<p>Thank you, frugaldoctor, for a dose of reality.</p>
<p>“The Great Influenza” and Atul Gowande’s “Better” are two excellent books that address issues that come into play with the Ebola epidemic. And, of course, The Hot Zone. </p>
<p>If the protocol is hard to follow, there will be breaches and it’s not a good protocol. If the protective suit is hard to take off, a good protocol will have a preventive measure written into it, like a buddy system. As I said before, Americans aren’t anal enough to stop the highly contagious virus. You can’t just tell them to become more anal overnight and follow the protocol. How many simultaneous cases can we handle? So far, it’s one at a time.</p>
<p>So you have a better idea and have recommendations for improved protocol?</p>
<p>If they don’t, I suggest they stop flights until a better measure can be taken.</p>
<p>Stop all airline flights? Seriously? </p>
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<p>Really? In this day and age? That’s the scariest thing I’ve heard yet.</p>
<p>Iglooo, here’s the problem with a buddy system:</p>
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<p>I have often observed this at hospitals, when there with my aging parents. Often. Doctors and nurses are hurried and harried because they are spread too thin, in the name of profit. Mistakes are inevitable.</p>
<p>In general, yes, people make mistakes. It’s just that I’m sure the few healthcare workers that KNOW they are working with an ebola patient would be as cautious as possible in every aspect. </p>
<p>This was not ER it was the isolated ICU unit where everyone knew they were dealing with an isolation patient with a deadly disease. There are so many possible points of breakdown in the procedure even in the best of circumstances. The Spanish authorities seem to be blaming the Spanish nurse for her own infection rather than looking at how someone who is being as careful as a human can might still be exposed. If it were easy to contain then there wouldn’t be so many professionals infected. People had posited that the infection rate amongst health workers in Africa was due to substandard equipment and facilities. It is now evident that the best facilities, equipment and presumably training aren’t necessarily enough. I return to my argument from the previous thread . . . we might be able to do this as a nation and a health system on a small scale (which remains to be seen), but I feel that it demonstrates hubris and misplaced optimism to think that with many cases over many facilities we wouldn’t see the same types of breakdowns. “American Exceptionalism” at its worst</p>
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<p>Flights from the affected area. What’s so shocking? Or issue entry visa only after 21 day voluntary quarantine.</p>
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<p>Add Ebola virus to that. Can you still say we are fully prepared?</p>
<p>I heard that epidemiologists from the University of Texas Health Science Center are overseeing the Dallas Ebola cases now, rather than the CDC. No link.</p>
<p>They may do a far better job than CDC. CDC didn’t even have a protocol on how to clean up after an Ebola patient. </p>
<p>What is the big deal with restricting travel in and out of the hot zone? I’ve read that there are about 150 travelers per day. That’s not alot of inconvenience to avoid a plague. Also, Duncan had reportedly been denied a tourist Visa for years before it’s untimely approval. </p>
<p>Stopping flights will not work. My biggest concern while in Africa was the fear that flights would be banned. So, I already found an alternate route through unaffected countries. I would have been allowed entry into the US. If I was able to find those routes, I am sure the people from affected countries could do the same. If you do ban those flights, you will help the epidemic spread further by making it difficult to send supplies and medical personnel to the affected countries.</p>
<p>The hospital’s infection protocols are not difficult to follow, people just choose not to follow them:</p>
<p>In the surgical unit:</p>
<p>1) Don’t wear scrubs from home or hospital scrubs out of the hospital. Staff routinely wear scrubs in from home and wear them out. Potentially spreading pathogens.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>No jewelry, watches, or fake nails.</p></li>
<li><p>Wash your hands in and out of a patient’s room.</p></li>
<li><p>Wear eye shields.</p></li>
<li><p>Routinely wear gloves when touching patients.</p></li>
<li><p>Wear gloves when starting IVs</p></li>
</ol>
<p>These aren’t difficult, but people refuse to follow the rules.</p>
<p>Flossy: you can take a bus from Liberia into an unaffected country and fly to Europe and then the US without any evidence of your travels in Liberia. There might be 150 travelers per day arriving from Hot Zones, but many more arriving indirectly from Europe. Remember, Eric Duncan flew in from Brussels.</p>
<p>Pics from Daily Mail
<a href=“Home of Dallas nurse who has tested positive for Ebola under police guard | Daily Mail Online”>Home of Dallas nurse who has tested positive for Ebola under police guard | Daily Mail Online;
<p>I didn’t realize the nurse has a dog. On the bright side, if she was at work when she statted getting a fever, then it’s unlikely it got exposed. The not so bright side, the article says the dog is not showing any signs of Ebola. I hope this means they tested it and not that they are just observing it. Dogs have been known to test positive for the virus without ever coming down with the disease.</p>
<p>I HATE seeing people out and about wearing scrubs. i don’t care if they are coming or going to work. It. Is. Gross.
And the shoes, too. God knows what they are tracking around the mall for the rest of us to pick up and bring home.</p>
<p>Can’t you check the passport to see where the travel originated? As for transporting meidical supplies and personnel, we can get a charter plane easily. I don’t know why anyone keeps bringing that up. How many aid workers are there? Not so many that you need unlimited daily flights.</p>
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<p>One more reason my house is a no-shoe zone. Yuck.</p>
<p>I did not read the previous posts.
Let’s pray for this care giver and hope that Mr. Duncan’s family understand that this care giver sacrified a lot for him.</p>
<p>“Remember, Eric Duncan flew in from Brussels.”.</p>
<p>Yes, I get this. My issue is more with the tourist Visa that he was planning to overstay by most reports than the airline flight.</p>