[mogrann]

I have seen all over Facebook about bringing the two US citizens back to US to treat who contracted Ebola. Is it as safe as they are claiming? I have been reading up on it and have seen news sources and posts claiming both sides.
I do get it for the family of the people who are ill they want the best treatment for their family members, I would too if it was my family.
What are people's thoughts on this?

[Wondergirl]

The patients will be in isolation, and their families will be able to talk/visit them only through a window. My husband and I wondered about the medical people who will be caring for the patients -- plus housekeping and laundry. I would hope every caution is taken. J_9 might be able to give us good feedback on the possibilities.

[Catsmine]

Then there's the tinfoil hat crowd who think the two have discovered how to weaponize Ebola and are bringing it back.

» What are US biowar researchers doing in the Ebola zone? Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

[cdad]

More to come:

ATLANTA: 2 Ebola victims to be treated at Atlanta hospital - Nation Wires - MiamiHerald.com

[mogrann]

But to be honest Cats we really don't know 100% who is telling the truth and who is lying. That is what I struggle with at times as all news is slanted and can only report what they are told. I am sure government (and I believe this ) that governments hide lots from us. They are doing things behind closed doors we don't know about and probably never will.
Yes there are some people out there that go overboard with conspiracy theories but then others I think that could be possible.

[talaniman]

I bet they can treat them a lot better here than where they were. I hope they survive. They went to help, now they need help.

[paraclete]

It is very dangerous to bring them back at a time when the borders are being closed to avoid the spread of the disease

[J_9]

I can only give feedback as to the precautions taken. The patients will be placed in a special isolation unit that, from my reading, was developed 12 years ago and is rarely used. It is down the street from Emory University Hospital. These patients will not come into contact with any other patients or visitors. This unit also has special "air handling."

Nurses and doctors will wear protective gear. Masks, gowns, gloves. There are very strict protocols in place for the staff who will have to enter the rooms and visitors will not be allowed to enter rooms but will be able talk to the patients through a window.

Do I agree with them coming here? I don't know. Would I be willing to be part of their medical team? Heck yeah! It's ground breaking, and to be able to be part of something so big would be a boost to the CV.

Incidentally, I do have a friend who works at Emory. She is in administration, and won't be part of their medical team.

[Wondergirl]

What about soiled laundry, human waste, etc.

[J_9]

Most likely, and I'm not certain as I don't work in environmental services, it will be destroyed/incinerated. But that I am uncertain of.

We have biohazard bags that are red bags placed in red trash containers. What they do with them once they are removed from the room I don't know.

Now, you can't get Ebola like you get the common cold, i.e. touching a shopping cart after an infected person did. It is transmitted via bodily fluids, much like HIV and Hepatitis.

I suspect the reason it is so rampant in Africa is because they don't take the same precautions there that we take here.

[J_9]

In addition...

Transmission | Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever | CDC

[paraclete]

I can only give feedback as to the precautions taken. The patients will be placed in a special isolation unit that, from my reading, was developed 12 years ago and is rarely used. It is down the street from Emory University Hospital. These patients will not come into contact with any other patients or visitors. This unit also has special "air handling."

Nurses and doctors will wear protective gear. Masks, gowns, gloves. There are very strict protocols in place for the staff who will have to enter the rooms and visitors will not be allowed to enter rooms but will be able talk to the patients through a window.

Do I agree with them coming here? I don't know. Would I be willing to be part of their medical team? Heck yeah! It's ground breaking, and to be able to be part of something so big would be a boost to the CV.

Incidentally, I do have a friend who works at Emory. She is in administration, and won't be part of their medical team.

Good luck with that, but I don't think the risk of having it on your CV is worth it. It you want a broader discussion beyound your local hospital see my thread Alocaplypse now

[J_9]

The experience on the CV would be tremendous in the area of infectious disease. Anyone with that on their CV would be able to pick their employer as well as their salary. I suppose, with my understanding, that Ebola isn't as frightening to me ad it is the average person.

[tomder55]

I think it is safe,and their treatment ,whatever the results ,will advance the knowledge of treating the disease. I know of one of our service men who is deployed to the region where the ebola outbreak has occurred. I joked with him and told him do not eat bush meat.
Our CDC is one of the best in the world (with caveat since they still don't get lyme).

[paraclete]

Your CDC hasn't been up to speed in some areas recently Tom that's why it is a concern as to whether they can handle this properly

[DoulaLC]

It's news right now, most people don't know about it, it's a mysterious disease from far away, so some news agencies will run with it... ie. CNN's "It could be catastrophic".

Remember necrotizing fasciitis, SARS, avian flu, and mad cow all had their time in the news. Now you don't hear about any of them.

[paraclete]

Doulal that is because they are no longer killing people, we weren't hearing about ebola either before this outbreak but anything can make a comeback as staph keeks reminding us

[paraclete]

Do you really think those infected whilst caring for the sick in Africa didn't take all possibe precautions? And yet medical staff were infected. Yes you will have a higher state of hygene possible but the risks are there because people become complacient and careless. Disposal of medical waste should have a very high standard applied to it and yet if it is destroyed offsite there are risks. The fact is a quarantine on travel should have been respected and not brushed aside because of the nationality of the person

[Catsmine]

The fact is a quarantine on travel should have been respected and not brushed aside because of the nationality of the person

This was mentioned in your thread on this subject, Clete, but when HIV blew up the only change in your quote was "sexual preference" instead of "nationality." How many millions of deaths did the gay mafia cause? We'll never know.


"For the children" seems to be the buzzword in the U.S. right now. It makes you wonder how soon some media whore will be crying that those poor infected children (they'll find some somewhere) NEED close personal contact to make their last few hours bearable. Thus the pandemic spreads to another continent.

[DoulaLC]

People do still die from them. The difference is that people are more aware, precautions are often taken, treatment is rendered (in many cases), and the numbers are fewer. The media, while doing the job of making people aware, also caused more concern than was necessary by causing fear of a pandemic situation.