2nd Healthcare worker tests positive for Ebola

It has been around since 1976 in humans.
previously; I think, in isolated villages in DRC, and other places, therefore self-limiting.

There is another strain in central Africa; but not so virulent, and contained; at the moment.

As an aside; I worked through the swine flu epidemic; and although people were told not to go out; not to visit doctors, chemists, supermarkets etc; people panicked so much that they took absolutely no notice of any 'instructions' so passed the infection on; regardless!
how I didn't get it, I have no idea; but we had people queuing for hours; for tablets; that they then started far too late to be effective..
 
The only bad flu strain I remember was back in the 50's anyone remember the Asian Flu? I think I read that those of us who lived through that era would have some immunity to the Swine flu.
 

QuickSilver said:
The only bad flu strain I remember was back in the 50's anyone remember the Asian Flu? I think I read that those of us who lived through that era would have some immunity to the Swine flu.
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And then don't forget the 1918 pandemic of ''Spanish flu''

The Influenza pandemic of 1918 caused more deaths than the four years of the Bubonic Plague. Not only did the pandemic kill more people than died in World War I, but it killed more people than all the wars of the 20th century combined. It is believed that the influenza pandemic of 1918 killed 25 million in its first 25 weeks, while AIDS killed 25 million over a course of 25 years.
 
Oh geez, I heard about the one, little gal yesterday that is a nurse there. Forgive me, but do people survive the Ebola? I need to get more informed:(
 
QuickSilver said:
How so? She could have been treated in Ohio.. She didn't need to fly back to Dallas.. In fact she's not even there now.. but in Atlanta.
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Gads, I can't help but think this is a good way to spread this thing:( She's been in 3 places since she's been infected? Maybe I've missed something here.
 
nwlady said:
Gads, I can't help but think this is a good way to spread this thing:( She's been in 3 places since she's been infected? Maybe I've missed something here.
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Yes.. people survive Ebola. Those lucky enough to get the proper medical care before the disease has progressed too far.

And yes.. she was infected in Texas caring for the original patient Eric Duncan... BUT flew to Ohio to plan her wedding, and then flew back to Texas. She was then isolated and taken to Atlanta on a special plane in full isolation gear.

This is the problem in this day and age... people are on the move.. I think it would be very difficult to keep infected people out of anywhere if they are determined to go there.
 
I still think it is idiotic to keep letting passengers come in from infected countries on the basis that some people will find a way to get around it. Maybe that's true, but it would slow down and decrease the number of possibly infected people coming in.

That's like saying we should all just abandon getting the flu shots because they don't contain every possible kind of flu. Maybe not, but the flu vaccine protects against some of the flu viruses, so it's worth getting, IMHO. Or like saying that because the Border Patrol and Immigration can't keep all illegal immigrants out, we should just disband them and throw open our borders. If cutting off travel from affected countries could help, it is worth doing. GEEZ! Why is that so hard for the government to comprehend??
 
I think it's because there would be no control over who comes in. At least we KNOW who came from there.. But if people break up their trips into two or three different stops, and space out the stops, then lie about having been in West Africa, you would have no way of knowing. I'm on the fence about it. I wouldn't mind a complete travel ban... I'm just saying want is being discussed and why.
 
I have been giving this some thought... I have never travelled internationally, nor do I have a passport, but am I mistaken in the belief that passports have to be checked and stamped at each port of exit and entry? So can't we just check the passports of travelers before they board a plane to the US? I am leaning pretty close to feeling we SHOULD ban people coming from these high risk countries. We can have charter planes fly American aid workers in and out after quarantine. And obviously, since we are using the military and national guard to build clinics and hospitals there, we will have many military planes that would be able to handle the American traffic.

I believe I will make calls to Durbin, Kirk, my congressman as well as the White House to pose these questions and voice my opinion.
 
Butterfly said:
... GEEZ! Why is that so hard for the government to comprehend??
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I think they comprehend quite well. It's the political aspect that leads them to make the decisions they do. It wouldn't "look good" if we were to close our borders - after all, we're the land of "Give us your tired, your poor" ...


... and evidently your virus-laden third-worlders.

No, that would never do - our world rep would be irreparably damaged, and we couldn't have that. :apathy:
 
Not so sure why the US should worry about it's world REP... Seems like no matter what we do we are the big baddies anyway. Might as well do as we please IMO..

At anyrate... I'm for a travel ban. AND will make my opinion known. SIFUPHIL... are YOU going to call your Representatives? Perhaps instead of complaining on a social forum, we should all make our feelings known.
 
QuickSilver, I'm not quite sure why you constantly demand I take some form of political action. I am totally a-political. I don't believe in or trust the American political system. I don't see it accomplishes anything but fill the pockets and the egos of its members.

I wasn't aware that, as a member of this forum, I was required to do anything but state my opinions. Certainly not be urged to participate in a corrupt system of slavery.

I'm quite serene limiting my real-world exposure to people, whether they are filled with Ebola or just walking past me on the street. The government is supposed to provide for my defense, but this entire Ebola episode proves they can't even do that, so I'll happily engage in what I know will defend me - avoid contact with people as much as possible.

THAT is the action I will take.
 
SifuPhil said:
QuickSilver, I'm not quite sure why you constantly demand I take some form of political action. I am totally a-political. I don't believe in or trust the American political system. I don't see it accomplishes anything but fill the pockets and the egos of its members.

I wasn't aware that, as a member of this forum, I was required to do anything but state my opinions. Certainly not be urged to participate in a corrupt system of slavery.

I'm quite serene limiting my real-world exposure to people, whether they are filled with Ebola or just walking past me on the street. The government is supposed to provide for my defense, but this entire Ebola episode proves they can't even do that, so I'll happily engage in what I know will defend me - avoid contact with people as much as possible.

THAT is the action I will take.
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Ok... but IMO anyone who doesn't at least try to make a difference, by voting or by letting politicians know what their feelings are shouldn't complain then. If you are apolitical... so be it.. that's fine.. But why bother with an opinion? Better stated.. I suppose it's fine to have an opinion, but why bother voicing it.. WE at this forum can't change things.

It amazes me how people can hate the government, not trust the government.. YET.. expect the government to protect them and help them when they need it or are afraid of a threat.
 
QuickSilver said:
Ok... but IMO anyone who doesn't at least try to make a difference, by voting or by letting politicians know what their feelings are shouldn't complain then. If you are apolitical... so be it.. that's fine.. But why bother with an opinion? Better stated.. I suppose it's fine to have an opinion, but why bother voicing it.. WE at this forum can't change things.
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That's a commonly-encountered belief in my world - that if you don't vote (or get in touch with your representatives, etc) then you have no right to express an opinion (or in the vernacular, to bitch).

I've never seen it that way. My right to complain is independent of my political leanings. It's one of those inalienable rights that we're all born with.

By the way, I AM trying to make a difference - I teach my students how to live their lives without depending upon the government - or anyone else - to help them.

As for voicing said opinions on this forum ... well, of course it is impossible for a virtual conversation to accomplish quite as much as a real-world one, but it DOES sometimes lead to a modification of people's thoughts. That's all that I would ever expect to happen here. In fact, I think you're short-changing yourself (and others here) when you state that WE can't change things.

Change WILL happen and CAN happen through forum discussions - the catalyst has to come from someplace.

It amazes me how people can hate the government, not trust the government.. YET.. expect the government to protect them and help them when they need it or are afraid of a threat.
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I don't expect them to protect or help me - I was merely referring to the basic principles of American government as written in the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence.
 
Well explained! However, you have not changed my opinion about being involved in the process...and opinion expression is useless without action. AND I agree with the bill of rights by the way.
 
At least, this situation will hurry along the eventual vaccine needed to prevent so many deaths in West African countries. Up to now, the money wasn't there for research because it was seen as an 'African' thing, now it could well be a world wide thing!Containment is everything at the moment, to stop the spread.
 
oakapple said:
At least, this situation will hurry along the eventual vaccine needed to prevent so many deaths in West African countries. Up to now, the money wasn't there for research because it was seen as an 'African' thing, now it could well be a world wide thing!Containment is everything at the moment, to stop the spread.
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I agree... we need to erradicate this disease by vaccination and by proper treatment of those who have contracted it... BUT until we do... to me preventing people who have possibley exposed should not be allowed to travel without first being quarantined.
 
Obama will name Ron Klain as Ebola Czar

By Jake Tapper, Chief Washington Correspondent
updated 10:49 AM EDT, Fri October 17, 2014

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama will appoint Ron Klain his "Ebola czar," knowledgeable sources tell CNN.
The president on Thursday signaled his openness to the idea to have one individual coordinating the entire federal response to any threat of an outbreak in the United States.

"It may make sense for us to have one person ... so that after this initial surge of activity, we can have a more regular process just to make sure that we're crossing all the T's and dotting all the I's going forward," Obama said.

The administration has been criticized for its response to the incidents of Ebola in the United States, in terms of how prepared hospitals have been for potential Ebola patients and also how prepared healthcare workers were in terms of their personal protective gear. Some lawmakers have called for a travel ban on individuals coming from West Africa where the outbreak is most serious but the administration has so far not embraced that idea.
Klain is highly regarded at the White House as a good manager with excellent relationships both in the administration and on Capitol Hill. His supervision of the allocation of funds in the stimulus act -- at the time and ncredible and complicated government undertaking -- is respected in Washington. He does not have any extensive background in health care but the job is regarded as a managerial challenge. "He's strong. He's very tough," said CNN Political analyst David Gergen. "It's important in this job to be a coordinator; you have to knock heads together. He's tough enough to do that."

Gergen said that while Klain doesn't have a health care background, he does have both domestic policy and foreign policy assignments on his portfolio and both will come into play as the administration deals with Ebola.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/17/politics/ebola-czar-ron-klain/

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Too bad he doesn't have a health care background, but maybe he will consider stopping commercial travel from the affected areas to the U.S. The refusal to do so comes across as political correctness in the extreme. We already have some immigrants with diseases here, and now we are welcoming those travelers from ebola stricken area's. Americans safety and medical treatment of those affected here, should be the most important concern at this time.
 
That's fine... but had we had a Surgeon General he could have acted in that capacity and he would have a medical background too.

I don't think it's a situation of "political correctness" at all. The director of the CDC and the WHO.. are saying that it is easier to control and track people arriving than to drive people underground in their attempts to enter the US.

We have to remember that the President is relying on these people for advise. He's not a doctor or an epidemiologist.. and he can't wave a magic wand and make ebola go away, or stop anyone from getting in and spreading it. All he can do is weigh options and rational given to him by the "experts". They are telling him that banning air travel to the US will not help. I think most Americans feel otherwise.
 
Those keeping citizens from the affected regions away by border control is credited by health officials as one of their successful safety practices according to the below article, Quicksilver. In one of the comments from the article, it was said that "congressional hearings on CNN. african countries are closing air travel, so why can't we?" Good question.


Africa Stems Ebola Via Border Closings, Luck

NAIROBI, Kenya — Oct 17, 2014, 7:15 AM ET
By TOM ODULA and LYNSEY CHUTEL Associated Press



Health officials battling the Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa have managed to limit its spread on the continent to five countries — and two of them appear to have snuffed out the disease.



Officials credit tighter border controls, good patient-tracking and other medical practices, and just plain luck with keeping Ebola confined mostly to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea since the outbreak was first identified nearly seven months ago.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/africa-stems-ebola-border-closings-luck-26249603
 

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