Posted on 08/10/2014 12:46:23 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe
“He went to a different hospital on the 26th and was discharged.”
This must be that “TRIED AND TRUE” thingy Friedman was talking about.
My gut says the real deal is as follows:
Patient Zero, in Liberia, knew he was exposed. He’s one of the wealthier Liberians with a visa. He gets on a plane to the US because of our medical system.
It’s a suspicion on my part but a strong gut instinct.
Sounds right.
Reliable source #1 says the infected man is from Liberia.
And, no I am not trying to be mysterious. I just Don’t want to lose the source.
I think I heard something to that effect during the presser. No prob on source, eventually we’ll all know the real deal.
Well, we knew that another Patrick Sawyer type would pop up in the west sooner or later. They’re the ones with means, money and demeanor to boogie out.
Does anyone on this board doubt that there are scores or hundreds of others packing their bags at this moment? No one wants to be the first to miss the last flight out.
Time to shut down all commercial and private flights from Africa period. The rules just changed for the foreseeable future.
God help us indeed.
WMAL, an ABC affiliate confirmed Liberia as country of origin. CDC is citing patient confidentiality as reason for stonewalling all other info. Funny I thought Patriot Act had provisions for just such cases.
Paging Mr Obama on the golf course.
Am I cynical to think this infected man has Democratic Party fund raising connections?
It’s a hallmark of this new age. This news from Texas has pushed the other patient at Bethesda MD’s NIH off the page. Another unknown, no data at all type of patient. Only clue was he walked off charter flight at Fredrick airport (not international) clad in a “white suit” under his own power
One of the posters over on the PANDEMIC FLU INFORMATION FORUM summarized the CDC news conference.
See below:
Ebola is a serious disease. It is only spread by direct contact with someone who is sick with the virus.
An individual traveling
19th Sept. Arrived 20th. Had no symptoms when departing Liberia or while arriving. 4-5 days later around the 24th developed symptoms. On the 26th initially sought care. On Sunday the 28th was admitted to a hospital in TX and placed in isolation.
Tested positive for Ebola. State of TX found same results. PCR test.
Next steps:
1. To care for the patient. The most effective care possible as safely as possible.
2. We identify all people who may have had contact with the patient while he could have been infectious. It does not spread from someone who doesn’t have fever and other symptoms.
Once those contacts are all identified they are all monitored for 21 days to see if they develop fever.
Bottom line here is that I have no doubt that we will control this importation, this case, of Ebola so that it does not spread widely in this country. It is certainly possible that someone who had contact with this individual, a family member or other individual, could develop Ebola in the coming weeks. But there is no doubt in my mind that we will stop it here.
We currently do not know how this individual became infected. They undoubtedly had close contact with someone who was sick with Ebola or who had died from it.
[The patient has not revealed where, how, from who, they believe they became infected??]
In West Africa we are surging the response.
Dr. Lakey, TX State Health Svcs.:
Our lab in Austin has a specially trained team to handle specimens like this. At 9:00 this morning we received the sample. PCR was definitely positive for Ebola Zaire. We got the result back at 1:22 this afternoon.
I want to reiterate that we have no other suspect cases in the state of TX at this time but we are closely monitoring the situation and we are ready to assist in any way that is needed.
Dr. Edward Goodman, the hospital epidemiologist, Presby. Hospital, Dallas:
Want to correct one statement. Ebola is not transmitted by the air. It is not an airborne infection. We are a large community hospital with a robust infection control system.
We have had a plan in place for some time now in the event of a patient presenting with Ebola. Ironic enough, in the week before we had a meeting of all the stakeholders that might be involved in the care of such a patient. We are well prepared to deal with such a crisis.
Zachary Thompson, Dallas County H&HS Director:
Dallas County H&HS will proceed with the followup according to CDC guidelines. Will continue to work hard to protect the health and welfare of our citizens.
Questions:
Frieden: CDC has a group of epidemiologist en route. Contact tracing.
Fox5: He started showing symptoms, went to a hospital, was released & sent home.
Frieden: The initial symptoms of Ebola are non-specific.
Dr. Goodman: Nothing more to say.
Question: Was this person involved in fighting the Ebola epidemic? Did they travel on a commercial aircraft?
Frieden: From the information that we have now, it does not appear the individual was involved in the response to Ebola. That’s something we will investigate more.
In terms of the airline flight I really do want to emphasize the focus here over the next period needs to be the patient. We want to give any assistance we can to the patient who we understand is critically ill at this point. And then identifying contacts in the community: family members, or others, any possible contacts through the healthcare setting, and then tracking those contacts. In terms of the flight, I understand that people are curious about that and wonder about it but Ebola doesn’t spread before someone gets sick. He didn’t get sick until four days after he got off the airplane. {Assuming he was honest about that self-reported timeline...} We do not believe that there was any risk to anyone who was on the flight at that time. He left on the 19th and arrived on the 20th.
WABE: How likely is this to continue to be a concern - people who aren’t showing symptoms then but do later?
Frieden: As long as there continue to be cases in West Africa the reality is that patients travel, individuals travel and that appears to have happened in this case. Individuals may travel before they have any symptoms.
ABC: Can you tell us where he was and do you know why he was in those countries?
Frieden: Patient confidentiality.
NBC News: Will patient remain in TX or be transferred to Emory, etc.?
Frieden: One of the things we really want to emphasize is that any hospital that can do isolation can do isolation for Ebola.
Mirian Falco: Can you tell us more about how sick the patient is…how many contacts you are trying to reach?
Frieden: Dr. Goodman, info you can share?
Goodman: Patient privacy - we are unable to share any information about the patient or his symptoms at this time.
He is ill. He is under intensive care. He is being seen by highly trained experts. The health dept. is helping us track any family members who might have been exposed.
[Note they keep emphasizing the tracking of “family members” only.]
Betsy McKay: What was this individual doing, just staying at home? Only family members potentially exposed? Are we talking about a handful who have been exposed?
Frieden: A handful, along with two or three other community members. Our approach is to cast the net widely.
This is a tried and true protocol. This is what we do at CDC globally for Ebola cases.
Nigeria case investigation. That individual was not cared for with infection control. Even with 19 secondary cases they appear to have been able to stop the outbreak.
As long as the outbreak continues in Africa we need to be on our guard.
Lauren Neergard: An American or a visitor? Has health dept reached contacts; has contact tracing begun?
Frieden: The individual was here to visit family who live in this country. The further details are to be identified in the coming days. We are just beginning contact tracing today.
Maggie Fox: You have been clear that people don’t spread this virus unless they are showing symptoms. What steps are you taking to reassure people who might have flown on plane, etc.
Frieden: People can call CDC with questions. Small number with that concern about flight.
[Soooo minimizing the flight aspect…]
I’d be willing to bet he’s in the government somewhere. Remember the Liberian equivalent of the Secret Service had exposures earlier this month as did one of their ministers of somethingorother.
I’d be willing to bet this person had family here and made the decision to travel here as a last ditch effort. If they did have it they could get US care. If not they could have a nice visit and then not have to go home again due to the immunity they’ve been given because of the situation there.
This is the stuff of CDC nightmares.
By Kelly Gilblom and Robert Langreth Sep 30, 2014 7:48 PM ET
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-30/first-ebola-case-is-diagnosed-in-the-u-s-cdc-reports.html
[snip]
After the patient sought medical care on Sept. 26 and was sent home with antibiotics, he returned in an ambulance to Texas Health Presbyterian two days later and was admitted, said Edward Goodman, an epidemiologist at the hospital. The ambulance workers and other health-care professionals who treated him are being monitored for symptoms, Goodman said.
The CDC and Texas doctors are discussing the use of possible experimental treatments, Frieden said, though no decision has been made.
Obama Briefed
President Barack Obama was briefed today about the patient by Frieden, the White House said in a statement. They discussed the patient’s treatment and what was being done to trace the people the man might have contacted.
U.S. authorities didn’t disclose what flights or airlines the patient took from Liberia. No airlines serve Africa from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the main domestic and foreign gateway to North Texas, and none of the major U.S. carriers with overseas networks — American Airlines Group Inc., United Continental Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. — flies to Liberia. Delta dropped operations last month in Monrovia, the country’s capital.
That left open the possibility the traveler arrived in the U.S. from somewhere else in Africa or via a connection in Europe, and may have stopped elsewhere on a domestic flight before reaching Dallas.
[snip]
This human element is one of a number of things which has defeated all the “conventional” public health strategies in West Africa.
While our health care facilities, the number of health care we have to draw upon, and our communications systems are far better here, the human element is the same. Denial, dishonesty, hiding and flight are reflexes that are common when humans are faced with such an unprecedented crisis.
Note that the man's family was also similarly disincline towards honesty. They also did not disclose his travel history. The man got sick enough that EMS had to be called and yet until then, and very likely even then, no one disclosed that the man had traveled from Ebola-stricken Liberia.
The virus will use this human tendency all that it can in its efforts to spread.”
I suspect this patient, as Patrick Sawyer, was ‘economical with the truth’ (to quote one of the Nigerian medicos).
I agree.
It was so infuriating listening to the CDC declare that there was absolutely NO RISK to anybody before the 24th when the patient first started showing symptoms. Passengers on his flights have nothing to worry about. Blah blah blah.
I wonder if they even read their own data? The patients are often dishonest about their contacts and how and when they were exposed. That is one reason they were having such a hard time tracing contacts (before the outbreak got really out of hand.), the patient would only list a couple people, and the HCWs knew that he lived with 6 other people, just for starters.
And this Ebola patient in Dallas? Would he stay in Liberia, which is in complete meltdown, if he thought he might be infected? No, this cat was going to get on that plane and fake it until he got to the US, where he could get better healthcare and maybe some of those “magic” serums. I wouldn’t want to take my chances in Liberia, either. It is almost certain death, even if you are able to “get” one of the coveted beds in the Ebola centers.
It was such a feeling of dread when I saw Dark Wing’s ping about a confirmed Ebola case in Dallas. A chill went up my spine.
Why the big rush? /sarcasm
I would feel a whole lot more secure if public health and safety personnel in Texas would simply announce a fast tracked construction project for a 1000 bed care facility with self contained on-site incineration of all sanitary sewage from the facility, special design for prolonged disinfection operations of the daily living quarters, and logistical provisions to staff and commission such a facility.
Even if not required, it is about the only simple prudent action to immediately take as a prototype for others if this does begin to spread.
At least I would perceive those with some interest in public safety know how to contain a microcosm of the pending threat, now that we are at some risk.
I get more nervous when public medical speakers simply claim nobody has to worry unless the ebola stricken person is overtly manifesting symptoms of the contagion, when many of those infected are medical professionals and the risk is so likely to be painfully fatal without known certain vaccines/serums.
Oct 26. Zero goes (how?) To hospital, given antibiotics, sent home.
Oct 28. Zero picked up (where?) By EMT
Oct 30. Zero in Intensive care EVD lab verified
Total published history 4 days. From mild flu? Diagnosis ti IC with clear EVD symptoms
What’s wrong with this picture? The apparent speed of EVD as described IMO makes me suspect that Zero’s symptomss are very like Patrick Sawyers’, who managed to get around for a good while undetected and unsuspected. I suspect Zero was symptomatic before he left Africa.
Zero completed the trip Sawyer attempted. Got to be one hell of a contact chain with branches who knows where. TSA/HS should be scouring flight manifests for connecting flights as well as having USA entry info.
The CDC is lying about the small number of contacts...or equivocating if travel was direct by private jet from Europe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.