And so it begins.....EBOLA is here

[Pea-n-Me]

http://dtolar.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/ebola-a-nurses-perspective/

This guy, who's a nurse, does a pretty good job explaining how Ebola is spread and what happens if you catch it. He seems to break it down better than some of the other vague articles.

Ha! I love it!

Dang, that article is scary.

Welcome to our world!

I found the nurse's account interesting except for one thing. Ebola patients do not exhibit cold like symptoms such as sneezing.

Maybe not cold symptoms persay. BUT if they have nasal passages that are fluid filled (with blood, or mucus, or vomitus, or a combination) then a natural reflex is to sneeze.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

I was talking to some nurses today and they feel their hospital isn't prepared for an Ebola patient. For one thing, they don't have appropriate PPE or a system in place to protect the staff or other people. I told them to voice their concerns loudly! Hopefully, the hospital has what it needs to protect everyone and the nurses just don't know about it.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Activists Attempt To Stop Excalibur's (Dog's) Removal

http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news/activists-attempt-to-stop-excaliburs-removal-339135043510

 

[wilkeliza]

Must say situations like this are one reason I'm glad to live in NYC. Our hospitals have been running "ebola drills" since we had our first patient 0. They did not take his fever and vomiting lightly when he said he was in west Africa and he was in isolation while they waited for the test to come back.

 

[disney1990]

Our news media likes to run everything into the ground. The missing Asian airline was the breaking new story everyday for almost a month - with never any new developments.

Now they can spend the entire news hour talking about Ebola with basically nothing new. When somebody else in this country is "positive" for Ebola, then they will have a story. My thoughts are with everybody that is showing symptoms and I hope and pray that they are fine.

Every story is the only story, until the next one comes and bumps it off the news.

 

[Wendy31]

One thing (among many) that concerns me is that this police officer wasn't on their "watch" list - he wasn't being watched for symptoms.

How many other people out there that came in some sort of indirect contact w/ Duncan aren't being watched and/or have been told they don't need to be watched? So they're just out there in the general public, going about their day-to-day businesses, until they come down w/ symptoms.

When the police officers were in the apartment, were they wearing coverings over their shoes? After they left the apartment, where did they go?

The article written by the nurse is definitely scary, & that's exactly the kind of thing I've been fearing in regard to Ebola reaching the United States.

People keep saying, "You have to come into contact w/ infected bodily fluids" & that it's not airborne. Like the article said, the flu & the common cold aren't airborne either, yet we all manage to catch those 2 things quite easily. Bodily fluid doesn't have to be a huge pile - it can be droplets. And droplets can be left on surfaces.

I do not think our country is doing enough to protects its citizens, & I'm not sure we can really believe what the CDC & gov't officials are telling us.

Regarding the poor dog in Spain... I hate that they euthanized the dog, but, on the other hand, it definitely shows a difference between how other countries' officials are reacting & how America's officials are reacting.

I seriously can't believe they allowed some poor guy to pressure wash the apartment w/o wearing protective equipment!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was talking to some nurses today and they feel their hospital isn't prepared for an Ebola patient. For one thing, they don't have appropriate PPE or a system in place to protect the staff or other people. I told them to voice their concerns loudly! Hopefully, the hospital has what it needs to protect everyone and the nurses just don't know about it.

Nurses are saying it around the country, and probably all over the world.

http://news.yahoo.com/u-nurses-unprepared-handle-ebola-patients-140327416.html

It saddened me a bit today to hear people saying the Spanish nurse "likely infected herself" as she was taking off her protective clothing, etc. (And whether that's true, who knows. I remember the same conversations happening with Dr. Brantley and the woman who worked with him. It does seem like an explanation that makes people feel "safe" - yeah, it had to be when she was taking her suit off, she touched a drop of infected fluid, then touched her eye, etc.)

At any rate, it made me think about my own situation. Like the nurse author of the article we're discussing, I've taken care of all kinds of infected patients, but I have never donned a haz-mat suit. Nor have the vast majority of my coworkers, I'm sure. Besides talk of hazardous waste material, and negative air flow rooms and such, we should be practicing how to don protective gear properly also if we are to effectively protect ourselves and others as we care for Ebola patients. I think up till now they have trained teams individually as needed. But to hear assurances of hospitals being completely prepared seems a little far-fetched as we have never seen anything quite like this before, where one can now be literally a droplet away from catastrophic illness and death, it seems.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Agree about being honest. That said, JMO, his situation wasn't helped by not have a SS#, and probably appearing to be an indigent patient. It's not nice, but it's happens. Racial? Meh. Financial? Sadly, that can be a big deal.

It can be a big deal for a lot of people. Overlay financial aspects for individuals and businesses, with the protocols and procedures for exposure alone.

http://dtolar.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/ebola-a-nurses-perspective/

This guy, who's a nurse, does a pretty good job explaining how Ebola is spread and what happens if you catch it. He seems to break it down better than some of the other vague articles.

Thank you for posting the article. He did do a good job explaining it. It validated many of my questions and concerns.

I did read where 5 U.S. airports that handle 94% of travelers from West Africa will start screening 150 people a day for ebola. Not a great system if the 151 person has been exposed and doesn't get screened.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/08/health/ebola-us-airport-screening/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[Hrhpd]

http://dtolar.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/ebola-a-nurses-perspective/

This guy, who's a nurse, does a pretty good job explaining how Ebola is spread and what happens if you catch it. He seems to break it down better than some of the other vague articles.

That article is laughable.

First of all, he stresses that he doesn't even have a graduate degree, he doesn't know much about virology.

He then goes on to make several erroneous statements, gets totally beaten up by comments and then has to amend his statements with a "*" and adds more paragraphs backtracking. The sad thing is that 99.99% of the readers won't scroll down to the bottom to read his "addendum" that says "Oh, I really did not mean to say that. Let me revise."

I think I will take the word of the actual experts rather than a wannabe expert. Of course, it could be very possible that the changes were made after the previous poster linked it and I read a very different article, the one where the nurse is scrambling over himself to backtrack.

 

[Hrhpd]

The Police Officer does NOT have Ebola.

The docs issued a statement yesterday that it was impossible for him to have caught it because he did not come in contact with any fluids. His symptoms are not even consistent with Ebola as he does not have a fever.

However, because of procedure to take caution to the extreme (yes, protocols to contain this, geez, who would have thought), he is being isolated and tested.

But the media ran with it and said he "could have" Ebola and was being isolated which instilled panic.

But the docs reiterated (saw him being interviewed on late night news) that it would be impossible for this to be Ebola because
a) he was not around fluids
and
b) the symptoms he is showing are not consistent with Ebola since he does not have a fever. Two other officers in his department who did not have any contact have the same symptoms, thus just a workplace bug.

However, since precautions are being taken for the very reason some are worried here, that it might mutate, etc, because he was in the area and did get sick within the incubation period, he is being tested.

Extreme measures, but one should feel comfortable that the powers to be are going to extreme measures.

 

[gwynne]

The Police Officer does NOT have Ebola.

The docs issued a statement yesterday that it was impossible for him to have caught it because he did not come in contact with any fluids. His symptoms are not even consistent with Ebola as he does not have a fever.

However, because of procedure to take caution to the extreme (yes, protocols to contain this, geez, who would have thought), he is being isolated and tested.

But the media ran with it and said he "could have" Ebola and was being isolated which instilled panic.

But the docs reiterated (saw him being interviewed on late night news) that it would be impossible for this to be Ebola because
a) he was not around fluids
and
b) the symptoms he is showing are not consistent with Ebola since he does not have a fever. Two other officers in his department who did not have any contact have the same symptoms, thus just a workplace bug.

However, since precautions are being taken for the very reason some are worried here, that it might mutate, etc, because he was in the area and did get sick within the incubation period, he is being tested.

Extreme measures, but one should feel comfortable that the powers to be are going to extreme measures.

Good that we have the definitive word from the docs treating him. I'm sure the patient is relieved.

 

[Hrhpd]

One thing (among many) that concerns me is that this police officer wasn't on their "watch" list - he wasn't being watched for symptoms.

How many other people out there that came in some sort of indirect contact w/ Duncan aren't being watched and/or have been told they don't need to be watched? So they're just out there in the general public, going about their day-to-day businesses, until they come down w/ symptoms.

When the police officers were in the apartment, were they wearing coverings over their shoes? After they left the apartment, where did they go?

The article written by the nurse is definitely scary, & that's exactly the kind of thing I've been fearing in regard to Ebola reaching the United States.

People keep saying, "You have to come into contact w/ infected bodily fluids" & that it's not airborne. Like the article said, the flu & the common cold aren't airborne either, yet we all manage to catch those 2 things quite easily. Bodily fluid doesn't have to be a huge pile - it can be droplets. And droplets can be left on surfaces.

I do not think our country is doing enough to protects its citizens, & I'm not sure we can really believe what the CDC & gov't officials are telling us.

Regarding the poor dog in Spain... I hate that they euthanized the dog, but, on the other hand, it definitely shows a difference between how other countries' officials are reacting & how America's officials are reacting.

I seriously can't believe they allowed some poor guy to pressure wash the apartment w/o wearing protective equipment!

Really?

They just isolated and tested a police officer who absolutely could not have Ebola, and the docs say he could not have Ebola because he did not have contact with any fluids just because he was in the area and he is showing cold symptoms. He doesn't even have a fever and 2 of his colleagues, who were not near Mr. Duncan have the same bug.

Yet, because the officer was around his family to serve the quarantine papers, he has been isolated and is being tested.

Those are extreme measures (and good ones) to absolutely make sure this virus does not spread.

I think it is way more proactive than putting a dog down.

Actually the fact that the nurse in Spain did not even have the proper equipment does show that other countries are different, but not is a good way.

 

[gwynne]

Really?

They just isolated and tested a police officer who absolutely could not have Ebola, and the docs say he could not have Ebola because he did not have contact with any fluids just because he was in the area and he is showing cold symptoms. He doesn't even have a fever and 2 of his colleagues, who were not near Mr. Duncan have the same bug.

Yet, because the officer was around his family to serve the quarantine papers, he has been isolated and is being tested.

Those are extreme measures (and good ones) to absolutely make sure this virus does not spread.

I think it is way more proactive than putting a dog down.

Actually the fact that the nurse in Spain did not even have the proper equipment does show that other countries are different, but not is a good way.

You do realize that surface transfers can occur, right? The "fluids" can be dried...on light switches, door handles, toilet handles and the like.
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/qas.html

 

[Hrhpd]

You do realize that surface transfers can occur, right? The "fluids" can be dried...on light switches, door handles, toilet handles and the like.
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/qas.html

Absolutely. However, while it can happen, it would be very rare to contract it from several day old dried fluids.

Don't understand the question.

The Docs themselves have said the officer did not come in contact with any fluids. He was in the apartment to serve the quarantine papers after Mr. Duncan left.

If they are dried, they cannot be inhaled. If he did not touch anything, even if he was in the apartment, he did not come in contact.

This is the type of fear that is irrational. His doctors have said he absolutely cannot have contracted the disease. However, just as a precaution he is being tested. That he does not have Ebola is backed up by the fact that two of his colleagues have the same bug. And they were nowhere near Mr. Duncan or his family.

 

[gwynne]

Absolutely. However, while it can happen, it would be very rare to contract it from several day old dried fluids.

Don't understand the question.

The Docs themselves have said the officer did not come in contact with any fluids. He was in the apartment to serve the quarantine papers after Mr. Duncan left.

If they are dried, they cannot be inhaled. If he did not touch anything, even if he was in the apartment, he did not come in contact.

corrected my answer, timeline error...But, basically, I really hope the police officers are going to be OK.

 

[Hrhpd]

corrected my answer, timeline error...But, basically, I really hope the police officers are going to be OK.

Everybody keeps asking "what if?"

What if the virus mutates?
What if the virus really can be caught by casual contact?
What if the beginning symptoms change?
What if....?

I think the police officer is a prime example of how prudent our powers to be are being in the "what if" situations.

By current knowledge, the officer has 0 chance of having Ebola. He was not in contact with anybody or anything. His fellow officers have the same bug. He does not have a fever, which is the most common early symptom.

However, because the powers to be are also saying "what if?" just the fact that he was in the area and exhibiting some type of illness, even though by current knowledge, he has a zero chance of contracting the disease, he was promptly isolated and tested.

They good thing is they are being proactive and extremely cautious. Caution, even to the extreme, is warranted here. Not panic.

 

[Hrhpd]

Good that we have the definitive word from the docs treating him. I'm sure the patient is relieved.

The family has also issued a statement saying they know he does not have Ebola, but of course, everybody has the "what ifs" in their mind, so they are still a bit worried. And they are glad he is being tested.

So, if the family is reassured that he does not have Ebola, I think the rest of us can be too.

 

[saradela]

I just read this


SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Filoviruses have been reported capable to survive for weeks in blood and can also survive on contaminated surfaces, particularly at low temperatures (4°C) Footnote52 Footnote61. One study could not recover any Ebolavirus from experimentally contaminated surfaces (plastic, metal or glass) at room temperature Footnote61. In another study, Ebolavirus dried onto glass, polymeric silicone rubber, or painted aluminum alloy is able to survive in the dark for several hours under ambient conditions (between 20 and 250C and 30–40% relative humidity) (amount of virus reduced to 37% after 15.4 hours), but is less stable than some other viral hemorrhagic fevers (Lassa) Footnote53. When dried in tissue culture media onto glass and stored at 4 °C, Zaire ebolavirus survived for over 50 days Footnote61. This information is based on experimental findings only and not based on observations in nature. This information is intended to be used to support local risk assessments in a laboratory setting.

A study on transmission of ebolavirus from fomites in an isolation ward concludes that the risk of transmission is low when recommended infection control guidelines for viral hemorrhagic fevers are followed Footnote64. Infection control protocols included decontamination of floors with 0.5% bleach daily and decontamination of visibly contaminated surfaces with 0.05% bleach as necessary.

From the WHO website


People remain infectious as long as their blood and body fluids, including semen and breast milk, contain the virus. Men who have recovered from the disease can still transmit the virus through their semen for up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

That article is laughable.

First of all, he stresses that he doesn't even have a graduate degree, he doesn't know much about virology.

He then goes on to make several erroneous statements, gets totally beaten up by comments and then has to amend his statements with a "*" and adds more paragraphs backtracking. The sad thing is that 99.99% of the readers won't scroll down to the bottom to read his "addendum" that says "Oh, I really did not mean to say that. Let me revise."

I think I will take the word of the actual experts rather than a wannabe expert. Of course, it could be very possible that the changes were made after the previous poster linked it and I read a very different article, the one where the nurse is scrambling over himself to backtrack.

I see you edited your post quite a while after you wrote it. Initially you incorrectly referred to the author as a "she", which makes one question how closely you actually read what was written in the first place. Seems like you blew the author off pretty quicly because his "credentials" weren't good enough for you, disregarding his "opinion" even though many have said his words helped them understand things more. Classic. I was curious, btw, if you work in medicine or have a scientific background or degree. If you said it before, I must have missed it.

ETA you know what, never mind, don't bother answering. I'll just thank you for helping me to learn to use the Ignore List today, and be on my merry way.

 

[Hrhpd]

I see you edited your post quite a while after you wrote it. Initially you incorrectly referred to the author as a "she", which makes one question how closely you actually read what was written in the first place. Seems like you blew the author off pretty quicly because his "credentials" weren't good enough for you, disregarding his "opinion" even though many have said his words helped them understand things more. Classic. I was curious, btw, if you work in medicine or have a scientific background or degree. If you said it before, I must have missed it.

ETA you know what, never mind, don't bother answering. I'll just thank you for helping me to learn to use the Ignore List today, and be on my merry way.

Wrong

I never identified the author as a "she." I could ask you the same thing on how carefully you read. You glance at my post and then post completely wrong information?

The only edit I made was the bottom line, stating that it was possible I was reading the article after the author added the changes. As I thought about it, it occurred to me that it was very possible that I read a different article, one that was heavily amended after the article link was posted. The changes change the article immensely and questions its validity when the author himself has to post addendum to revise what he was saying because he stated things in error. So, my opinion of the amended article, if it was amended after the link was posted, after the author had to revise his facts, naturally would be different than when people first read it. I read it with the knowledge that the author had to backtrack.

As for his credentials, I was just commenting on his own lengthy apologies in the first paragraph that he was not an expert, that he was just a grad student and that he was in no means a virologist. Now, again, it is possible that these apologies were added later, after he was beat up for misstating his "facts" and were not seen by people reading his first version which apparently did not have the revisions.

Sorry you are so offended when people disagree with you that you need to put them on ignore. But of course, you won't see this.