EBOLA--Truth Please

[Double Venom]

I was going to post my question on CNN's site first but their news/information is so lopsided I am trying here first. (I did post this in the lounge also.)

Ebola has been told to the world wide public that it is only passed on by bodily fluids of some type!

Now a fourth Dr has died, countless nurses and aids have died and ALL of them are wearing full Hazmat suits from hoods, to masks and fairly recently goggles.

Am I the only one thinking that something is wrong with this scenario!? That OUR own medical people are contracting Ebola because "THEY" don't know how to wear the protective gear properly?

Just a question I would like an answer to?
DV
_

[Tommy]

DV,

One of my sons was born with cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that was not inherently fatal, but made him susceptible to bacterial lung infections. By the time he was 13, he was hospitalized frequently to receive IV medications and other therapies. He spent more than 600 days in hospital so I had a prolonged opportunity to see many doctors and nurses at work.

One major challenge faced by every hospital is protecting patients and staff from drug resistant bacterial infections. The very nature of what is done at hospitals make them likely places for such bacteria. And as many patients are already weakened in some way, it is very important that staff practice good hygiene and sanitation to prevent it from spreading.

I can't count the number of times my son's mother or I had to remind staff to wash their hands before entering my son's room. I don't know if anyone reminded them before going to the next patient.

The problem is not that staff don't know the correct procedures, they just get busy and either forget or deliberately take shortcuts. Administrators could solve the problem, but it would be costly (e.g., more staff or firing bad personnel), and their bottom line is profitability more than 100% patient safety.

My son contracted an entirely preventable drug resistant bacteria called MRSA and subsequently died at age 15. He was awaiting a lung transplant.

My point is that US medical personnel are not lacking in training or equipment. But they are human and in the absence of determined and conscientious leaders they sometimes lack the self discipline to do everything they should to protect themselves and their patients. Various sources estimate between 100,000 and 400,000 patients die each year as a result of mistakes made at hospitals. I don't find it surprising that staff sometimes mistakenly kill themselves as well.

[Double Venom]

Tommy,
Thank you and my sincere condolences. My daughter, if you didn't know just passed away with a malignant brain tumor. She developed an infection they couldn't control. Like your son they required "every one" that went into her room, every time to wear a sanitized suit and gloves. I too had to constantly remind "staff" to please put on a suit when coming into her room.

I don't know if you know my history with CF or not, but the "Double Venom Spring Fling", now called the London Cobra show started for little Jenny Smith (Dave's Smith daughter of FFR). We, my family, including my daughter, started the DVSF and ran it for three years before we had to move out of State which time we turned it over to new people. First year the Cobra people alone raised over 11K, the second year, 28K our 3rd and last year "we" raised $103,000.00 for CF.

Very proud of our Cobra family.

Thank you for offering your perspective, but in all reality, it still leaves me more than curious. Maybe it's just the Cop blood in me!

DV

[Double Venom]

Look what CNN just released! It makes my question even more pertinent.

This is the messy truth about Ebola - CNN.com Video

[Tommy]

Ed,
It's been a long time, but we met at your shop in Ohio. And I know of your efforts on behalf of CF. (My comments in that regard were more for others than you.) I am sorry for your loss too (I remember when it happened), and I appreciate all you have done for CFF, the Cobra community and your own community.

[Double Venom]

Darn it, wish I could remember more!

[bobcowan]

Originally Posted by Double Venom

Ebola has been told to the world wide public that it is only passed on by bodily fluids of some type!

Now a fourth Dr has died, countless nurses and aids have died and ALL of them are wearing full Hazmat suits from hoods, to masks and fairly recently goggles.

Transmission is by bodily fluids. The sicker the patient, the higher the viral count, and the easier it is to pass along. Towards the end, it's in the sweat.

The assumption that everyone is wearing a full hazmat suit is incorrect. Some are only wearing gloves. And that's where the problem comes from. IIRC, the french nurse said she worked with a patient while she was wearing gloves only, and then touched her eye.

[GregAgrest]

I'm with DV on this. I just don't trust our Government or the new media for the truth. Both slant what they say much to much. I have a feeling they are under playing the Ebola thing to keep wide spread panic from happening. I hope I'm wrong and am just being paranoid. Sort of hard to trust when we are lied to repeatedly

[Maricopa]

Ebola (Zaire) is not new and it's method of transmission is well known. It is not airborne except for direct contact with expelled fluids (cough, sneeze, etc). The gov't is not hiding anything and it doesn't help to get conspiratorial about it. Healthcare providers are at extremely high risk, that's why some get it, but it's still a very small percentage given the number of people currently infected.

[Double Venom]

Wish I would have heard the report on the French nurse.

By now, after the French nurse, especially the Dr. that just died from Ebola would know the minimum precautions to take. Especially when they show new victims being transported by EMS units and the patient is in an encapsulated bubble.

To many unanswered questions ?

Here's a good question, while I was posting here CNN had "Four" new links on their news page on how ?, was Ebola was being spread, from airborne mutations, to a hand shake?

I finish my posting, went back to CNN and all four reports were gone?
DV

[Maricopa]

[cue X-Files theme]

[henrik]

Strange place to post such a question...

We humans do not have all the correct answers - even if some stupid "experts" claim so.

The Government and media do not always tell the full facts - history have shown that control of public knowlade is key.

The thing I find most disturbing, is the fact that they allow sick people (hospital crew) to travel back home... carrying the virus. They knew the risk... why bring it back home for further people to get ill (look what happens in Spain now)

There are far too many people in the world - this is natures way of control - like it or not.

[gsharapa]

I find it interesting that they just announced a vaccine has been developed and trials will begin in West Africa....... Of course know body in the USA and Europe would be even interested in getting this vaccine unless some cases showed up in those areas alarming the public to a potential epidemic.......

[Double Venom]

Maricopa,

Not a conspirator theorist! (sp?)

I would just like reasons/answers? 4,000 plus dead 400 plus medical dead. Why so many medical practitioners have died, and why in the world wasn't a full- world wide isolation put in place? (Now for those that want a conspiracy to this real problem you have the reason to speculate all you want!)

[Wisconsin_Snake]

Why is there not a vaccine?
Considering that people who have had it and survived, those people are considered vaccinated for 10 years (at least that strain of the virus). There are a couple of strains but that should not be a big deal in creating a vaccine.

So the reason: No money in it for the drug companies. Much more money for them in making "boner" pills.

[Double Venom]

Now that I had to laugh out right over! "Boner Pills!"

[CompClassics]

It wasn't that long ago that they didn't know how HIV was transmitted, scary!!!

[Double Venom]

This is why my original question was asked and this makes it even more prevalent!


This is a quote, (Sunday, October 12, 2014 from the TEXAS hospital and reported by FOX News.)

"The health (*) care worker is in stable condition, Texas Health Resources chief clinical officer Dan Varga said. The worker was involved in Duncan's second visit to the hospital, when he was admitted to treatment, and was wearing protective gear."

(*)Texas Health care worker who assisted in the first Ebola case in U.S. and now has become the first person resulting in the transfer of Ebola in the U.S. .

[Double Venom]

Alrighty then,

I'm starting to sound like a paranoid "Chicken Little". Heck I'm in Northwest Michigan and as old as a wrinkled prune, how safe can you be?

I just asked "the question" and now I will sit back and see if concrete answers without speculation show up............

[Tommy]

DV,
No concrete here, but a little more food for thought. ... I served in the Air Force stationed in West Germany during the Cold War. We constantly trained for a war with the Warsaw Pact forces and we assumed they would use chemical weapons including nerve agents that can kill with a wiff or a drop on the skin. Getting suited up and operating in chemical warfare suits was no fun, but it wasn't that hard to do. The hard part was getting them off after (simulated) exposure without getting contaminated. The decontamination process was lengthy and required other personnel to also be in proximity to the contaminated person. Peacetime training never reveals subtle lapses that might kill someone in a real situation. But it wouldn't surprise me a bit to find that people could survive the initial chemical weapons attack only to die while trying to get out of the contaminated gear. Same reasoning could apply to people wearing protecting gear around a disease like ebola.