Dallas Hospital Isolates Possible Ebola Case

[VMI77]

It is not easy to catch and you must have direct contact with the individual. The area this comes from has a very poor sanitation standards. Easily passed between people when they have no modern healthcare readily available. I am more worried about the storms coming Thursday and possibly getting struck by lightning.

Not quite accurate. Contact with body fluids is the method of transmission. The infected person doesn't have to be there, just the fluids.

Not something I am normally in contact with from those I don't know. No matter, you must have had some form of contact, it's not an airborn virus. You're not going to get it off of a toilet seat.

Not true, according to this medical paper:

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspect ... tion-ebola

We believe there is scientific and epidemiologic evidence that Ebola virus has the potential to be transmitted via infectious aerosol particles both near and at a distance from infected patients, which means that healthcare workers should be wearing respirators, not facemasks.1

This reflects an incorrect and outmoded understanding of infectious aerosols, which has been institutionalized in policies, language, culture, and approaches to infection control. We will address this below. Briefly, however, the important points are that virus-laden bodily fluids may be aerosolized and inhaled while a person is in proximity to an infectious person and that a wide range of particle sizes can be inhaled and deposited throughout the respiratory tract.

The paper goes into much greater detail than just the two quotes above.

And this one disputes it, so who is correct? http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-me ... hrough-air" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think I'd go with it's possible rather than take the chance that the guys saying it can be transmitted by air are wrong. I've seen too many cases in engineering where past models were considered good until they weren't, sometimes with tragedy resulting. IOW, I think ignorance is more likely than apparent certainty. In spite of the advances in medical science we're still mostly ignorant. How long did it take before the medical community accepted that stomach ulcers are caused by a virus? I wonder how many of those who say it can't would be willing to bet their lives on it?

[powerboatr]

here is another little bit to make your pucker factor go way up

this person, was/is visiting relatives.....and he has not seen many of his relatives for quite sometime. So relatives from all over came to visit. How many are now showing signs or have been infected and where do they live? which states? how many more are now going to be spreaders?
there is no way CDC or DHS will ever track them all down. How many may be here UNDOCUMENTED??
could have been dosed before he flew over? pretty good planing is it was
we used to run scenarios like this all the time in my last life.
should cause people to be very very concerned

[mojo84]

Just heard a quick tease on 1200 AM radio out of San Antonio that there are several "school aged children" in the Dallas area that are being observed for Ebola type symptoms.

[mamabearCali]

Nice.....it was only a matter of time though.

Why it was not picked up right away....flu symptoms....... had recently visited a place with Ebola.....visits a hospital emergency room and is SENT HOME!!!!!! WHAT!

[Dragonfighter]

I was involved in first responder training to NBC scenarios. Some Ebola strains are durable viruses. It can go dormant in dried fluids and become infectious again once the fluid is reconstituted (think dirty mop water). One of the arguments that it is not airborne is "everyone would have it". TB's primary route of transmission is airborne yet not everybody has that. No one denies it can be aerosolized and a visible sneeze plume can extend up to 3 ft initially (the average being .6M) and envelope 2 cu ft. The finest droplets floating on air currents for who knows how long drifting through a mall or blown about on the wind downtown. Depending on the strain and its virility, a person blinks it into their eye, licks their lips or places their hands on the table the carrier was just at as he sits down, reaches out to eat his juicy wings and then licks his fingers. The range of possible vectors is almost incalculable. Good hygiene is key in reducing the risk but it does not eliminate the possibility of transmission.

<rant class="tinhat">
I have a book and listened to the author speak that proposes that AIDS and Ebola are designed viruses intended to be used as biological weapons. As crazy as it sounds I do not propose to convince anyone reading, but a PDF is available here. It lacks a lot of the diagrams and photocopies of documents the author retrieved from deep within the Library of Congress but it will give you an idea of the thought process.

The "new" virus effecting kids that has been making the news has been said to be "polio like". The vaccine manufacturers lament the trend toward non-vaccination in parents who weigh the risks vs. benefits yet this virus "appeared" coincidentally after the back to school vaccines began. What better way to get legislatures to mandate we patronize a multi-billion dollar business than have a "new" virus effecting kids, even those that are vaccinated?

The manufacturer of the experimental Ebola vaccine that was given Dr. Kent Brantly and his colleague Nancy Writebol has decried a lack of funding into Ebola cures. What better way to get funding in a hurry than to have Ebola break out in America?
</rant>

[mamabearCali]

Wow.....that is tin foil hat stuff......and I don't mean that in derogatory way.

As much junk as we have seen of late....is it possible....yes.

I hope to heaven it is not likely.

[The Annoyed Man]

There is also a "close associate" of patient 1 who is under close observation with possible symptoms:
Officials: Second person being monitored for Ebola
Marjorie Owens, WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth 2:37 p.m. EDT October 1, 2014

DALLAS — Health officials are closely monitoring a possible second Ebola patient who had close contact with the first person to be diagnosed in the U.S., the director of Dallas County's health department said Wednesday.

All who have been in close contact with the man officially diagnosed are being monitored as a precaution, Zachary Thompson, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, said in a morning interview with WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth.

"Let me be real frank to the Dallas County residents: The fact that we have one confirmed case, there may be another case that is a close associate with this particular patient," he said. "So this is real. There should be a concern, but it's contained to the specific family members and close friends at this moment."

[sidebar]Is it me, or does Zachary Thomas sound a lot like Tracy Morgan's character in "30 Rock"?[/sidebar]

Initially, my reaction to my wife's exclamation this morning of "Oh Great! Why does it have to happen HERE? Why couldn't it have happened in Chicago or somewhere else?" was to say that we should be grateful that if it had to come to the US, that it would come here where it would get handled by one of the best medical systems in the country without it getting too politicized. If the Chicago Machine gets its hands on this "crisis", they will not let it go to waste.....to use Rahm Emanuel's phrase. HERE, at least the disease will get dealt with first, without trying to turn it into another opportunity to grow the federal government.

And drudge has this gem:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/us/af ... .html?_r=0
In Dallas Ebola Case, Officials Monitoring Children Exposed to Patient

The patient was identified by Liberian health officials and The Associated Press as Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national. Mr. Duncan came to the United States on Sept. 20 aboard a commercial airliner and officials said that he had shown no symptoms of the disease while on the flight and that he had posed no threat to other passengers.

———SNIP———

Mr. Duncan may have become infected after his landlord’s daughter fell gravely ill. On Sept 15, Mr. Duncan helped his landlord and his landlord’s son carry the stricken woman to the hospital, his neighbors and the woman’s parents said. She died the next day.

Soon, the landlord’s son also became ill, and he died on Wednesday in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Two other residents in the neighborhood who may have had contact with the woman have also died. Their bodies were collected on Wednesday as well.

Health officials in Dallas said Wednesday that they believed Mr. Duncan came in contact with at least 12 to 18 people when he was experiencing symptoms.

So far then, it's not just

• Patient 1
• and a possible patient 2,
• plus 5 possibly exposed children
• and 1 possibly exposed ambulance driver.

That's 8 people, but there may be actually 12 to 18.

Lovely.

[gljjt]

It is not easy to catch and you must have direct contact with the individual. The area this comes from has a very poor sanitation standards. Easily passed between people when they have no modern healthcare readily available. I am more worried about the storms coming Thursday and possibly getting struck by lightning.

Not quite accurate. Contact with body fluids is the method of transmission. The infected person doesn't have to be there, just the fluids.

Not something I am normally in contact with from those I don't know. No matter, you must have had some form of contact, it's not an airborn virus. You're not going to get it off of a toilet seat.

Not true, according to this medical paper:

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspect ... tion-ebola

We believe there is scientific and epidemiologic evidence that Ebola virus has the potential to be transmitted via infectious aerosol particles both near and at a distance from infected patients, which means that healthcare workers should be wearing respirators, not facemasks.1

This reflects an incorrect and outmoded understanding of infectious aerosols, which has been institutionalized in policies, language, culture, and approaches to infection control. We will address this below. Briefly, however, the important points are that virus-laden bodily fluids may be aerosolized and inhaled while a person is in proximity to an infectious person and that a wide range of particle sizes can be inhaled and deposited throughout the respiratory tract.

The paper goes into much greater detail than just the two quotes above.

And this one disputes it, so who is correct? http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-me ... hrough-air" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd put my money on the University of Minnesota link and not the other blog link laden with entertainment 'news' and use of that F word by the blogger.

[powerboatr]

"Mr. Duncan may have become infected after his landlord’s daughter fell gravely ill. On Sept 15, Mr. Duncan helped his landlord and his landlord’s son carry the stricken woman to the hospital, his neighbors and the woman’s parents said. She died the next day.

Soon, the landlord’s son also became ill, and he died on Wednesday in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Two other residents in the neighborhood who may have had contact with the woman have also died. Their bodies were collected on Wednesday as well."


so mr. duncan knew he was possibly exposed to something very grave and still choose to enter the U.S. he must have left that important tidbit out at customs or leaving liberia

[mamabearCali]

So WHY didn't he say that when he went to the hospital! Good heavens! First of all with Ebola the sooner you catch it the better off you are as a patient. Second how many lives has he put at risk and for what...denial....great.....

[The Annoyed Man]

So WHY didn't he say that when he went to the hospital! Good heavens! First of all with Ebola the sooner you catch it the better off you are as a patient. Second how many lives has he put at risk and for what...denial....great.....

I think it had less to do with denial than it did fear of authorities....although why, we can only speculate. He's an immigrant, so maybe....

[Abraham]

I haven't read the entire thread - Is his diagnosis confirmed or they still waiting of find out?

[Keith B]

I haven't read the entire thread - Is his diagnosis confirmed or they still waiting of find out?

Confirmed

[The Annoyed Man]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/02/health/eb ... index.html
U.S. Ebola case: Searching for contacts
By Gary Tuchman, Jacque Wilson and Holly Yan, CNN
updated 10:53 AM EDT, Thu October 2, 2014

Dallas (CNN) -- Health officials are reaching out to as many as 100 people who may have had contact with the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S., a spokeswoman with the Texas Department of State Health Services said Thursday.

These are people who are still being questioned because they may have crossed paths with the patient either at the hospital, at his apartment complex or in the community.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we're starting with this very wide net, including people who have had even brief encounters with the patient or the patient's home," spokeswoman Carrie Williams said. "The number will drop as we focus in on those whose contact may represent a potential risk of infection."

My guess is that health authorities will have in the end nipped this thing in the bud, containing it to just patient 1. But, that isn't going to avert a sort of general panic for a while. Much common sense is called for.

[RoyGBiv]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/02/health/eb ... index.html
U.S. Ebola case: Searching for contacts
By Gary Tuchman, Jacque Wilson and Holly Yan, CNN
updated 10:53 AM EDT, Thu October 2, 2014

Dallas (CNN) -- Health officials are reaching out to as many as 100 people who may have had contact with the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S., a spokeswoman with the Texas Department of State Health Services said Thursday.

These are people who are still being questioned because they may have crossed paths with the patient either at the hospital, at his apartment complex or in the community.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we're starting with this very wide net, including people who have had even brief encounters with the patient or the patient's home," spokeswoman Carrie Williams said. "The number will drop as we focus in on those whose contact may represent a potential risk of infection."

My guess is that health authorities will have in the end nipped this thing in the bud, containing it to just patient 1. But, that isn't going to avert a sort of general panic for a while. Much common sense is called for.

The people he interacted with from the day he first went to the hospital (maybe a day or two before that) to the day he was finally put in isolation... they were exposed and at risk. IMO, those people should all (everyone we can find) be placed in hospital isolation for 21 days. NOT "stay at home" isolation and have them running out for groceries or having the neighbors visit with them.