No concerns here: Ebola patients headed to Georgia
Is it a wise decision to bring the virus across the globe?
Two Americans who are infected with the Ebola virus in Africa are being flown back to the United States for treatment.
A private jet equipped with a quarantine pod left Cartersville, Ga., Thursday afternoon headed for Liberia to evacuate Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, CNN reported.
Brantly and Writebol, both Americans working for the faith-base charity Samaritan’s Purse, are said to be in stable but grave condition.The two volunteers came down with the deadly virus while caring for patients with Ebola at a hospital in Monrovia, Liberia.
Emory University Hospital in Atlanta revealed Thursday that it expects to receive one of the patients within the next several days.
Meanwhile, fears about the disease are growing as world leaders and international health organizations struggle to try to stop the deadly outbreak in West Africa.
The Ebola outbreak “is moving faster than our efforts to control it,” Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said in a statement Friday. “This is an unprecedented outbreak accompanied by unprecedented challenges. And these challenges are extraordinary.”
This is the first Ebola outbreak in West Africa and involves the most deadly strain in the Ebola virus family, Chan said.
“If the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives but also severe socioeconomic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries.”
In light of the alarm being sounded by W.H.O., it seems like a strange decision given that all of West Africa is a “hot zone” and in quarantine. Many questions are being asked in the Twittersphere about the American patients coming home.
@MelissaTweets So basically it's "trust us to contain Ebola even though we just lost the anthrax?" Good to know. @BiasedGirl @politico
— talkradio200 (@talkradio200) August 1, 2014
If the CDC loses control of Ebola, it will be the ultimate testament to government incompetence. Of course, we'll all be dead.
— Melissa Clouthier (@MelissaTweets) August 1, 2014
As a concerned healthy human myself, I’m curious why we can’t send all of our best medicine and equipment TO the Americans in the quarantine zone. It seems reckless and inexplicable to give the worst strain of the worst disease ever a first class plane ticket to North America.
But then again, I’m not one of the Obama Administration’s “smart people.”
Ebola – doing the job that American viruses won't do
— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) July 31, 2014
It's sad to see Conservatives on twitter against bringing the Ebola patient to America. How will we ever win the Ebola vote in the future?
— Ben (@BenK84) August 1, 2014
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Comments
Why do I have the nagging feeling that this is one of the most stupid ideas in epidemiology to come down the pike ?
Possibly because the doctors, who are supposed to know how to protect us, are themselves coming down with the disease, over and over?
The level of infection control at a major US hospital is much, much superior to a field hospital in Africa.
Also, Ebola is not spread through the air. Infections are usually due to needlesticks and mistakes in barrier nursing. (when in doubt, wash with bleach or autoclave it)
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20341423
There appears to be some good research showing it CAN be spread through the air, though not like influenza. Thankfully.
But the Ebola virus mutates very rapidly, which is why they haven’t been able to get control of it in Africa now. The virus they’re working against now is an especially virulent, mutated strain.
I don’t doubt what you say, but I still think this is a terrible idea. We’re just looking for trouble. Who knows what level of security will be controlling this environment. Imagine for a moment several terrorists have waltzed into this country at obamullah’s invitation over our southern border and they make their way to Atlanta, breach the security not unlike what happened in Benghazi, and here we go.
Geez….Atlanta? Virus? CDC? Sounds like an episode of The Walking Dead
Probably because you’ve seen how well they control the southern border…
I have no problem with trying to save the lives of these brave doctors. They will be kept quarantined and safe and protocols will be followed.
My problem will be when they say we cannot discriminate against Africans coming over with Ebola – and Obama and Holder call us racists when we want to quarantine them. And issuing executive orders making it a crime to try to do so.
That’s when TSHTF.
He’s already invited in thousands upon thousands of people with diseases.
Although what you say sounds far-fetched, it really isn’t. There’s NOTHING that evil bastard wouldn’t do to harm this country.
I hope there are at least a couple honest journalists out there watching this event and obamullah like a hawk.
Compared to Ebola, bubonic plague was a wimpy ‘lil illness you can knock down with middling antibiotics.
This is simply madness, and it isn’t JUST because it puts the U.S. population at risk. This could lead to the spread of this nightmare all over the Western world.
Worse yet, it also give the virus a brand new environment with new environmental factors in which to mutate.
Al is dependent on these isolation cribs . If they work & no fluids/ exhalation gets out then maybe .
The scenario was put forward in an Australian Army ( American trained. Team ). Scenario . Should they use a Blackhawks heil for emergency evacuation , the heli would have to be destroyed .
The hazmat suits are no protection generally because the surface is contaminated in the presence of non – capsules patients & transfer occurs on taking off . The super dooper Hazmat full chemical warfare suits cost $ 200,000 each . They would protect the person fully but there still would be surface contamination. Apparently the range of decontaminating procedures & subsequent effectiveness are not known .
I can only think this opportunity to test above decontamination options is the reason for the airlift .
Thankfully, I am fairy sure Ebola hasn’t yet gone airborne, yea I realize there was that one lab in Canada that said it may have, but for now it seems to be mainly blood and body-fluid based.
We will be lucky if it is Miasma where Victorians escapedLondon in the summer because of the smell. They were half right – it was the sewerage in the drinking water .
Did you ever read of Rbert Maplethorpe’s demise where as a dying aids patient he literally exploded & some poor person had to clean up the room .
Ebola in Africa is spread by death rituals . The bodies can’t even be cremated ( not that the have crematoriums) because they will explode & spread fluids everywhere. Many a society has. Extinguished themselves by not adapting death rituals .
Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever that happens to be extremely lethal. It requires strict barrier nursing – mask, gloves, everything disinfected with bleach, etc. It doesn’t dissolve organs, just causes bleeding everywhere.
And a properly run crematorium will kill any of the filoviruses. You just need to prepare the body using the same degree of care as you use with a live patient. The reason Ebola was spreading in African funerals was due to poor hygiene in funerary practices.
I recommend Level 4 – Virus Hunters of the CDC for more details on successful containment of Ebola and Lassa fevers
Again -sorry for accidental down vote .
I stated that Africa does not have crematoriums . By inference any amateur / panic burning will be dangerous .
Whatever the CDC says , the US military is teaching different as I pointed out above . I note it was a charter plane used . They can hide that plane somewhere but US military will not let theirs be used unless beaten & bullied by DC . I would trust that being taught at Fort Dendrick above a government publication .
If you think the CDC is super competent and not over run with Lois Lerners operation on political ideology instead of good lab practices, then re read recent news on Small Pox and Anthrax handling. Read the book the Hot Zone on an outbreak in monkeys in Reston Va. CDC is made up of people with their own motivations. One Level 4 worker cut thru her glove in during a monkey autopsy and wouldn’t report it because she did not want to be quarantined from her family. Another time, they failed to secure a site when they went in suited up to euthanize a monkey facility. A feeder entered thru an unsecured entrance. Take your own precautions, do not trust the government. We are destined to see the rise of polio, measles in adults, pox, mumps, diphtheria, all sorts of diseases we had eradicated. But then that is what Obama and his ilk want.
There have been cases of airborne transmission at USAMRID, there is also the incident at Reston and the research in Canada showing airborne transmission between pigs and primates. This current strain of Ebola is a mutated form of Ebola Zaire. Every time it crops up, it’s a little different which is going to make finding a vaccine to treat all forms of Ebola a bit problematic.
So, the same people averting their eyes from the diseases coming up across the southern border — indeed, happily inviting more diseases in — tell us, no worries, they’re on top of this Ebola thing. Mmmmkay.
Not any more insane than the resurgence of formerly eradicated diseases caused by not defending our borders against invaders.
So in effect , this operation by CDC is in opposition to the standing US military chemical / disease warfare advice .
What could work for a few cases with these highly specialised facilities is not applicable for even first world nations .
Bear with me for the consequences of failure ( further contamination) .There is an undercurrent of anger for Christian missionaries based on centuries of colonialism & recently anti US Evangelism . These Christian Do -Gooders cannot be seen to be bringing back the seeds of a plague . Add to this the actions of the Christian charities aiding the Aztecs R Us human tide & what do you get?
Trojan Horse or just stupid?
So, the CDC is basically saying, “Hold my beer and watch this.”
No, they are refusing to abandon American citizens abroad. What are you suggesting – firebomb the area and call it a day?
There’s being skeptical of the government, and assuming that CDC personnel are suicidally incompetent. What would be do if we had an outbreak of Hantavirus in the US in a small town without a hospital?
Where did JohnC say firebomb the area (this case being regions in Africa) ?
The overwhelming majority of comments across the blogosphere including CNN have said no don’t bring them to America ( of Europe) .
The bringing of these people back will not solve / contain the outbreak in Africa . The cost must be in the millions & can they do it for every American ?
It is ironic that it is Liberia . African slaves to America , African slave descendants to Liberia & Ebols missionaries back . It was once The Great Black Hope . If Liberia still had those dictators , then it would be solved pronto .
Maybe what this is really is that these docs want to die at home and they’re being accommodated because of the sacrifices they have made.
I thought the suggestion made in the root post was quite sensible and humane…
SEND American medical technology THERE.
Simple game theory would seem to me to dictate that as the ONLY wise choice.
Viruses as quite good at what they do, and they only have to do it once in the right conditions to lead to a real nightmare scenario in a society with the mobility of ours.
is this the same cdc that has been pushing the false hiv aids connection since 1984. the fact that no cure for a “virus” has not been found is further proof of the false hypotheses.
Awesome. An AIDS denier on an Ebola thread. #SCIENCE!
what would we do?
ship hot patients to another continent?
did i win?
This gives them plausible deniability when Ebola crosses the Rio Grande. They can claim it was an accidental breach from Emory University Hospital. Doctors, prepare to be thrown under the Obama Express.
You may be on to something there.
May be the only chance to PRACTICE care for ebola patients before we get hit later on. It’s a risk, but getting up to speed on home turf may be beneficial. Frankly, the amount of unchecked disease (TB etc etc) and criminal elements freely crossing the border really makes this issue moot. It isn’t a matter of IF but WHEN we have to contend with this and the more experience we have the better. It is scary but a very good opportunity to 1) treat the patients and 2) fully assess and fine tune treatment.
Liberia & Sierra Leone have militarily enforced isolation zones . Border nation Guinea is somewhat co operating . Probably hanging out for more money from WHO where $100 million I so offer . I think some officials are rather gleeful & are at this moment painting spots & weals on themselves to line up FO handouts.
The various Ebola viruses have been in US research labs since 1976 when the virus was identified in an outbreak in Zaire. Marburg Ebola is also in US labs since an infected man arrived in Marburg, Germany in 1967. Reston Ebola first appeared in Reston, VA in a group of macaques were shipped from the Philippines in 1989.
In the Southwest US, we have our own hemorrhagic viruses as deadly as Ebola. We know that Hanta has killed at least 30 people since 1993. Because it presents as influenza or a really bad cold, people don’t know they’re Hanta infected until they’re almost dead. A couple of summers ago, a 12 yr old girl was camping with her family in Yosemite. On the way home she got sick and 24 hrs late she was dead.
Hemorrhagic viruses are all around us. Ebola is just one of them. Because the US is the home of the CDC, those viruses are in the US and have been for a long time.
The issue is the ability to control and contain the virus. Having specimens in a lab is different than having a dying and then dead person. Do we know that we can effectively cremate the remains and destroy ALL the virus in the crematory and in the facility that housed the patient? It’s a big risk.
So they’re breaking containment for the sake of … what again?
I suspect they’ll be trying new antivirals, ike this one from the folks at Fort Detrick:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?t=1&item=VHlwZT0yfFBhcmVudElEPTQ3NDk0Mzl8Q2hpbGRJRD00NjA1ODQ=
One potential antiviral is intravenous sodium ascorbate. It has effectively cured many viruses, such as polio, and recently swine flu and West Nile, the latter two by Tom Levy, MD, a doctor in Colorado.
Do you gave a date for that publication? I can ask my contact if it was included in their fairly recent training.
Here’s the Boulder newspaper story from 2006:
http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_13063509
Tom Levy’s website is http://www.peakenergy.com/
Amy (below) can call it quackery, but Tom Levy and his cured patients actually exist.
Intravenous sodium ascorbate (also known as Vitamin C) does not cure polio, bird flu, swine flu, West Nile virus, Dengue Fever, AIDS, or Ebola.
And the main site promulgating the theory that it does is a train wreck of god-awful site design and brain-bleeding idiocy.
I’m sorry to be so blunt, but having been a care-giver for a loved one with a serious (and ultimately fatal) disease and having been bombarded with “helpful” suggestions of out-there quackery and woo from otherwise well-meaning friends and relatives, my tolerance for it is non-existent.
Hopefully there will be 100% containment in Atlanta, AND the CDC will learn how to treat this creature. If not, the unthinkable may have to be thought: the only effective containment known for a mass outbreak is a high-yield thermobaric device exploded at low altitude. Brutal? Certainly, but allowing Ebola to spread is far worse
Done by the same minds behind Obamacare.
And managed by the same order, class and phylum of bumbling and venal bureaucrats as the VA. “What could go wrong?”