<p>This brings us back to the question asked early in this thread, though and it’s why many people suspect he knew all along. The guy we went to the ER with very mild symptoms. Basically, a stomach ache. If anyone else was exposed they may have a case against the hospital. However, I remain unconvinced that he does but I am sure they will try to find one and someone will probably receive some sort of a settlement. And, I think it will be very tough if not impossible to prove he died because of that ER error since most people with Ebola die, unfortunately. </p>
<p>Also, I still don’t understand why it’s so important for tourists to visit the US from the hot zone.</p>
<p>In my state some healthcare professionals that work pro bono are immune from litigation. Wonder if thats true there, and if they will write off the entire bill.</p>
<p>I heard the CDC director’s news conference day before yesterday on the radio. Frankly, he sounded evasive. He did not answer reporter’s questions. He sounded more like a politician than a scientist, which really worried me. </p>
<p>150 people fly into the U. S. from the hot zone every day. Its politics rather than science. The temperature screening is just theater. Duncan wouldn’t have been caught by a temperature screening at Dulles. He wasn’t symptomatic at that point. </p>
<p>Flossy, let’s say he did suspect he had Ebola. He presented himself with the symptoms he had, said he had recently been in Liberia, was checked out by the nurse and doctor, and was sent home with antibiotics. If he’s like most people, he would be relieved at that the experts–trained medical professionals–suspect the worst. He would have likely assumed they knew to look for symptoms of Ebola, just as they would any other disease.</p>
<p>They made a mistake in the ER. There’s no disagreement or debate about that fact. The specific chain of events and precisely who is responsible and how it happened is unclear, but it was an admitted error. Was it malpractice or discrimination? is another question, though. But, as I said, I absolutely think the hospital will settle with someone to make this whole mess go away. </p>
<p>Tatin,
He is, in some respects, a “politician”. The CDC is a government agency. Many employees there, as Commissioned Corps of the USPHS, wear uniforms.</p>
<p>I have heard him speak in the past. He is well spoken and usually pretty forthright, but if he doesn’t have a clear answer, he isnt likely to give one. And in this potentially alarmist situation there are multiple delicacies to manage.</p>
<p>You can’t make sure a simple mistake not to happen again.You can’t prevent a chance mistake unfortunately. I am sure this particular mistake won’t happen again. Some other mistake will tho and we don’t know what it will be next time.</p>
<p>He got sicker on the antibiotics and his half brother in South Carolina called the CDC. An odd chain of events, imho. And, we should also remember that after the diagnosis and the quarantine order the family refused to comply and health officials stationed a guard outside their apartment. That’s when the unrelated to him people we are calling his family called CNN with more complaints.</p>
<p>“He got sicker on the antibiotics and his half brother in South Carolina called the CDC. An odd chain of events, imho”</p>
<p>Why is that odd? Perhaps the half brother thought if Dallas ebola patient showed up again at ER he would just be sent home again - like the first time. </p>
<p>What would you do if you suspected someone had Ebola but the hospital had dismissed it? </p>
<p>Go back? Start jumping up and down in the ER? Anything but call relatives out-of-state and ask them to call a government agency in DC. That’s about the last thing I would do.But, that’s just me. None of this matters much.</p>
<p>What is odd is that they suspected Ebola. What is more odd is that they didn’t spell it out to the hospital that they suspected Ebola. The hospital would have more likely acted upon on the mention of Ebola than just Liberia.</p>
<p>So are we all supposed to show up to the hospital with a list of our “suspected” ailments that we’ve compiled via self-diagnosis and internet research? </p>
<p>“What is odd is that they suspected Ebola.”</p>
<p>We don’t know that he suspected it when he first went to ER. And as another poster said, maybe the fact that the ER didn’t think whatever he had was Ebola and necessitated testing put his mind at ease. But maybe when the half brother heard he was getting worse, even after being given antibiotics, he became very concerned and called the CDC. This is not like the normal contagious diseases we are used to in this country - so doing something like calling the CDC, in this case, seems to me to be a good call by the half brother. </p>
<p>Sally, they had a relationship and a child in the 90’s and were estranged for nearly two decades. He last saw the child when he was three. None of the other people we are talking about had ever met this guy. His mother and son may have standing for a lawsuit. The girlfriend, I don’t really see how. But again, I do think she is getting some sort of settlement from someone for something.</p>
<p>Don’t scream. No, people don’t sue all the time. There are still places things are done on handshakes and no big issues pop up. When people sue it is more often than not for their self interest than to protect others from repeated future mishaps. In this particular case, if you are trying to prevent the same mistake the hospital made, you don’t need to sue. It won’t happen again at this hospital or any other hospital in the country.</p>