Second Ebola patient

[TatinG]

<p>CNN reported that she was flown to Maine by private chartered airplane.</p>

[Bay]

<p>Ok, thanks. </p>

[oldmom4896]

<p>She left in a private car. She was in a tent at the hospital with a portapotty and no ability to shower the whole time she was detained.</p>

[collegealum314]

<p>

You may not agree with the detention, but the detention wasn’t unlawful. There was a procedure etablished in preparation of bio terror attacks.</p>

<p>I must have missed the part about Ms. Hickox being a suspected terrorist.

</p>

<p>The response to bio terror attacks probably involves a quarantine of those hit by the attacks.</p>

[Bay]

<p>According to this article, Christie says it was the CDC and "medical officials " who hospitalized Ms. Hickox and gave her an Ebola test. <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/nyregion/nurse-in-newark-to-be-allowed-to-finish-ebola-quarantine-at-home-christie-says.html”>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/nyregion/nurse-in-newark-to-be-allowed-to-finish-ebola-quarantine-at-home-christie-says.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

“She was obviously ill enough that the C.D.C. and medical officials hospitalized her and gave her an Ebola test,” Mr. Christie said on Monday. “They don’t do that just for fun. That’s a very specific, difficult, expensive test to do.”

</p>

<p>I realize that to some of you, the mere fact that Christie said it means it is a lie, but there it is. I suppose the CDC will dispute this if he is making it up.</p>

[zoosermom]

<p>

. Eventually, this will be sorted out in due time if she decides to proceed with a civil action.

And that clarification would be exactly the appropriate thing for everyone to know.</p>

<p>

The legal eagles I chatted with say that they would not give the NJ govt. a free pass here under that quarantine order.

And what about the NY govt?</p>

[LasMa]

<p>Here’s a governor who’s letting the experts lead the way:</p>

<p>

Mass. Governor Deval Patrick told local reporters that the decision on whether or not to quarantine health care workers traveling back from treating patients in West Africa will rest with the public health officials.</p>

<p>When asked whether or not Massachusetts has a plan for quarantining people, Gov. Patrick responded: “We don’t need a plan to quarantine. We’re doing what the CDC has advised. . .</p>

<p>“I understand people’s anxiety, but there are health protocols about where risk is high and where it is not, and how to ensure that where risk is high, we deal with it, including isolations where someone is presenting symptoms.

</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/health/2014/10/27/ebola-today-will-fight-over-the-long-haul-embassador-says/kTMFlrlMwl03bdLafAKiMN/story.html”>http://www.boston.com/health/2014/10/27/ebola-today-will-fight-over-the-long-haul-embassador-says/kTMFlrlMwl03bdLafAKiMN/story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[Nrdsb4]

<p>This is pretty off topic, though it’s been touched on about how nurses are valued by society as well as their employers. Some of the comments I’ve read on the internet about Kaci Hickox are just dripping with disdain, not only about her objection to her current circumstances, but the fact that she went to Africa to begin with.</p>

<p>I just found out that my youngest college daughter just got hired for a summer internship which pays an $800 a month housing stipend, reimbursement for travel, and more money per hour than I make as a nurse with 2 college degrees.</p>

<p>There are times indeed when I feel like I “chose poorly.” Of course it’s not all about the money, but…</p>

[LasMa]

<p>Bay, Ms. Hickox is negative for the virus, so by definition, she is not “ill.” Whether Dr. Christie is lying, or cynically stoking public fears, or simply ignorant, I’ll leave you to decide.</p>

[Bay]

<p>I’d say Christie is no more ignorant than any person who was not a physician personally attending to Ms. Hickox, including every single person on this thread.</p>

[zoosermom]

<p>

so by definition, she is not “ill.”

There are other variations on “ill” than Ebola and according the the NJ Health Department, she did have a fever. So ill but not Ebola? Who knows. </p>

[TatinG]

<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-case-for-suspending-us-visas-in-ebola-affected-countries/2014/10/26/f1d55fb4-5bba-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-case-for-suspending-us-visas-in-ebola-affected-countries/2014/10/26/f1d55fb4-5bba-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The case for visa suspensions made by the former chief of homeland security. </p>

[LasMa]

<p>So you’re saying he hasn’t heard the news that she’s negative? Or are you saying he doesn’t know what a negative test means? Maybe that’s it. Maybe he thinks “negative” means “bad”, as in "sick. " In which case, as you are fond of saying, LOL</p>

[Consolation]

<p>

I imagine there were issues with transporting Ms. Hickox back to Maine. I read it was by private car, but I don’t know who was driving. The quarantine would not have allowed her to sit in a public airport, train or bus station. I’m guessing a family member had to come down with their car to pick her up. How long does it take to drive to NJ from Maine (I’m a CA’n)?

</p>

<p>It takes about 6 hours from Hoboken–which is near Newark–to where I live, but Fort Kent is another 5 hours or more. It is close to the most northern point in the state, on the Canadian border. So the drive would likely be a solid 11-12 hours.</p>

<p>Not surprising that she was flown.</p>

<p>BTW, I watched an ABC news clip in which the “reporter”–if a tv news person deserves that description–confidently stated that Hickox was sick with something, but not Ebola, since she tested negative. It is hardly surprising that people are confused. </p>

<p>I am also saddened but not surprised that some people would criticize anyone who volunteers with DWB in Africa. There are a lot of racist ignoramuses out there.</p>

[emilybee]

<p>It takes about 5 hrs to get from N. NJ to Portland by car. </p>

<p>"She was obviously ill enough that the C.D.C. and medical officials hospitalized her and gave her an Ebola test,” Mr. Christie said on Monday. “They don’t do that just for fun. That’s a very specific, difficult, expensive test to do.” </p>

<p>Since she is not, in fact, ever ill at all Christie’s statement is absurd. If he had said that they wanted to make absolutely sure she didn’t have Ebola since one of the temp. reading showed fever, so they tested her for it, that would have been OK, imo. But he still is holding on to this crazy idea that she was ill and making himself look even more ridiculous with each passing day. </p>

[oldmom4896]

<p>

Ms. Hickox’s lawyer, Steven Hyman, said she had been released midday on Monday from University Hospital in Newark. A hospital spokeswoman said that two black S.U.V.s with tinted windows were headed to Maine, with the patient as a passenger in one. The spokeswoman, Stacie Newton, declined to say where in Maine the convoy was going, or whose vehicles they were.

</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/nyregion/nurse-in-newark-to-be-allowed-to-finish-ebola-quarantine-at-home-christie-says.html”>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/nyregion/nurse-in-newark-to-be-allowed-to-finish-ebola-quarantine-at-home-christie-says.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[BunsenBurner]

<p>But does the quarantine statute give the NJ government the authority to detain people who have fever and keep holding them when the existing tests come negative? I hope this is not what the holding will be in this case if it goes that far. (I’m being sarcastic, but apparently, there is plenty of bad case law).</p>

[zoosermom]

<p>

So you’re saying he hasn’t heard the news that she’s negative? Or are you saying he doesn’t know what a negative test means?

Maybe he thinks someone who had a fever is “ill.”</p>

<p>And I wonder what your thoughts are re Governor Cuomo’s agreement with Governor Christie on this issue. If Ms. Hickox had landed at JFK and been guarantined in New York per the governor’s statements, you would be using the same adjectives to describe his conduct, right? </p>

[Bay]

<p>Wasn’t he referring to the airport encounter, when the CDC made the determination to hospitalize her? I read his quote that way. In other words, he is saying that the CDC wouldn’t have hospitalized her if she wasn’t ill enough to warrant hospitalization and testing.</p>

[emilybee]

<p>“Some of the comments I’ve read on the internet about Kaci Hickox are just dripping with disdain, not only about her objection to her current circumstances, but the fact that she went to Africa to begin with.”</p>

<p>It’s appalling. It’s also done to teachers all the time and people who choose to work in the public sector. </p>