Ebola Patients Coming to the US: How Safe Are We?

[mystery-ak]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ebola-patients-coming-us-safe/story?id=24804000

Ebola Patients Coming to the US: How Safe Are We?
Aug 1, 2014, 10:53 AM ET
By COLLEEN CURRY

Two Americans who are battling the deadly Ebola virus are being evacuated from Africa with the plan to fly them to U.S. hospitals to receive treatment.

The patients, who both caught the disease while in Africa, will be transported in elaborate isolation chambers and receive treatment by medical staff in protective suits.

Despite the precautions, fears about the disease have spread well beyond Africa. And when the doctors are indeed brought to the U.S., it would be the first time that people with the virus would be on American soil.

"This concern about the introduction of Ebola and its possible spread in the United States has been an aspect of this story that has taken off and somewhat surprised those of us in infectious disease and public health," said Dr. William Shaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

"There are a number of reasons for that -- it’s a very very fatal virus, and this outbreak is the largest ever and it’s not controlled so that’s frightening. It’s exotic and mysterious coming from Africa, and now there are two American faces to it and in fact those American faces are coming home," he said.

continued...

[GourmetDan]

Flyover-country really is a great place to live...

[Relic]

Flyover-country really is a great place to live...

I distrust our government so much, that I wouldn't rule out this as a form of population control.

[ABX]

The way I look at this is they are American citizens and I would much rather them have treatment from our best doctors here than in some third world country. It is better we have them come here in controlled conditions (I really doubt they would just hop on a commercial flight, probably military flight with quarantine compartment) than non controlled entrance into the country by other means.

Having them here in controlled, scientific conditions for their treatment also means they will have access to the best doctors and scientists who can closely monitor and study the disease and possibly be better prepared for the situation when it may come here in a non controlled manner.

[GourmetDan]

I distrust our government so much, that I wouldn't rule out this as a form of population control.

Georgia Guidestones anyone?

"The Georgia Guidestones is a mysterious monument on which are carved ten “commandments” for a “New Age of Reason”. The first commandment? Maintaining the world population under 500 million people."

[Relic]

Georgia Guidestones anyone?

"The Georgia Guidestones is a mysterious monument on which are carved ten “commandments” for a “New Age of Reason”. The first commandment? Maintaining the world population under 500 million people."

I had that in mind...

[GourmetDan]

I had that in mind...

Emory University Hospital is in Atlanta, after all...

[Relic]

Emory University Hospital is in Atlanta, after all...

Either these are really scary times, or my cheese is slipping off of it's cracker.

I don't believe this is the intent of bringing them here, but, it would not shock me if it was.

[GourmetDan]

I don't believe this is the intent of bringing them here, but, it would not shock me if it was.

Wasn't the CDC Director testifying before Congress on the 'bang-up' job they did with anthrax and smallpox samples a few weeks ago?

[olde north church]

Either these are really scary times, or my cheese is slipping off of it's cracker.

I don't believe this is the intent of bringing them here, but, it would not shock me if it was.

What was the intent of the Germans sending Lenin to Russia?

[Oceander]

Get a grip people.  Ebola is not the apocalyptic pandemic some are making it out to be.  Wikipedia has a list of Ebola outbreaks.  The list has 29 separate events over the past 38 years.  The death rate is high, but the total number of people infected is vanishingly small.  Weekend violence in Chicago routinely kills more people than Ebola has.

[DCPatriot]

Don't they become valuable if the survive?  Their blood for an antidote, I mean.

...or is that just in the movies?   LOL! 

[Relic]

Get a grip people.  Ebola is not the apocalyptic pandemic some are making it out to be.  Wikipedia has a list of Ebola outbreaks.  The list has 29 separate events over the past 38 years.  The death rate is high, but the total number of people infected is vanishingly small.  Weekend violence in Chicago routinely kills more people than Ebola has.

WHO disagrees.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2713309/Ebola-moving-faster-efforts-control-WHO-warn-virus-spread-countries-causing-catastrophic-loss-life.html

[Oceander]

WHO disagrees.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2713309/Ebola-moving-faster-efforts-control-WHO-warn-virus-spread-countries-causing-catastrophic-loss-life.html

Suddenly you're accepting government's word without question?


I really love government-sponsored fear-mongering.  Am I saying Ebola is harmless?  No.  All I'm saying is put things into perspective.  Here's some perspective:  every day 28 Americans die in drunk driving crashes.  That means that in a month - 30 days - about 840 Americans die.  And that goes on, month in and month out.  That's a catastrophe.

For comparison's sake, the current Ebola outbreak started in February 2014.  It's now the beginning of August, which implies the outbreak has been ongoing for about 6 months.  During that time there have been 729 suspected deaths, and only 485 confirmed deaths, due to Ebola.  During that same time approximately 5,000 Americans died in drunk driving crashes.

The WHO is fear-mongering.

[Relic]

Suddenly you're accepting government's word without question?

And you're accepting Wikipedia without question?

WHO isn't our government, so that gives them a sliver of credibility.

[Oceander]

And you're accepting Wikipedia without question?

WHO isn't our government, so that gives them a sliver of credibility.

Nope.  I go to the sources cited in the wikipedia articles, follow up on them, and usually do my own poking around as well.  Unlike some I don't just assume that things which fit my preconceived notions are true.

[Chieftain]

Get a grip people.  Ebola is not the apocalyptic pandemic some are making it out to be.  Wikipedia has a list of Ebola outbreaks.  The list has 29 separate events over the past 38 years.  The death rate is high, but the total number of people infected is vanishingly small.  Weekend violence in Chicago routinely kills more people than Ebola has.

That is quite true for past outbreaks, in large part because the United States was on the ground with good equipment to back them up to successfully contain outbreaks as soon as they were identified. 

That is not the situation now, the deaths are at 800 and climbing and the number of infections have overwhelmed the govenment's ability to deal with it in three different countries.  The only thing being done on an international scale at the moment is the airlines are refusing to fly into or out of those countries until further notice.  The most likely outcome of this outbreak is that it will burn itself out in six months leaving no telling how many thousand deaths in its wake.

There has been no US response of any measure to this crisis, which is why it is a frickin' crisis!!  This is what World Leadership is supposed to be looking out for, instead we have Islamic extremists running amok in Africa which only aids the spread of these kinds of massive plagues.  This will get much, much worse before it gets any better.  It is already completely out of control, but I am sure Obama will be thinking about how to fix this too on the golf course this weekend.

[Relic]

Nope.  I go to the sources cited in the wikipedia articles, follow up on them, and usually do my own poking around as well.  Unlike some I don't just assume that things which fit my preconceived notions are true.

Well then, I guess you have all the answers?

Maybe you should just make your way to Atlanta to help those moron doctors?

[Oceander]

Maybe it has to do with the fact that I've had a lethal disease - meningitis - together with typhoid fever at the same time, in a third-world country, and managed to survive.

[Relic]

Maybe it has to do with the fact that I've had a lethal disease - meningitis - together with typhoid fever at the same time, in a third-world country, and managed to survive.

Hey, I went to a baseball game, maybe I can get a professional contract?

[Oceander]

Hey, I went to a baseball game, maybe I can get a professional contract?

Hey, maybe you're a cosseted American with little actual experience of the real world.  Maybe you could get a life.

[Relic]

Hey, maybe you're a cosseted American with little actual experience of the real world.  Maybe you could get a life.

Yea, I'm so cosseted, that I spent time in the military so you could spew your nonsense.
Attack, then whine.    Yep, you're a lawyer.