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We know that he did not tell the hospital he was exposed to Ebola. While there was a breakdown of communication, there is no way someone from Liberia walked into the hospital and said "I was exposed to Ebola and have some symptoms" was given antibiotics and sent home.
Why did he lie? He didn't, he omitted a very important fact. He could have been scared, he could have thought he didn't have Ebola, he could have thought it wasn't important fact. That is what we will never know.
Part of my point is that if the protocol that every hospital in the US is supposed to be following had been followed, this would be moot. When people present at medical facilities with a set of symptoms, the same that he presented with, there is a federal guidline which is supposed to be followed: Patient presents with fever, stomachache, flu like symptoms, the facility is to get a travel history of the patient and their household. Have they come in contact with anyone from certain nations. If the answer is yes, and it was, the patient is immediately supposed to be isolated AND tested for EBV. He was not, he was given antibiotics and sent home, where he became more ill, exposed more people, and then went back to the hospital.
He may not have have said that he had been exposed to people who were ill with Ebola, however, he shouldn't have needed to. The protocols in place to limit the spread of this disease were not followed. Had they been, this would be less of a story. They weren't, now there are dozens of people who had contact with this man who would not have done so had the safe guard that is supposed to be in place been followed.
Yeah, I think you know what I was saying when I said "knowingly expose himself". Good grief, you're not that obtuse, are you? And no, he didn't knowingly expose others to ebola. He didn't know he had ebola. If he did, THEN I would say he knowingly exposed others to it. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'll hold off on my hysteria. Maybe you should do the same, you're getting awfully worked up about something that really doesn't affect you, now does it?
You're right - I'm not obtuse.
He knew he had a very high chance of having Ebola - a much higher chance than people who hadn't RIDDEN IN A TAXI WITH TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW DEAD FROM EBOLA.
He did not tell medical personnel that he'd been exposed to Ebola recently. I mean, directly exposed - and that two of the three people in the taxi with him were now dead.
Knowing his very high risk of coming down with, and subsequently exposing others to, Ebola, he still came to the US on several international flights, and then moved in with his girlfriend and her five children. In a crowded apartment complex in a crowded metro area.
Then he neglected to tell the medical personnel about his recent exposure to Ebola.
I'm not hysterical - not at all. I live less than 100 miles from that apartment complex. My husband is going to be flying thru DFW in less than a week - as he does every single month. If I were hysterical, I'd be ordering a Hazmat suit online, barricading myself in the house, calling for carpet bombing of West Africa, and sporting a face mask.
All I'm doing is keeping myself informed and watching the situation closely. We have a very large West African community here in my town and I'm sure they're more alarmed than I am.
"Osterholm and other experts couldn't think of another virus that has made the transition from non-airborne to airborne in humans. They say the chances are relatively small that Ebola will make thatjump. But as the virus spreads, they warned, the likelihood increases. Every time a new person gets Ebola, the virus gets another chance to mutate and develop new capabilities. Osterholm calls it "genetic roulette."
As of October 1, there have been more than 7,100 cases of Ebola, with 3,330 deaths, according to the World Health Organization, which has said the virus is spreading at a much faster rate than it was earlier in the outbreak."
I think it's a good idea to take Asian examples of hygiene and use them here, but, in most Asian countries they care about spreading disease and not just catching it. That mindset will be harder to teach in America I'm afraid.
Just to clarify - the infected patient went to Texas Pressbyterian Hospital both times. This did not involve two different hospitals.
Whenever I had to go to the ER for myself or my elderly father, the intake nurse asked a lot of questions, and input all my answers in the computer as we spoke. Either the nurse didn't input the information regarding the recent travel from Liberia, or the treating doctor did not read it. It wouldn't surprise me if the nurse was being made the scapegoat in favor of protecting the dr.
Ding Ding Ding. I can't count the number of arguments I've had with docs telling me "I don't have time to read the history."
Just to clarify - the infected patient went to Texas Pressbyterian Hospital both times. This did not involve two different hospitals.
Whenever I had to go to the ER for myself or my elderly father, the intake nurse asked a lot of questions, and input all my answers in the computer as we spoke. Either the nurse didn't input the information regarding the recent travel from Liberia, or the treating doctor did not read it. It wouldn't surprise me if the nurse was being made the scapegoat in favor of protecting the dr.
I thought of this too.
Notice that so far, we've no word of anyone being fired for this oversight. I would be willing to bet that the nurse input the correct information, and they know it - and if they fire her, she'll blow the whistle. And they probably won't fire the doctor, but will encourage him to seek employment elsewhere. They don't want the liability.
If I lived in that apartment complex I'd be contacting an attorney right this minute, with my eye on that hospital - and I'm not a litigious person. I hate frivolous lawsuits but this one wouldn't be frivolous at all.
He KNEW he was in Liberia with people who had ebola. Some of these people died. I read a report where he was physically touching an infected person, then he just randomly flies to the US and gets a random stomachache. Had I known I was possibly infected with this, I would have immediately volunteered that I was around ebola patients, was experiencing onset of ebola, and demanded I be quarantined.
Denial and fear are powerful emotions. First sign of a heart attack is often denial. "It's just heartburn"
He was probably suspicious that he had it, but didn't vocalize that fear. When the hospital sent him home he probably thought "See. just a stomach flu."
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Another possible Ebola Patient: Hawaii
