<p>Didn’t his flight originate from Liberia? They can stop the original flight.</p>
<p>I’m glad you’ve posted, frugaldoctor, because like igloo, I’ve wondered why there isn’t a way to monitor who is coming and going as a tourist verses a health worker who is there for the specific purpose of helping fight the disease. Would it be possible to give special visas to all health workers we are flying over and back but not allow anyone originating from Liberia or passing through to come in for the time being? I don’t see why it would even require a chartered plane. Just the right paperwork. I would think west Africans from infected countries would have their countries’ passports. People from other countries flying in and out would have their countries’ passports, and could carry special pass or visa as well.
It’s hard for people like me to understand what the logistical problem is, although I do understand that it would require changes in how things are done now, and might cause inconveniences.</p>
<p>Iglooo, passport checks aren’t always accurate. These borders are porous and the targeted countries could easily assign a paper visa, like Cuba, so the passports would never show the travel. I know for a fact that many people travel in and out of Liberia without needing passports.</p>
<p>The reason why I, can’t speak for others, keep bringing up the medical supply, personnel and money angle is because Doctors Without Borders has been asking for this for months to stop the spread of Ebola. If the people on the ground, who have risked their lives, are asking for this, then we should listen. Many African health workers have died caring for Ebola patients. They need willing replacements to care and isolate these patients. I’ve seen first hand how the fear of banning flights or quarantine reduced the number of physicians that participated in my medical mission.</p>
<p>Moonchild, you bring up a good point and it could work if it is done with all of the gaps closed. I traveled with a Liberian national to and from West Africa. Now, we never entered Liberia, but I would hate if would have been denied re-entry to the US due to his passport. But, as I learned, we could have traveled back and forth to Liberia without any documentation on our passports.</p>
<p>Something to keep in mind is that there are two other hospitals in the US that have managed to treat two Ebola patients each without anyone becoming infected so far. Why is this? Because those hospitals trained their staff better? Had more resources? Sheer luck?</p>
<p>Better training and resources is likely, since both hospitals knew in advance that they were going to get Ebola patients, whereas the Dallas hospital was reacting on the fly. It may be that the other two hospitals followed the CDC protocols more exactly. It may be that they took additional precautions. I’m sure that this is being examined minutely right now. </p>
<p>One could find alternative methods to transport medical supplies/personell. That can’t be a primary reason not to stop flights from the affected area. If many people are traveling on paer visa without passport, ne could ban travel without passports. It will take some adjustment but can be done without much difficulty. Even if someone can get around new restrictions, it would stop the majority. That may be good enough.</p>
<p>“CDC didn’t even have a protocol on how to clean up after an Ebola patient.”</p>
<p>Untrue. The protocols have been even posted on the CDC’s website prior to the current mess. Please check the facts instead of listening to the FUD spread by the media. </p>
<p>
I know it would not be perfect and would be unfair to some. But as it stands, there is really no protection for us or other countries as long as ill people can leave so easily. If your west African collegue had a special visa because of his medical purpose, then he would have been allowed
. The fact that you could have traveled back and forth to Liberia without any documentation on your passports is exactly the problem I’m thinking needs to be addressed.</p>
<p>Like others have said, stopping the flights won’t work. Visa stamps are easily avoided and alternative routes are easy. </p>
<p>I know more than one person who has done the Cuba trick and it is not difficult at all. Even for people that aren’t seasoned travelers. <em>whistles</em> </p>
<p>Since when? I did look up at the start of the first Ebola case. I wanted to see what I need to do in an unlikely event one of workmen threw up.</p>
<p>People will always find ways. But the ban will still stop many. That will help greatly. So far, I don’t see any convincing argument why travel ban will not work. First, it was medical supplies and personnel. We can address that easily. Next, it’s because people will find other ways. Most won’t find other ways. What else?</p>
<p>Igloo:</p>
<p><a href=“Redirect| Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease) | CDC”>Redirect| Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease) | CDC;
<p>"On August 1, 2014, CDC released guidance titled,”Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients with Known or Suspected Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in U.S. Hospitals.”</p>
<p>There were several guidelines as far back as 1998. Here are just 2: <a href=“Isolation Precautions | Guidelines Library | Infection Control | CDC”>Isolation Precautions | Guidelines Library | Infection Control | CDC;
<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/InfectControl98.pdf”>http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/InfectControl98.pdf</a></p>
<p>Thank you, Billl and Melinda!</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2014/09/Gates-Foundation-Commits-$50%20Million-to-Support-Emergency-Response-to-Ebola”>http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2014/09/Gates-Foundation-Commits-$50%20Million-to-Support-Emergency-Response-to-Ebola</a></p>
<p>Thank you for the links. For a layman, how do you suggest to find the links you posted? I went to CDC website and clicked on Ebola. There was no what to do link. I clicked on transmission, prevention, etc. but none of them had information. I am not bad at searching and usually find what I need. Not in this case.</p>
<p><a href=“http://texashealth.org/body.cfm?id=1629&action=detail&ref=1885”>http://texashealth.org/body.cfm?id=1629&action=detail&ref=1885</a></p>
<p>This is turning into a battle between agencies all saying they did what they were supposed to do and no-one is solving the problem which is getting bigger. The temperature taking at airports is an example of an agency action that does nothing.</p>
<p>Also, her test results have been confirmed. It’s positive.</p>
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</p>
<p>Those have special infectious disease isolation units. I think the USA has a total of 21 beds in those kind of isolation units, iirc.
Presby is just a regular hospital.</p>
<p>From a blog, so I can’t link, 23 beds in the country specially equipped for biocontainment:
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<p>I think the hospital is doing what it can to solve the problem at this point. In fact, normal emergency procedures have been halted temporarily during the crisis. No regular ambulances are being accepted into ER because of the need for isolation and monitoring. From Flossy’s link:</p>
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<p>So the hospital is acknowledging their staff limitations. I am all for sending money and boots on the ground to Liberia to build their hospitals and infrastructure. I do believe that the world needs to come together aid these countries if we are going to end the disease at its source. That’s the real game. I’m glad we’re stepping up in that way.
However, I see no reason we can’t also protect our citizens here at home by temporarily suspending travel from Liberia and other affected countries allowing only military, health personnel and others directly involved in the mission the freedom to come and go. I know that individuals are theoretically not allowed visas to travel to the US if they are a health threat. If this isn’t a health threat, I don’t know what would be.</p>
<p>.
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<p>Did you need to know how to dispose of an Ebola patient’s body? The CDC has been studying Ebola since 1976 when it was first identified, they sent in a team for that first outbreak. They certainly have protocols and as much knowledge as any organization in the world on how the disease spreads and can be contained. Don’t act like they had no idea, you don’t know what you are talking about.</p>
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<p>Indded. To insinuate that since Emory could everyone else should be able to if they were competent is beyond stretching. </p>