First US Ebola diagnosed in Dallas

[lynzy420]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

If indeed that man got on a plane and flew to this country knowing he had been exposed to a deadly disease, he should be prosecuted for endangering the very lives of our innocent children and civilians, who are now apparently paying for his medical care and a huge community expenses. To think that he came and stayed in the very apartment where his little son was living knowing he had carried a person who subsequently died from such a miserable disease that is also highly deadly is truly despicable. I hope that the reports are not true and it was another man that carried the pregnant woman and then got the heck out of Dodge to this country where he could get the best of care. It seems highly improbable to me that according to his family that this man who came from an despicable-ridden city(I've heard more than one person say that Ebola is everywhere in the entire region of Liberia) was in direct contact with the bodily fluids of an Ebola patient sufficient enough to infect him, yet never even mentioned it to them! Huh? I wasn't born yesterday and neither are the rest of US taxpayers who are footing a huge bill to try to care for him and fix this mess.

No small amount of responsibility must be laid directly at the feet of Presbyterian Hospital. They potentially could have forestalled much of this situation had they better protocols and isolated him during his initial emergent encounter with them.

Whatever happened before he left Liberia, we know he was closely in contact with an Ebola patient enough to come in contact with their bodily fluids or he wouldn't have gotten sick with it so I am leaning toward thinking this man knowingly came to this country and walked among us, fully aware he was a ticking time bomb of deadly disease. Why he didn't self-report his home location and close-contact with at least one Ebola patient over and over to the doctors who saw him at Presby ER during his first visit, I'll never know. I wonder if he doesn't speak English and was trying to tell them or what?

During one of the press conferences, one of the officials said they were having problems getting a contractor with the capabilities to meet CDC guidelines to go clean up that apartment he stayed in! I pray the amount of Ebola-infected travelers we have visit our shores are limited to only a relatively few more as it doesn't sound as if the US has adequate measures in place to stop them at the airports!

Jeannie there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding this man and the disease itself. Remember, medical procedures/treatments in the US are far different then in these 3rd world countries.

[lynzy420]

one more good article....


remember when:
A history of AIDS hysteria - Salon.com

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

Jeannie there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding this man and the disease itself. Remember, medical procedures/treatments in the US are far different then in these 3rd world countries.

As a longtime medical worker, I've taken many a class in contagious/infectious disease spread and containment, Lynz, and was one of those who prided themselves on making 100 on the post-class tests every time. I actually read all the materials! But if it's true - and I realize it's not a fully investigated story as none of our Western top notch investigative reporters are highly motivated to visit Liberia and go into the homes near where he lived and ask hard questions - but I know somehow this guy got Ebola, a very hard disease to contract and only transmittable only under very limited circumstances.

I still think that while it was honorable to help another sick person, if he did, it was less than honorable of him, after coming into such close contact with someone so ill that he came into contact with their contagious bodily fluids that he got infected, to then not apparently report that encounter at the airport either spontaneously or in answer to questioning and get onto a plane and fly here where he knew he could get the best of medical care for himself - irrespective of how many he might infect once here, is unconscionable. I hope none of his close contacts contract Ebola and die, especially his own little son.

I'll be praying for this man's life, his family's safety and for the health of anyone else that has come into close contact with him once he was symptomatic and contagious. But if it turns out he knew or should have known, he should be prosecuted for putting others at such dire risk.

[dottiesyrky]

Yes I get that the hysteria could well get out of hand, but the point is that this guy was involved with a known EB patient ( kind though he was), knew the risks of that contact, knew the symptoms and mortality rate.....but he still traveled abroad and exposed others to his affliction. When he got the symptoms he did little to contain his disease. That is the problem!

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by dottiesyrky

Yes I get that the hysteria could well get out of hand, but the point is that this guy was involved with a known EB patient ( kind though he was), knew the risks of that contact, knew the symptoms and mortality rate.....but he still traveled abroad and exposed others to his affliction. When he got the symptoms he did little to contain his disease. That is the problem!

Nobody I came in contact with today in Dallas was hysterical, thank goodness. Our local media isn't. I think it's just the national and cable media that is scared silly and trying to garner ratings. The city is operating as usual and the streets and stores were full. I have heard more than a few people on cable TV angry at the Dallas Ebola patient once they heard he could or should have known he was going to become contagious. I wonder why he got on an international flight, knowing he had been in the midst of a community riddled with the deadly Ebola disease and apparently come into very close contact with at least one deathly ill person?

[lynzy420]

Did anyone read the articles? Jeannie do you remember the pics of dr's with AIDS patients all gowned and masked up??? Do you remember Ryan White? Its not that this man helped his family member, if its even true....oh forget it....


Let the hysteria begin...last one out turn out the lights...

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I thought of that....but hopefully as critically ill as he was by that time, they did not park him out in the waiting room or leave him in the hallway.....hopefully he was taken back immediately and put into a room. But, hey, ya never know......

Actually, I was thinking about the first time that he went to the hospital. He probably sat in the waiting room for hours as a flu PT. No extra precautions were taken when he was examined and treated. He was symptomatic at that point when he was sent home. So the probablity that many people were exposed would be much higher. Then when he was picked up in an ambulance there would have been the paramedics/EMTs that were sent to the call. Obviously, they wouldn't have know the man had Ebola and treated him like any other transport. Even if he were brought into the ER by ambulance there was still staff that would have been exposed because he was not immediately under quarantine without a DX. So I could very well see a large number of people being exposed this way.

Now there is a second person that is being watched. Probably his GF since I saw her on Anderson Cooper 360 and she said that she slept in the same bed with him when he was symptomatic.

[lynzy420]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

Actually, I was thinking about the first time that he went to the hospital. He probably sat in the waiting room for hours as a flu PT. No extra precautions were taken when he was examined and treated. He was symptomatic at that point when he was sent home. So the probablity that many people were exposed would be much higher. Then when he was picked up in an ambulance there would have been the paramedics/EMTs that were sent to the call. Obviously, they wouldn't have know the man had Ebola and treated him like any other transport. Even if he were brought into the ER by ambulance there was still staff that would have been exposed because he was not immediately under quarantine without a DX. So I could very well see a large number of people being exposed this way.

Now there is a second person that is being watched. Probably his GF since I saw her on Anderson Cooper 360 and she said that she slept in the same bed with him when he was symptomatic.

not quoting right...ughhhh my quoting is not working right....

[TxVicki]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

This reminds me of AIDS...all the fear and hysteria...not to mention the bias and hatred flung at those affected....he carried his relative home to die, how honorable...I held my brother inlaw as he died from AIDS...I'd do it again and again...Just my 2 cents on this...Safe to say more people die from AIDS every year then from Ebola...Aids was the dirty epidemic of its time....Ebola now....good hygiene and practical care are necessary for adults and teaching of our children is so important as the world changes and cross world travel so easy...Yes I know how both these are spread...yes I know they are not the same....yes I care..

This WAS NOT his relative that he tried taking to the hospital. It was his Landlords daughter.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

Actually, I was thinking about the first time that he went to the hospital. He probably sat in the waiting room for hours as a flu PT. No extra precautions were taken when he was examined and treated. He was symptomatic at that point when he was sent home. So the probablity that many people were exposed would be much higher. Then when he was picked up in an ambulance there would have been the paramedics/EMTs that were sent to the call. Obviously, they wouldn't have know the man had Ebola and treated him like any other transport. Even if he were brought into the ER by ambulance there was still staff that would have been exposed because he was not immediately under quarantine without a DX. So I could very well see a large number of people being exposed this way.

Now there is a second person that is being watched. Probably his GF since I saw her on Anderson Cooper 360 and she said that she slept in the same bed with him when he was symptomatic.

Absolutely right! I did not even think about THAT time....I am stuck on the critically ill man, vomiting all over the sidewalk and ambulance.....and all of THOSE people exposed when he was contagious, interacting with everyone they have been in contact with....(I would imagine he walked up to the reception counter and touched it with "contaminated by droplets" hands, then went to the back for exam and was all over that bed and the rails.....followed by the next patient that went into that exam room....mercy!

[lynzy420]

Originally Posted by TxVicki

This WAS NOT his relative that he tried taking to the hospital. It was his Landlords daughter.

So what, he should have stepped over him/her instead? Neighbor, brother, sister aren't we all???

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by TxVicki

This WAS NOT his relative that he tried taking to the hospital. It was his Landlords daughter.

I think this is a rapidly changing story. When I heard yesterday was that is was a pregnant relative. The news stations are reporting so quickly to get the story there are a lot of inaccurate details being spread as factual.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

Did anyone read the articles? Jeannie do you remember the pics of dr's with AIDS patients all gowned and masked up??? Do you remember Ryan White? Its not that this man helped his family member, if its even true....oh forget it....


Let the hysteria begin...last one out turn out the lights...

I'm not at all hysterical, just angry at a man who used no judgment. Period.

[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

Absolutely right! I did not even think about THAT time....I am stuck on the critically ill man, vomiting all over the sidewalk and ambulance.....and all of THOSE people exposed when he was contagious, interacting with everyone they have been in contact with....(I would imagine he walked up to the reception counter and touched it with "contaminated by droplets" hands, then went to the back for exam and was all over that bed and the rails.....followed by the next patient that went into that exam room....mercy!

Again this is what I just read but the ambulance then continued on it's calls for another 48 hours before the mad was confirmed with Ebola. Exposing more people. messy, messy, messy

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

Again this is what I just read but the ambulance then continued on it's calls for another 48 hours before the mad was confirmed with Ebola. Exposing more people. messy, messy, messy

But remember, EMT's use precautions with all patients and use various disinfection methods d after each patient, especially those with any symptoms of contagious diseases and/or losing bodily fluids while in the ambo, if for no other reason than to keep their crews safe. It's highly doubtful there is any reason for any patient subsequently transported in that ambulance to worry.

Dallas authorities are just quarantining the ambulance itself in case all known medical science has been wrong about Ebola's transmissibility qualities and likely for the optics of the situation. The know some patients would be afraid to get into any emergency ambulance unless they could see the ambulance which carried Duncan was taken out of service and parked where all can see it.