Ebola... what to do..

[Rerun]

I'm putting this in Political because I've noticed the consertives say "Quarantine" them for 21 days to protect society, while the Liberals say crap about their civil rights being violated.  What about my civil rights?  I would think I would have a moral conscience to say " I don't want to expose anyone". Lock me up with my tablet and shove food under the door for 21 days.

The Debate starts here.....  Quarantine these people coming back from Africa or not.... and why...   

[Bill Peckham]

Ebola is a problem in West Africa, if you mandate that people be held in isolation (without TV, a shower or plumbed in toilet, as was the case for the nurse quarantined in NJ) when returning from West Africa then you are going to make it less likely for people to volunteer to go to West Africa, which then would make the problem worse increasing the likelihood that a person with Ebola will be in the US due to more people having Ebola.

Ebola becomes highly contagious in the later stages of the disease. When symptoms first appear - a fever - the viral load in the body is pretty low, which makes it hard to spread. As people get sicker the viral load increases to the point that a dead Ebola victim is very contagious. This is why those who have caught Ebola are people who have taken care of or had contact with, people who are very sick and/or people who have died from Ebola.

There is a constitutional issue - can the state quarantine an entire class of people (those who have been to Africa or West Africa) without reasonable cause? - but you don't even have to consider that to judge mandatory quarantine a fear based reaction that is self defeating. We need medical professionals to volunteer to contain Ebola in West Africa, that is how you, in Spokane, will be safer. It is still true that more people have been married to Kim Kardashian than have died in the US from Ebola.

If you really want to lower your risk of ill health and/or death from a virus get your flu shot.

[Rerun]

Then why is the military being quarantined in Italy?  Science when it comes to Ebola in the states and rational common sense when it comes to our military?  It seems my moral conscience would have me stay out of the public for 21 days.  I do agree that nurse had bad conditions and she could have at least had a normal hospital room.

Now they are going to bring ALL the doctors and nurses to the Unites States to be treated.  Thank you Obama. 

[Michael Murphy]

There is a book out called "The Hot Zone" it was written in the mid 1980's and goes into great detail of the first 20 years of Ebola.  During the 70's 80's until 1995 the only group that would send Doctors to Africa was a group call USAMRIID  (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases sounds like Usamrid).  Due to the viral load in victims the Army doctors developed protocols in handling patients.  The team used  space suits or hazmat suits.  The method of taking off the suit is carefully controlled and liberal amounts of bleach is used.  The Army never had any personal come down with ebola.  The General in Italy is responding to the mass hysteria that is occurring in the US and Europe.  When you become contagious it is quite apparent your eyeballs become red, blood starts coming out all your orifices and you have bruises all over your body.  The problem in africa is african burial traditions in the area that ebola comes from.  The whole family comes together and washes the body.  The effluent from a terminal ebola victim is mostly virus.  The nurses who caught ebola were not in full protective gear. The chances of someone not showing symptoms giving any one the disease appears to be nil.

[cattlekid]

Thank you!!  I've tried reiterating this over and over with fearmongering individuals I've run into and all they can counter with is how they don't want to get a flu shot because their cousin's wife's brother's dog got a flu shot once and got sick. 

If you really want to lower your risk of ill health and/or death from a virus get your flu shot.

[Rerun]

Get your flu shot AND  stay home if you feel ill!  Don't get on public transportation or go to work or go to school. 

 

[talker]

Ebola and Flu shots!

Can readily see where this is all headed.

Sheesh

Entering this fray only to the extent of saying 'if one has any 'kidney malfunction' ' ones immune system Is already under high stress.

[PrimeTimer]

I couldn't imagine being on a waiting list for a transplant or someone who has just received a transplant and finding out that someone who recently travelled to/from one of the "hot zones" in West Africa has just entered the room. I would think it completely normal to be very worried. I agree with Dr. Ben Carson; a plan should be based on worst-case scenario and not best-case scenario. Kind of goes with what we've been taught since we were kids; better to be safe than sorry. My husband has Stage 5 ESRD and we work and worry enough as it is to keep him well. 

[Jean]

Of course, any one who has been exposed needs to be quarantined. Not in a tent in a parking lot with no facilities, but at least with a bed, a bathroom and a TV and comfort. You cant endanger all the other people's lives just because you dont want to. Or for any other reason. 21 days is not the end of the world.

[iolaire]

If you are pro African nurse quarantine how can you not be pro Texas nurse quarantine?  And don't forget those nurses in Atlanta and Nebraska who work in the centers that the doctors are sent to.

In my mind what we need to address is how overworked our nurses are.  Regardless of the protocols and the like when nurses are working one or more 12-hour shift per day they are going to make mistakes and with something as contagious as Ebola (when the patient is in the hospital) they can not make mistakes.

[Rerun]

That is correct.  They need a 21 day REST. 

Those health care workers who go to Africa FREE to help the dying to say "Look at me and how wonderful I am" and then come back to the United States and say "I don't give a shit about anyone here" I want to go shopping.... Just are selfish. 

 

[Michael Murphy]

Actually the only thing I can add is the best reason for getting a flu shot is that the symptoms of the flu match the opening symptoms of ebola. I can imagine going to the emergency room with the flu and being questioned about trips to africa.  Remember Leprosy now none as Hansen's for centuries they quarantined victims and did not stop the spread.  Modern Medicine has stopped the disease in its tracks.

[noahvale]

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[lainiepop]

I watched something on TV the other day just a chat show this was their topic. One guy said as we r in the UK we are in actually a unique position where we can 'batten down hatches' so to speak if it becomes bad, nobody enters our island. This is OTT but to an extent I agree. I get my flu shots, I am careful, but I am immuno suppressed and can't account for other peoples stupidity. Stay home if u are sick whatever u have please. Its not just kidney patients I worry bout my kids. Last couple weeks at my sons school a whole year pretty much went down with sickness diarreah bug. Last week it spread to my sons year. His best friend had it and couldn't come to his birthday party. Luckily we have a week break now and he's avoided it. He is so careful though bless him I heard him say to my husband I don't care if I get sick daddy but I know I must be careful for mummy, the last time she had something like this she had her seizure and nearly died. I don't wanna make mumm'y sick. He also told me kids don't wash their hands after the toilet constantly. Partly the school is at fault, they allow them back 24hrs after sickness or diarreah episodes, whereas every other school in the area and my daughters pre school is 48hrs. Partly is the parents, one woman said on the gate keep an eye please he's been sick in the night (school shoulve refused) and another, you'll. Like this one, the kid was sick on the way to school, cleaned up and taken in!!
Sorry gone off topic but I do believe if people r responsible for themselves outbreaks of anything could be avoided. Plus we have a little niece just turned 1 who is fighting leukeamia. Her poor immune system is shot, chemo keeps being halted due to infections (flu and tummy bug). I would be terrified. Its not just kidney patients, also the elderly and pregnant women are more vulnerable, as are newborns etc. Not just us!!
Ebola question, I might be being really stupid here, but why wasn't it quarantined at the source and travel stopped out of the source. Then surely it couldn't spread?

[MooseMom]

The military has a large budget with which to work and can afford to put their people in quarantine at various military bases in the region if they so wish.  People do not enter the military with the expectation that they can defy their commanders' orders whenever they find those orders inconvenient.  Soldiers are supposed to "shut up and do as you're told."

Our armed forces are not in full hazmat gear and are out in the community performing tasks as commanded.  They would not be able to carry out their duties if they were indeed in full protective gear, so if their commanders decide on a quarantine protocol, I can see their reasoning.

As for quarantining health care workers when they return to the US from working with ebola patients in W. Africa, how do we even identify them?  Since there are no direct flights to the US from W. Africa, how do we identify these workers if they don't want to be subject to a possible quarantine?  Who will pay for special, comfy quarantine units?  Will Congress appropriate funds for this purpose?  We can all imagine how much a 21 day stay in a hospital would cost; who would pay for that?

The UK isn't in a "unique situation" just because it is an island.  Shut down Heathrow and the UK economy comes to a virtual halt; no goods coming in or going out.  Business leaders would shriek to the high heavens.  And what do you do with UK citizens who are returning from holiday or from a business trip?  Can you imagine the outcry from them when they are told they can't return to their families and their jobs?  I'd be more worried about catching measles from some kid whose parents think that the vaccine causes autism.

[Michael Murphy]

From what I understand most service men in west Africa are serving in Logistics units.  Setting up hospitals and bringing in supplies and have no contact with the infected.  Only the medical teams have contact with the infected.  Most units have access to Clothing to be used in case of a gas attack.  These suits would also provide protection from a ebola attack.  Ebola is contagious when the body sheds the virus.  People in this stage of the disease look like victims of a zombie movie.  The correct procedure is to isolate any one from west Africa running a fever.  This is the first symptom and occurs prior to the virus shedding period.

[noahvale]

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[Hober Mallow]

The media coverage of ebola has been ridiculous. Ebola isn't very contagious. It isn't transmitted through the air. You have to come in contact with an infected person's bodily fluids. My advice to you if you're frightened of ebola is to simply stop watching the hysterical news coverage.