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In every case, first world medical infrastructure was used to isolate the patients and use modern protective measures to protect health workers. This is why, despite the disease appearing (via travel) in numerous U.S. and European cities, it did not spread. That's the very definition of containment.
Facts:
*Over 75% of all Ebola outbreaks in Africa, with its insufficient medical infrastructure, have averaged a fatalities/outbreak number in the three figures - and that's generously excluding the 11,000+ who died in the 2013 outbreak.
*Meanwhile the nine historical incidences of Ebola exposure in Europe and North America have consisted of a grand total of 14 infections and 3 deaths.
To pass all of that, and the results, off as 'luck' is a special combination of ignorance (of modern medicine, of statistics, and of basic logic) and agenda.
To be fair, luck was involved and it was one of scale. All of those "modern" containment infrastructures are extremely limited. Yes they can handle five patients, throw fifty Ebola patients at them and there will be ugly outcomes for most.
If anyone thinks ignoring an Ebola patient's travel history and misdiagnosing him in a major ER and sending him home, then after readmitting him, using inadequate biohazard care management so that a caregiver becomes infected, then allowing her to fly commercially to visit family and then return home, while another healthcare worker is also infected, and the hospital demonstrates that it has no policies in place for diversion, then has to transfer both patients to one of the four biocontainment units in the US, actually constitutes exceptional containment, isolation of the infected, protection of healthcare workers, and adequate first world infrastructure, then I am just floored. We were just lucky that the flying nurse didn't infect just one patient in an unsuspecting city 1000 miles away from the index case.
If anyone thinks ignoring an Ebola patient's travel history and misdiagnosing him in a major ER and sending him home, then after readmitting him, using inadequate biohazard care management so that a caregiver becomes infected, then allowing her to fly commercially to visit family and then return home, while another healthcare worker is also infected, and the hospital demonstrates that it has no policies in place for diversion, then has to transfer both patients to one of the four biocontainment units in the US, actually constitutes exceptional containment, isolation of the infected, protection of healthcare workers, and adequate first world infrastructure, then I am just floored. We were just lucky that the flying nurse didn't infect just one patient in an unsuspecting city 1000 miles away from the index case.
That was certainly an example of a hospital that was unprepared to deal with Ebola. Certainly some bullets were dodged. I would hope that lessons have been learned for the future.
I remember the Ebola scare in Dallas when that nurse with Ebola went home to hang out with friends and family before diagnosis. Internet message boards were full of "experts" explaining how it was impossible to contain once on the loose in a large city.
The "good" news is the current strains of Ebola are not that contagious. I'd worry more about the truly contagious viral diseases like measles or smallpox. An outbreak of those in the age of global air travel would be disastrous.
This
I recently had a blood test to determine which contagious diseases I had as a child and it was confirmed that I had never had small pox. Upon confirmation I received the vaccine.
I recently had a blood test to determine which contagious diseases I had as a child and it was confirmed that I had never had small pox. Upon confirmation I received the vaccine.
I think you're right, I don't think one would need a test to confirm if you'd had smallpox at some point in your life. It would be the memorable "time I almost died" event.
If anyone thinks ignoring an Ebola patient's travel history and misdiagnosing him in a major ER and sending him home, then after readmitting him, using inadequate biohazard care management so that a caregiver becomes infected, then allowing her to fly commercially to visit family and then return home, while another healthcare worker is also infected, and the hospital demonstrates that it has no policies in place for diversion, then has to transfer both patients to one of the four biocontainment units in the US, actually constitutes exceptional containment, isolation of the infected, protection of healthcare workers, and adequate first world infrastructure, then I am just floored. We were just lucky that the flying nurse didn't infect just one patient in an unsuspecting city 1000 miles away from the index case.
You get it. I never in my wildest dreams thought that West Nile would be in our area, but it nearly killed all of our crows and blue jays. They are still a rare sight some ten years later. I've taken care of West Nile patients. They were few and far between but every year it's still in the news. Imagine if the vector that is responsible for ebola manages to make it here to the United States, or, if ebola evolves into a mosquito borne disease. Read about the 6 diseases that mosquitoes carry now. Ever hear of Chikungunya? It was discovered in 2013 and is now in 60 countries including America. Mutations do occur and ebola would be the grand daddy of all vector borne diseases. Worse yet, let someone weaponize it.
Should we be hysterical? No, but we should be concerned. Ebola seems to be on the rise and the fact that it had escaped it's African borders before is indeed of great concern.
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