Ebola, will the US get it?

Texas hospital puts possible Ebola patient in isolation

(Reuters) - A Texas hospital said on Monday it has admitted a patient into "strict isolation" to be evaluated for possible infection with the Ebola virus, as health officials battle an epidemic in West Africa that has already killed thousands of people.

In a brief statement, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas cited the unnamed patient's symptoms and recent travel history as reasons for the isolation.

The 898-bed acute-care hospital "is following all federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Texas Department of Heath recommendations to ensure the safety of patients, hospital staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors," it said.

The hospital said the CDC anticipated preliminary results of tests on the patient to be ready on Tuesday.

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Does anyone think we'll get more than a few isolated cases or an outbreak in the U.S.? And is it really any scarier than HIV or Hep-C, or is it Media hyped?

grip said:

Does anyone think we'll get more than a few isolated cases or an outbreak in the U.S.? And is it really any scarier than HIV or Hep-C, or is it Media hyped?

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Anything is possible, I guess. But without a mutation the illness does not sound as though its contagion characteristics would spread in countries with morticians, soap and running water. Should it mutate the bets are even.

It is media hype. Unless you plan on getting infected blood, using infected syringes, trading infected saliva, or other bodily fluids then you are fine. The CDC says it cannot be transmitted through air or water. I'm not saying that Ebola isn't scary, it is, but realistically, an outbreak can be prevented in the United States.

joG said:

Anything is possible, I guess. But without a mutation the illness does not sound as though its contagion characteristics would spread in countries with morticians, soap and running water. Should it mutate the bets are even.

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Each time it transmits from person to person it mutates, just not enough to necessarily be radically different in symptoms or outcome. From what I've read, it's unlikely to go airborne but that would probably be a game changer.

This is a problem.....epidemic proportions. People being infected are increasing 3 times more than what previously was thought. That's in a week. Even the one director has put herself and her deputy under quarantine. Other doctors are being infected and thats those going over there to try and help.


Dallas hospital isolates possible Ebola patient.....

A Dallas hospital is holding a patient in "strict isolation" as that person is evaluated for possible exposure to the deadly Ebola virus. In a statement issued Tuesday night, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas said the patient was admitted based on symptoms and "recent travel history." The hospital, located at Greenville Avenue and Walnut Hill Lane in Northeast Dallas, said it is complying with all recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the Texas Department of Health to ensure the safety of other patients and medical staff. Preliminary results of tests on the patient are expected from the CDC on Tuesday.

The World Health Organization says it has confirmed more than 3,000 Ebola-related deaths in West Africa during the current outbreak, which has spread to five countries: Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. would offer military and medical help to combat the disease in West Africa which has now reached epidemic proportions.

Several U.S. hospitals have previously raised alerts in connection with patients who presented Ebola-like symptoms, but all those cases tested negative for the virus.....snip~

Dallas hospital isolates possible Ebola patient

Ebola seems mostly fatal in circumstances where the patient does not have access to modern medicine. The virus seems to pass over time and it's a matter of keeping the patient alive long enough for that to happen. At least this is my current best understanding.

If Ebola comes to the US we stand a good chance of the CDC being on the ball and while the possibility is very real and we as a country are at risk. We may not be hit so hard.

It is only a matter of time guys, eventually someone will travel here who has been exposed with just the right timing to be infected and bring it here to later show symptoms. The CDC is saying monitor yourself for 21 days if concerned about being in an area where Ebola has broken out, that is a very long time to move around. While I would agree that in nations where there is real concern those that traval are being watched, but would offer there is only so much that can be done.

It isn't going to go airborne, that's almost impossible. We aren't going to have a mass outbreak. People need to calm down on that front.

grip said:

Does anyone think we'll get more than a few isolated cases or an outbreak in the U.S.? And is it really any scarier than HIV or Hep-C, or is it Media hyped?

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Just from what I've read...which admittedly doesn't mean much....

The spread of the disease seems to be rampant in countries that have no infrastructure to combat it. How the disease is transmitted seams to be something that isn't too difficult to contain. If it mutates though it seems like it would be a scary situation....so...yes...it's possible there may be a couple of cases in the US but I think it's highly unlikely. If there were cases in the US I believe it would be very easy to contain. With the proper messaging and fast reaction I don't think this is the new Spanish Influenza

Sherman123 said:

It isn't going to go airborne, that's almost impossible. We aren't going to have a mass outbreak. People need to calm down on that front.

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It's a Jayvee league disease, no need to pay any attention, because that's historically how it works best.

tacomancer said:

Ebola seems mostly fatal in circumstances where the patient does not have access to modern medicine. The virus seems to pass over time and it's a matter of keeping the patient alive long enough for that to happen. At least this is my current best understanding.

If Ebola comes to the US we stand a good chance of the CDC being on the ball and while the possibility is very real and we as a country are at risk. We may not be hit so hard.

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Finally, a realistic response. We have the resources to probably keep an outbreak contained from causing devastating results, though with it's long incubation, it could wheedle its way into the mainstream over time. Hopefully, we'll send the necessary equipment and experts to stop/slow it at it's source.

grip said:

Does anyone think we'll get more than a few isolated cases or an outbreak in the U.S.? And is it really any scarier than HIV or Hep-C, or is it Media hyped?

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Lursa said:

Previous outbreaks historically of measles, smallpox, bubonic plague, cholera, yellow fever, influenza, etc killed hundreds of thousands to millions.

Ebola is not as easily spread as any of those. And in a country with better sanitation and medical practices and less uneducated family involvement, it could be pretty well contained in its present state.

The sad thing however, would be that it would then become endemic in the US and could crop up again at any time. And it's still a horrible disease.

This happened with bubonic plague. It still circulates here out West in rodent populations. Fortunately we have a cure for the plague.

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We'll be fine.

Lursa said:

Previous outbreaks historically of measles, smallpox, bubonic plague, cholera, yellow fever, influenza, etc killed hundreds of thousands to millions.

Ebola is not as easily spread as any of those. And in a country with better sanitation and medical practices and less uneducated family involvement, it could be pretty well contained in its present state.

The sad thing however, would be that it would then become endemic in the US and could crop up again at any time. And it's still a horrible disease.

This happened with bubonic plague. It still circulates here out West in rodent populations. Fortunately we have a cure for the plague.

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Well put. I think this is exactly the highest probability, that we come up with a fairly good antivirus (Z-mapp) and treatment protocol, which limits the spread from becoming a US epidemic. But eventually it stays within the population over the next several decades emerging suddenly, now and then, in pocket areas.

Should we not close the poll now, it is here. I am not sounding an alarm or anything but it appears that we now have a patient in the US diagnosed with Ebola. And it happened roughly in a manner we were talking about. Someone travelled here infected and did not show signs of having it until arriving here.

(CNN) -- For the first time, a patient in an American hospital has been diagnosed with Ebola.

The unidentified man, who is being treated at a Dallas hospital, didn't show symptoms until after four or five days of arriving in the United States from Liberia.

Officials are being tight-lipped about how he contracted the virus or how he's being treated, citing privacy concerns.

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Should Americans worry after 1st Ebola diagnosis in US? - CNN.com

OrphanSlug said:

Should we not close the poll now, it is here. I am not sounding an alarm or anything but it appears that we now have a patient in the US diagnosed with Ebola. And it happened roughly in a manner we were talking about. Someone travelled here infected and did not show signs of having it until arriving here.



Should Americans worry after 1st Ebola diagnosis in US? - CNN.com

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And now, they're monitoring a second possible Ebola infected person, who had close contact with this first one.

Officials: Second person being monitored for Ebola

Sherman123 said:

It isn't going to go airborne, that's almost impossible. We aren't going to have a mass outbreak. People need to calm down on that front.

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Yes and no. It's more likely to be sporadic and slow to spread, but persistent. Especially if it finds a non-human vector to hide in here.

grip said:

And now, they're monitoring a second possible Ebola infected person, who had close contact with this first one.

Officials: Second person being monitored for Ebola

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And man was it a great idea to bring all those people back here who have had exposure. :roll:

clownboy said:

And man was it a great idea to bring all those people back here who have had exposure. :roll:

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At least they were prepared to isolate those patients, but letting people fly into the US from those affected regions is a little stupid, IMO.

grip said:

At least they were prepared to isolate those patients, but letting people fly into the US from those affected regions is a little stupid, IMO.

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Let me ask you...where do you think that action...stopping them...needs to happen?

Lursa said:

Let me ask you...where do you think that action...stopping them...needs to happen?

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Oh, I suppose similar to the way they screen passports from potential terrorist regions.

Is the info below relevant, highly probable.

The patient, a man, walked into an emergency room at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas on September 26. A nurse asked him for his travel history while he was in the emergency room, and the patient said he had traveled to Africa, said Dr. Mark Lester, executive vice president of Texas Health Resources.

But that information was not "fully communicated" to the medical team, Lester said.

The man, who had just flown from Liberia to the United States, underwent basic blood tests, but not an Ebola screening, and was sent home with antibiotics, said Dr. Edward Goodman with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Two days later, on September 28, the man returned to the facility, where it was determined that he probably had Ebola. He was then isolated. He tested positive for the virus Tuesday, health officials said.

Texas Ebola patient came into contact with children - CNN.com

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grip said:

Oh, I suppose similar to the way they screen passports from potential terrorist regions.

Is the info below relevant, highly probable.

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Where are you screening them and who is doing the screening?

Lursa said:

Where are you screening them and who is doing the screening?

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The same people who already screen airport security, the TSA. It's not fool proof, but it's better than allowing non restricted travel from disease stricken areas. Even if they come from Europe on a hop over from Africa, their passports will have a record of it.

grip said:

The same people who already screen airport security, the TSA. It's not fool proof, but it's better than allowing non restricted travel from disease stricken areas. Even if they come from Europe on a hop over from Africa, their passports will have a record of it.

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Do they have a "TSA" in Africa? Are they any more competent than the TSA here? I doubt it, their bureaucracies, corruption, and nepotism are historically horrendous.

Lursa said:

Do they have a "TSA" in Africa? Are they any more competent than the TSA here? I doubt it, their bureaucracies, corruption, and nepotism are historically horrendous.

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Every airport usually has some sort of security, and our TSA doesn't have to allow certain flights or passengers into the US.