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Ebola in the USA... Anyone Concerned?

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DeletedUser394

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Yeah.. 2 people in what should have been a very safe and precautionary environment, in full protective gear. Granted they were dealing with a dying ebola patient, but if they got it, it's hard to believe anyone in the public would have much a chance of defending themselves around someone who has the disease.

But speculation in no way equals fact and simply adds to unnecessary hysteria.

The vast majority of suspected ebola cases have simply been seasonal flu (it's that time of year again).

The fact is that as of yet in the Western world, nobody other than health care workers have contracted it.

Ebola doesn't magically seep through full protective clothing. Mistakes were made somewhere along the chain.

The guy/gall on the cruise ship never had contact with the nurse (just a virologist.. or whoever tests blood samples), and is exhibiting no symptoms. NO SYMPTOMS.. meaning non contagious... that's if he even has it now.. which he/she probably doesn't. There is no reason whatsoever for that ship to be docked at sea, but mass panic and hysteria is what is causing this problem.

At first when I heard about this cruise ship I got frightened.. but once you get past the clickbait article titles and look at the facts.. it's kind of ridiculous.

Duncan was symptomatic when he first went and visited the busy emergency room. Nobody else got it.
 
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Vigilante

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I highly doubt we'll even be talking about this by Thanksgiving.

I bet by Thanksgiving it's a full blown epidemic.

I would prefer that you are right.
 
D

DeletedUser394

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The guy/gall on the cruise ship never had contact with the nurse (just a virologist.. or whoever tests blood samples), and is exhibiting no symptoms. NO SYMPTOMS.. meaning non contagious... that's if he even has it now.. which he/she probably doesn't. There is no reason whatsoever for that ship to be docked at sea, but mass panic and hysteria is what is causing this problem.
.

It's been confirmed. Cruise ship person does not have ebola. Nor was there any reason at any time to suggest that they may have had it. As the person never had any symptoms, there was absolutely no risk to Belize and Mexico when they refused to let the passenger disembark.

Belize eventually did let everyone else off the ship, except for this person.

Also, Spanish nurse no longer has ebola in her blood stream.

So far, although the sample size is really small, the death rate from ebola in the Western world is quite low. Compare that to 50%-90% in some of the world's poorest countries.

As of yet, no Americans (or anyone else being treated in America) has died from ebola, other than that Duncan character.

The 21 days have passed. With all those people living in close contact in the same small apartment with Duncan when he was most contagious NOBODY has ebola.. because it is hard to catch!
 

SBS.95

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Interesting that the nurse Nina Pham has been downgraded from Good to Fair and that it's reporting can't be disclosed due to privacy laws. Me not believe.

From what I understand this isn't because she is in drastically worse health. Instead, they are using a different system of grading the patient and under this other system she has always been classified as "Fair", and was never in "Good" condition.

I suppose that is a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. Her health isn't heavily declining. But she was never "good" to begin with (at least under these classifications.)
 
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SBS.95

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It's true that the hospital could have definitely handled it better. But over the last few months, we've all had it drilled into us that Ebola wouldn't arrive in the U.S.A. And even if it did, don't worry, be happy, because Ebola is super hard to catch. (A quick read through this very thread is a good illustration of this.) The nurses and hospital were following CDC protocols, which are similar to those for AIDS. And as it turned out, those protocols were shit.

Plus, the guy didn't bother to tell anyone until his second hospital visit that he'd handled a dying Ebola victim. Right from the start, this was a disaster waiting to happen. Sadly, I predict it gets worse before it gets better, moreso if we keep flying in people from the hot zone.

When this thing started popping up, I think a lot of people just listened to the headlines. This led to the logic of:

a) It's not airborne.
b) It's spread through bodily fluids. AIDS is spread through bodily fluids. Therefore catching Ebola is as hard to catch as AIDS.

The whole "its just like AIDS" fiasco was the most retarded comparison the media could have made (and yet I still hear people saying it.) A person with AIDS isn't excreting blood from every orifice of their body. A person with late-stage Ebola is.

Now as for the disease being "hard to catch", to an extent that is still true if and only if you are talking about someone who is in the early stages. This is ultimately the reason I do not fear a wide spread issue in the US. I think our biggest focus should be what is going on in Africa.
 

JakeChhean

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I get a feeling Big Pharma will be making a killing (pun intended) come this year's flu season.
 

Iammelissamoore

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I reside in the Caribbean and to be quite honest, I don't believe we are fully prepared for it, but my belief too is that it is important for us to educate ourselves about the virus, the warnings etc., I'm not saying 'play doctor' but, there was a nurse from, I believe Liberia, (don't wanna tell untruths) whose parents and cousin were infected, the hospitals had no room; however they provided her with the medication, she managed to nurse her parents back to health, her cousin though, was too far gone by the time she began treatments and passed away, she protected herself extremely well, with lots and lots of garbage bags as her protective wear from head to toe and multiple pairs of latex gloves when she took care of her fam.

Education, education, education (not so much the limited type they give us in school) is key peoplesssssss.

Be Safe!
 
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AjeDad

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It's not just about washing hands
You have to keep a distance when speaking face to face. Not uncommon for little bits of spittle to propel when saying words like"Would you like to Megasize that?" and "Happy ending, Mister?"
Keep an eye out for sneezers and coughers. Either one can cover an average size room faster than you can close your mouth
 

MJ DeMarco

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Not a lot of new news and the nurse has been upgraded to GOOD. Great news, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be wrong about this whole thing blowing up. However the ascent of new cases numbers doesn't seem to be slowing down.


October 14
9,216 cases. 4,555 deaths
219 new cases. 70 more dead... 2 days.


October 17.
9692 Cases. 4811 Dead
476 New cases. 256 more dead. 3 days.
 

ChickenHawk

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The thing about Ebola is that it spreads exponentially. Globally, the current outbreak begin in December 2013 with just one person. With anything exponential, the beginning seems nearly insignificant. One person infects two, two people infect four, four people infect eight, etc. With a 21-day incubation period, IMO, it's way too soon to say we've dodged a bullet, especially with the flights continuing from the hot zone.

I don't believe this will be "old news" by Thanksgiving. But I also don't think Thanksgiving will bring a full-fledged epidemic here in the U.S., because that's still less than two 21-day incubation cycles away. But there are definitely things that don't add up. If you watch these stories unfold in real-time, there's often a drastic change in the details from version #1 to version #2. Examples:

Cruise Ship Story
Version #1: She was showing symptoms. They wanted to fly her home.
Version #2: She was not showing symptoms. No need to fly her home.
Meanwhile, in several U.S. cities, schools are closed due to this cruise. Either this is "an abundance of caution", or the tests are not as "negative" as they're saying, especially because Ebola is notorious for false-negatives.

Woman Who Barfed in Some Dallas Public Transportation Hub
Version #1: She was on the quarantine list. She announced, "I've decided my quarantine is over." She lived in the same building as Duncan.
Version #2: She was not on the quarantine list. No mention of her quote. No mention of her connection to Duncan's building.
However, unlike any other barfing incident that day, this was the one time they decided to shut the station down and decontaminate it.

Now I admit, journalism can be sloppy, especially when they're looking for the next big story. But I can tell you from a journalism background, that reporters very rarely decide to make up quotes. They very rarely get facts so completely wrong. It's not natural for the details of stories to change from one thing to something completely the opposite within a matter of hours.

If I were a cynic, I might note that we're two weeks away from the mid-term elections, and Ebola does not poll well. I might also point out that there's plenty of ways to keep news like this quiet, such as if it's considered a national security issue, or if it's considered a "patient privacy" issue. Or a safety issue, such as if they consider panic to be more dangerous than Ebola itself.

Personally, I'd love for this to just go away, and it still might, but I'm not sure I'd pop the champagne just yet.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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I might note that we're two weeks away from the mid-term elections

Yup, I'd say that "true" version of what's to come (or won't come) won't happen until after election day. Everything till then will be suspect, if anything at all is reported.
 
D

DeletedUser394

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In all likelihood it's just going to have to run its course in those 3 countries until it burns out. Don't be surprised if those numbers quadruple or more. In fact they double every 20 days or so. They are corrupt impoverished hellholes with a population that at many times were actively fighting against the medical establishment.. or what little there is of it anyway.

USA/Spain/Senegal/Nigeria have proven that imported/domestic cases can be stopped in their tracks. Regardless of how many mistakes were made along the way, the systems are adequate to fight back.

Bed occupancy (as reported by Doctors Without Borders) has been declining steadily in Liberia.

Welllll, time for me to donate again. This is a tragic and beautiful story: http://www.msf.org.uk/article/my-son-is-msf-s-1-000th-ebola-survivor

Regarding accuracy/inaccuracy of modern 'breaking news' journalism... lol, not even going to go there.

I don't know or care who this guy is, but he's right.


There is no conspiracy. However, if anyone here really believes that information is being withheld or that people are lying, donate to wikileaks (legal to do so) or any other organizations that do similar work.
 

biophase

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I don't believe this will be "old news" by Thanksgiving. But I also don't think Thanksgiving will bring a full-fledged epidemic here in the U.S., because that's still less than two 21-day incubation cycles away. But there are definitely things that don't add up.

I don't think this is over for Ebola in the USA, but I'm not worried about it spreading here that quickly. What I'm more worried about is traveling at international airports. I could be sitting at a terminal in Germany and dozens of people who just came from Liberia can walk through the terminal or even hop on the same plane as me. But with that said, I just bought my tickets to Africa today with the shortest number of connections and none through countries in Africa. But even still, I have to connect in Europe. I would feel way better with a direct flight from the USA to Africa.
 
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KLaw

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Not a lot of new news and the nurse has been upgraded to GOOD. Great news, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be wrong about this whole thing blowing up. However the ascent of new cases numbers doesn't seem to be slowing down.


October 14
9,216 cases. 4,555 deaths
219 new cases. 70 more dead... 2 days.


October 17.
9692 Cases. 4811 Dead
476 New cases. 256 more dead. 3 days.
"I would love to be wrong"

Guess what... U r absolutely wrong. Please apply your numbers to a nation that is capable of handling this (USA).
 

theag

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Guest3722A

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I especially like the "name" of the last person.


Here's a summary of the "8" U.S. cases to date, as reported by BNN:
Dr. Kent Brantly (missionary) -- Discharged from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta on August 21.
Nancy Writebol (missionary) -- Discharged from Emory University Hospital on August 19.
Thomas Eric Duncan (Liberian) -- Died October 8; was treated for Ebola at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
Amber Vinson (nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian) -- Currently receiving treatment at Emory University Hospital after being transported from Dallas on October 15.
Nina Pham (nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian) -- Currently receiving treatment; transferred to a NIH hospital in Maryland, from Dallas, for treatment on October 16.
Dr. Rick Sacra (missionary) -- Discharged from the Nebraska Medical Center on September 25; was admitted to a hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, for a respiratory virus on October 4; and was released the following day.
Ashoka Mukpo (NBC News freelancer) -- Currently receiving treatment at Nebraska Medical Center; diagnosed in Liberia on October 2.
Name unknown -- Currently receiving treatment at Emory University Hospital; the World Health Organization and Emory are not confirming that the patient worked for WHO; arrived at Emory on September 9.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2014/10/asymptomatic_liberian_man_visi.html
 
D

DeletedUser394

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Funny coincidence that Fox News recommends to get a flu shot, right? :innocent: :halo:

Not 100% sure where you're going with that but here goes;

As of right now, you are more likely to be killed by a vending machine than ebola.

However, anywhere from 3,000 to 50,000 people die of the seasonal flu every year (depending on severity that year) in the usa alone. While I have never gotten one, a flu shot is the most effective means we have (in addition to proper hygiene, and a healthy body) of protecting the most vulnerable (children, people with autoimmune disorders, the elderly).

I don't really see a problem with 'Big Pharma' saving peoples lives, with a product that they want, and making money while doing it. That's capitalism.

In Canada, flu shots are completely free for anyone that wants them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Western europe (france, belgium, uk, etc) only the elderly get free shots if they want.

It's one of few things that I fully support my government doing, even though I don't usually get one.
 
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Yeezy

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This has probably been said in this thread already, but ebola is nothing anyone in developed countries should be worried about.
Media just love the hysteria.

You are much better off going out and getting a flu shot than thinking about ebola, something crazy like 50,000 Americans died from the flu last year.
 
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loop101

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It would seem like not too much to ask any doctors who go to Africa and treat Ebola patients, to voluntarily quarantine themselves for 21 days. The doctor in NY went bowling after he got back home. Now he has Ebola. It would probably be cost effective for the government to pay their bills for 30 days while they stayed home. They could chill out and read a few books, like TMF .

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/10...ng-into-possible-ebola-case-in-new-york-city/
 
D

DeletedUser394

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At least he had the sense to go in the second he had symptoms. But yeah, that's not unreasonable and should be implemented.

Mali has its first case. That should be interesting to see what happens there.
 

ChickenHawk

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Bananas

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New York Doctor Tests Positive for Ebola.
He's been "under the weather" for a couple of days, during which he rode the subway, went on a 3-mile jog, went bowling, and took a taxi. In cheery news, officials assure us that he had direct contact with very few people so there's no need to worry.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/23/health/new-york-possible-ebola-case/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

I just saw this as headline news...another shocker. This doctor knew he was exposed repeatedly to Ebola patients, knew that he felt under the weather, knew that he was within 21 days and yet chose to get on a subway and to go bowling. How anyone can state that he had direct contact with 'very few people' is beyond belief. Subway? Bowling? Few people? I am a bowler, bowling alleys are crowded!

This coupled with the news that the government has posted a huge order of protective clothing makes me glad I went ahead with purchases for protective clothing for myself and my family. Better safe than sorry and I didn't get price-gouged.
 

SBS.95

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While it's easy to get sucked up into the fear of this, can we PLEASE not do what happened last week with Amber Vinson? OMG all the people on those flights and in Cleveland.... and has even 1 person shown symptoms yet? Meanwhile Amber is now Ebola-free.

Chances are he only had direct contact with a few people. Do we need to go over direct contact again? Sharing the same bowling shoes with someone is NOT direct contact. Riding on the same Subway train as someone is NOT direct contact. Having sex with his girlfriend, which he probably did after all that time in Africa, IS direct contact. And she is being closely monitored.

While I agree this doctor should have gotten himself checked out earlier, let's not do what the rest of the internet is doing and rip into this guy. I've literally seen people on Reddit/YouTube/news sites saying shit like "I hope this F*cker lives so we can throw him in jail" or "This guy deserves to die for bringing Ebola here". SERIOUSLY? This is a guy who has the balls to volunteer and go face-to-face with this virus in Africa, dealing with people at their most contagious. We should be wishing him a recovery not condemning him for getting infected.
 
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D

DeletedUser394

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Yes, it actually helps to read the information in the various articles, and not just the points that are convenient.

Here's some comments that are relevant;

'He took leave from work, checked his temperature twice a day, was in frequent contact with the health authorities, and reported his fever immediately after he discovered it.

Since he developed a fever, he has not been in contact with anyone besides trained medical professionals in protective gear.'

--------------

In other words, this doctor did everything right, and there is a near ZERO chance of anyone being effected.

The dude had no symptoms whatsoever while he was bowling. You could eat dinner out of one of those nasty shoes and you would be just fine (might get some other nasty diseases though LOL.
 

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