As Ebola continues to rage in Africa, one key person seems to be missing in action: Ron Klain, Ebola Czar.
Ebola was on the top of everyone’s minds five weeks ago, but now that it’s largely disappeared from the mainstream media, it continues to fade into the background in this country. But the fact remains: Ebola continues to kill hundreds of people in Africa. Ebola continues to destroy families and leave many children without parents.It was sad for me to hear about the passing of a surgeon – who was a citizen of Sierra Leone and a permanent resident of the U.S. – on Monday. From what I know, he was a dedicated health care professional who did his best to keep his patients safe and alive. But what is sadder to me is that our Ebola czar, Ron Klain, did not have the courage to publicly come out and offer a statement in regards to the death of this physician, and also has failed in keeping the American public informed about the progress in this Ebola war.
I would have expected a political operative such as Klain to at least try to “message” us. Hopefully, we won’t discover videos of him calling Americans stupid for being concerned about a potential pandemic..after being paid millions in taxpayer dollars for questionably professional services.
However, at least Ebola did attract some mainstream media coverage. That differs from Enterovirus-D68, which has swept through the country and has sent hundreds of American children into emergency rooms with respiratory distress.
There has been very limited, local coverage. One of the few who took up the story is Sharryl Attkisson, who now reports that 12 deaths have now been linked to this pathogen.
The U.S. death toll from the mysterious Enterovirus D-68, which primarily strikes young children, has reached twelve. But as the number of livest lost increases, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that most states over the last five weeks have indicated “reduced EV-D68-like illness activity.”The latest CDC update on the current outbreak of the polio-like Enterovirus D-68 states that it has now been detected “in specimens from twelve patients who died and had samples submitted for testing.” That’s one more death than was disclosed in last week’s update. The CDC account does not provide information as to where the patients died and does not disclose his/her names, ages or other details.From mid-August to November 12, 2014, CDC or state public health laboratories have confirmed a total of 1,116 people in 47 states and the District of Columbia with respiratory illness caused by EV-D68. That’s the same count CDC gave the previous week, indicating a slowdown in spread of the virus.The respiratory illness can cause paralysis. The outbreak is likely more widespread than reported since some states are not lab testing all respiratory illnesses to confirm.
And while the rate of infection has gone down for this disease this year, it may return next fall — with even more death and paralysis in its wake.
Any bets as to whether the administration’s response to both Ebola and Enterovirus-D68 will be more robust and effective by then? Because Potemkin Villages are not effective barriers for controlling infectious diseases.
And with reports of a rare and potentially lethal form of malaria on the rise, better preparation for an onslaught of disease would be smart.
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