Thread: Ebola

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Honest this is not a photoshopped image it was snagged from the video playing on just about every station possible from earlier today, this is the second Nurse (in the Yellow) being flown to Emory Hospital...


Things that make ya go Hmmmmmmmm


Attachment 181990


I think that single pic pretty much says way more then the standard 1000 words

I don't see what the failure is. What do you see that is wrong?I watched the video posted after this and see nothing wrong.

Actually the protocol that I have been taught is to have an extra person to escort the patient and the transport person who is not wearing a mask and PPE to open and close doors etc. To not contaminate the environment.

I see 2 things of concern;
1. If there are members in full suits with the patient, then the close presence (too close) of a non-protected person is a problem. Do we know for sure that this virus is not transmittable by air,,,, for sure,,, ; especially at that close distance. I would have no one in the area of the patient that is not fully suited. I would a a fully suited member away from the transport team that sanatizes the doors upon entry & leaving.

2. Note the exchanges of "items" & touching of the suited team by the unprotected member, after they have had contact with the patient.

As a public health physician, there are several things about this mess that REALLY piss me off:

• Public health professionals have been warning about exotic and emerging diseases such as Ebola for decades. But because these diseases primarily affect "them", no one has listened... until now. For those of us who were working during the early days of HIV/AIDS, "it's deja vu all over again".
• People are quick to criticize the CDC and the government. But check the record, and notice who has methodically gutted the CDC's budget. Check the record, and notice who keeps blocking funding for Ebola research even now.
• Recommendations for stricter travel related health screening have been on the table for years. I attended an international public health conference on this very topic some 20+ (TWENTY PLUS!) years ago. We drew up recommendations that were then taken back to the attendees' countries for dissemination. But very little has been done to date due to fear of inconveniencing travelers and supposed adverse impact on the travel industry.
• The fear mongering. The press, especially the right, but also the left, has been utterly shameless in their exploitation of this story. At a time when they have an opportunity to provide useful information about what is still a very limited outbreak, they instead focus on stirring the pot of fear.

There's certainly plenty of reason for concern, but let's take stock of the situation in Texas: 1 dead, and two health care workers who almost certainly committed isolation protocol errors infected. In comparison, there was one death and 8 other cases of meningitis during last winter's outbreak at Princeton. While there was plenty of hue and cry then, it hardly compares to this current foolishness.

I sincerely hope that no one else becomes ill or dies from this disease. But a little perspective is in order.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I see 2 things of concern;
1. If there are members in full suits with the patient, then the close presence (too close) of a non-protected person is a problem. Do we know for sure that this virus is not transmittable by air,,,, for sure,,, ; especially at that close distance. I would have no one in the area of the patient that is not fully suited. I would a a fully suited member away from the transport team that sanatizes the doors upon entry & leaving.

2. Note the exchanges of "items" & touching of the suited team by the unprotected member, after they have had contact with the patient.

2 good points but here is what I saw.

Ebola to my knowledge is Droplet precautions. That is a radius of 6 feet of the patient. I did not see him within that. The only reason to use a negative pressure room is that if the patient is intubated there is a possibility of aerosolization. [Is my spelling wrong? :-]

As far as exchanging items after contact I saw no proof of that. The item he set on the steps was was from someone that I saw no contact before and not after. The Biohazard bag at the end is questionable but the suited person came out of the plane with no proof of previous contact. These are questionable but no proof.
.

When I went to Vietnam in 1997 , the blood banks would not take my blood for 3 years,,, I have been a regular blood donor since I was 18 years old. Again in 2004, I was prohibited for 3 years,,,

News is a business and bad news sells so they gin it up as much as they can and keep repeating it as long as they can.

There was a guy on CNN trying to make the point the virus will mutate soon and go airborne. He was some college professor and the MD who was also on said to him he was just creating a fear mentality with no evidence whatsoever.

Originally Posted by 32t

2 good points but here is what I saw.

Ebola to my knowledge is Droplet precautions. That is a radius of 6 feet of the patient. I did not see him within that. The only reason to use a negative pressure room is that if the patient is intubated there is a possibility of aerosolization. [Is my spelling wrong? :-]

As far as exchanging items after contact I saw no proof of that. The item he set on the steps was was from someone that I saw no contact before and not after. The Biohazard bag at the end is questionable but the suited person came out of the plane with no proof of previous contact. These are questionable but no proof.
.

Not to argue & I don't have your training,,,,but the 6 feet was there, IMO,,, & we have learned this week that the CDC is still learning OJT with this virus. The mear fact that an unsuited member was on the tarmac withing feet of the patient is careless bravado IMO. The unsuited member has no purpuse following onboard,,, the whole plane, should be treated as a restricted area, not just cabin in the rear somewhere.

The problem here is, this video did nothing to reinstate the confidence in the CDC,,,,,,

Originally Posted by Dzanda

As a public health physician, there are several things about this mess that REALLY piss me off:

• Public health professionals have been warning about exotic and emerging diseases such as Ebola for decades. But because these diseases primarily affect "them", no one has listened... until now. For those of us who were working during the early days of HIV/AIDS, "it's deja vu all over again".
• People are quick to criticize the CDC and the government. But check the record, and notice who has methodically gutted the CDC's budget. Check the record, and notice who keeps blocking funding for Ebola research even now.
• Recommendations for stricter travel related health screening have been on the table for years. I attended an international public health conference on this very topic some 20+ (TWENTY PLUS!) years ago. We drew up recommendations that were then taken back to the attendees' countries for dissemination. But very little has been done to date due to fear of inconveniencing travelers and supposed adverse impact on the travel industry.
• The fear mongering. The press, especially the right, but also the left, has been utterly shameless in their exploitation of this story. At a time when they have an opportunity to provide useful information about what is still a very limited outbreak, they instead focus on stirring the pot of fear.

There's certainly plenty of reason for concern, but let's take stock of the situation in Texas: 1 dead, and two health care workers who almost certainly committed isolation protocol errors infected. In comparison, there was one death and 8 other cases of meningitis during last winter's outbreak at Princeton. While there was plenty of hue and cry then, it hardly compares to this current foolishness.

I sincerely hope that no one else becomes ill or dies from this disease. But a little perspective is in order.

I agree with most of what was said here except for this part, "two health care workers who almost certainly committed isolation protocol errors"

Almost certain was stated but I have yet to see a protocol that is not flawed in some way for some instances in the real world. Human error certainly is a possibility but the people I know do their best with what they have.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

*SNIP*
[...]we have learned this week that the CDC is still learning OJT with this virus.

I don't understand your point... could you elaborate?

Originally Posted by 32t

I agree with most of what was said here except for this part, "two health care workers who almost certainly committed isolation protocol errors"

Almost certain was stated but I have yet to see a protocol that is not flawed in some way for some instances in the real world. Human error certainly is a possibility but the people I know do their best with what they have.

And I agree with what you just wrote. Human error is almost certainly involved. My comment should not be taken as laying blame.