worst kind of medical advice is when someone examines you, says everything is peachy keen OK, but really has no clue and should be just admitting that they do not know and should consult someone else or refer you to a specialist. There is nothing wrong with not knowing-but there is something very wrong with not admitting it.

[Timothy A]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Tim: Just because you go to medical school and get a degree does not make you smart or have any common sense.

I agree 1000%. My Sister is a psychiatrist.

That's why we need some sort of protocol. Our government is letting us down bigtime here.

[aparch]

The broadcast news story indicated that this doctor worked in Guinea treating Ebola patients there for Doctors without Borders, returned to US on Fri Oct 17 and was diagnosed yesterday (Thursday Oct 23). He was in contact with four people after symptoms appeared, and three of them (fiancee and two close friends) are in quarantine. Silence on the Uber driver (4th person) from what I had heard so far. More details will doubtless emerge during the course of the day.

Background story said that Senegal and Nigeria also had reported cases, then thanks to swift and decisive action, including closing their borders to Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea and internal quarantines, are now Ebola-free.

Opie and Jim Norton on XM were just smashing the guy on air. Apparently he did a "tour" or New York when he got home including riding the A train to different places, going bowling, going out for dinner, etc. He kept checking his temperature and it wasn't until he had a fever that he got checked out.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Opie and Jim Norton on XM were just smashing the guy on air. Apparently he did a "tour" or New York when he got home including riding the A train to different places, going bowling, going out for dinner, etc. He kept checking his temperature and it wasn't until he had a fever that he got checked out.

Yeah, this guy was a very active member of MSF. If there is anyone in the US who knows what they are doing, it's these people. They are on the front lines. They have completed the front line protocols in a week over there more than any doctor in the US has. If I was to appoint someone an Ebola czar, and this isn't a political shot or anything, the job listing would have MSF in the "basic qualifications" section. These people know what they are doing.

It sounds like the NYC guy followed protocol to the letter. These shock jocks really show how stupid and clueless they are (not that anyone is really surprised by this revelation).