Ebola outbreak - general thread #1

[txyorkiemom]

My concern is the 1st confirmed case .. he was treated 1st in the ER and sent home and then returned via EMS ... upon 1st visit to ER..Did ER lab tech do blood draw and cross contaminate the entire lab perhaps??

 

[nrdsb4]

My concern is the 1st confirmed case .. he was treated 1st in the ER and sent home and then returned via EMS ... upon 1st visit to ER..Did ER lab tech do blood draw and cross contaminate the entire lab perhaps??

Universal precautions are used when handling blood and blood products. These people don't want to get HIV, Hep B or C, etc., so they are not cavalier about blood-it's their own safety at risk in that environment. It's not like this is the first communicable disease anyone has had to worry about.

 

[nrdsb4]

we need to look at this:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/27/health/ebola-hiv-drug/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

 

[sherbetjello]

My cousin works at this hospital (Presbyterian, nurse).

I asked if it would be "totally freaking out" to skip our State Fair plans this weekend. I got a strange silence and then "Not totally freaking out, but it's always wise to take your own precautions." ***EEK!***

I really do not think this hospital is equipped nor prepared to handle this patient and God forbid any more.

 

[trigger]

My cousin works at this hospital (Presbyterian, nurse).

I asked if it would be "totally freaking out" to skip our State Fair plans this weekend. I got a strange silence and then "Not totally freaking out, but it's always wise to take your own precautions." ***EEK!***

I really do not think this hospital is equipped nor prepared to handle this patient and God forbid any more.

Stanley Gaye, president of the Liberian Community Association of Dallas-Fort Worth, said the 10,000-strong Liberian population in North Texas is skeptical of the CDC's assurances because Ebola has ravaged their country.

"We've been telling people to try to stay away from social gatherings," Gaye said at a community meeting Tuesday evening. Large get-togethers are a prominent part of Liberian culture.

Ebola symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, vomiting and bleeding, and can appear as long as 21 days after exposure to the virus. The disease is not contagious until symptoms begin, and it takes close contact with bodily fluids to spread.

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/heal...n-dallas-county-ebola-patient-cases/16524303/

 

[trigger]

we need to look at this:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/27/health/ebola-hiv-drug/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

"My stomach was hurting; I was feeling weak; I was vomiting," Elizabeth Kundu, 23, says of her bout with the virus. "They gave me medicine, and I'm feeling fine. We take it, and we can eat -- we're feeling fine in our bodies."

Kundu and the other 12 patients who took the lamivudine and survived, received the drug in the first five days or so of their illness. The two patients who died received it between days five and eight.

"I'm sure that when [patients] present early, this medicine can help," Logan said. "I've proven it right in my center."

 

[1&2&3]

Question - what exactly do they mean by monitoring the kids the confirmed case of Ebola was in contact with? Why are all the family and friends around him in those symptomatic days not quarantined? Did I misread it and they have taken this precaution?

To me, monitoring means watching for fever or symptoms, that does not mean quarantined away from the public.

 

[IndianSummer]

This is my fear to. When he was sent home did he get a prescription? So if he did, did he go into a drug store and wait for it? Did he while waiting for it to be filled did he walk around the store pushing a shopping cart? After he got the prescription where did he go next? In a cab? A bus?

According to this he lives near the Lower Greenville area of Dallas...
http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/heal...n-dallas-county-ebola-patient-cases/16524303/

 

[nrdsb4]

My cousin works at this hospital (Presbyterian, nurse).

I asked if it would be "totally freaking out" to skip our State Fair plans this weekend. I got a strange silence and then "Not totally freaking out, but it's always wise to take your own precautions." ***EEK!***

I really do not think this hospital is equipped nor prepared to handle this patient and God forbid any more.

So has your cousin resigned from this hospital? If not, why not?

 

[Elley Mae]

It's 'Not Impossible' Others in US Could Contract Ebola, CDC Head Says

“That was four or five days before he had his first symptoms and with Ebola, you’re not contagious until you have symptoms,” he said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/impossible-us-contract-ebola-cdc-head/story?id=25885934

The city of Dallas, which has activated its Emergency Operations Center on "Level 2: High Readiness," said, "We are currently evaluating 12-18 people that the patient confirmed to have the Ebola virus was in contact with."

 

[Ladylub]

How nice people took their children near someone who could have had Ebola? Slightly scared but most ticked. Not my really feeling but my real ones will give me a time out so would my plan of fixing all this mess in Africa. People would truly think I'm heartless. Stop plane travel from area or 21 day quarantine once they step off plane. All those exposed should be in isolation where they are watched all the time. Grrr

 

[nrdsb4]

"My stomach was hurting; I was feeling weak; I was vomiting," Elizabeth Kundu, 23, says of her bout with the virus. "They gave me medicine, and I'm feeling fine. We take it, and we can eat -- we're feeling fine in our bodies."

Kundu and the other 12 patients who took the lamivudine and survived, received the drug in the first five days or so of their illness. The two patients who died received it between days five and eight.

"I'm sure that when [patients] present early, this medicine can help," Logan said. "I've proven it right in my center."

The frustrating thing about this is that unless there is an emergency order for this to be given off label, it will probably not be used here until blind studies are done. Of course, if it could be shown that it would be unethical to give a placebo, maybe the docs can leap frog over the normal red tape, which in honesty, is there to protect us from unsafe medicines. But given the virulence of ebola, perhaps...

 

[sherbetjello]

According to this he lives near the Lower Greenville area of Dallas...
http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/heal...n-dallas-county-ebola-patient-cases/16524303/

Narrowing the schools down in which these children might have attended:

Jack Lowe Sr Elementary School
Merriman Park
Sam Tasby Middle School
Forest Meadow
Emmett J Conrad Highschool
Lake Highlands

I think that is correct.

 

[nrdsb4]

Lake Highlands is in North Dallas (actually part of Richardson ISD) and nowhere near Lower Greenville.

Is there a school with that name in it in DISD/Lower Greenville?

 

[trigger]

Paramedics who transported Ebola patient test negative
Updated: Oct 01, 2014 12:08 PM EDT

Three paramedics who treated the Dallas Ebola patient are now in “reverse isolation.” That means they will stay home for 21 days to make sure they do not develop the deadly virus.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com

 

[Ladylub]

Paramedics who transported Ebola patient test negative
Updated: Oct 01, 2014 12:08 PM EDT

Three paramedics who treated the Dallas Ebola patient are now in “reverse isolation.” That means they will stay home for 21 days to make sure they do not develop the deadly virus.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com

I trust them staying home more then I trust the rest of these people just being monitored. They went to the house over the weekend knowing fully well he may have Ebola. Doesn't sound like they care very much.

 

[sherbetjello]

Lake Highlands is in North Dallas (actually part of Richardson ISD) and nowhere near Lower Greenville.

Is there school with that name in it in DISD/Lower Greenville?

I looked a great schools map, said 1.7 miles away from 75231. Just lumped it in because some schools do bus in from other districts.

Do you know of the other High school in this area that would be apt to serve a Holly Hill address?

EDIT: Guess that doesn't matter now since DISD made a statement listing the schools.

 

[Ladylub]

From the DISD facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/dallasisd?rf=112448985433396

The health and safety of our students is always our top priority. When issues of concern are brought to our attention, we feel it is important to share them with you so that appropriate steps can be taken.

This morning, Dallas ISD officials were made aware that five students who attend four of our schools may have had contact with an individual who was recently diagnosed with the Ebola virus. Those schools are Emmett J. Conrad High School, Sam Tasby Middle School, L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary School and Dan D. Rogers Elementary.

The impacted students are currently not showing any symptoms and are under close observation by the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department. As a precautionary measure, the students have been advised to stay home from school. Because the students are not presenting any symptoms, there is nothing to suggest that the disease was spread to others, including students and staff.

Find the latest news here: www.dallasisd.org/healthupdates.

ETA : And they named Jack Lowe elementary b/c it is located close to one of the other schools.

 

[trigger]

Did anyone see the News Conference in Dallas around 1pm est?

I missed half of it. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[popsicle]

A nurse asked the U.S. Ebola patient for his travel history while he was in an emergency room, and the patient volunteered that he had traveled to Africa, said Dr. Mark Lester, executive vice president of Texas Health Resources. But that information was not "fully communicated" to the medical team, he says.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/01/health/ebola-us/index.html

Since when do Dr's not follow-up on asking important info like this? You have a pt with these symptoms but you don't verify they haven't traveled out of the country?