As Ebola patient in Texas fights for his life, his family copes with stigma and isolation

The Washington Post ^ | October 5, 2014 | DeNeen L. Brown, Abby Phillip and Sean Sullivan

[2ndDivisionVet]

DALLAS — As a Liberian man diagnosed with Ebola was fighting to survive Sunday in a Texas hospital, his worried family members and others who were in contact with him said they are being ostracized by the local Liberian community, which is struggling to cope with fear, isolation and the stigma associated with the deadly disease.

Thomas Eric Duncan, who traveled to Dallas from Liberia more than a week ago after coming in contact with Ebola in the West African country, was in critical condition in an isolated hospital ward and “fighting for his life,” Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Sunday.

“We understand that his situation has taken a turn for the worse,” he said....

[tumblindice]

An earlier report here was that our African guest died. Guess not.

[montag813]

The press used to be patriotic. Now it portrays invaders as victims, and it makes me sick. Liberians are #5 on the State Dept. list of visa overstays. That means the vast majority of these poor Liberians the media is crying over are here ILLEGALLY. Tens of thousands. Why aren’t they asking to see their papers? Why is the government scrutinizing them and deporting them? The Marxists have so thoroughly infected our nation to the highest levels that treason is now the order of the day, the working script of our national government and media.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Yeah,,,, I thought it was reported that he was dead??????????

[Kakaze]

The son of a bitch allowed ebola to hop a continent and a hemisphere.....I’d put a bullet in his head.

[wardaddy]

And they are black don’t forget.....

Never mind he knowingly came here and exposed hundreds who keep the Daisey chain going

What is important is he’s black and we’re evil mostly white folks...

And racist of course

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping…

A link to this thread has been posted on the Ebola Surveillance Thread

Earlier reports that this man had died were apparently unfounded, but his condition remains critical.

[dayglored]

I think the following is possibly true:

1. Ebola-patient thought it was possible he had Ebola or similar while in Africa.
2. Lied about Ebola contacts in Africa to avoid getting screened out.
3. Arranged to come to U.S. in a roundabout way (multiple flights via Brussels) to reduce chances of being detained.
4. Went to E.R. in Dallas, mentioned coming from Liberia, but was told he had something else and sent home.
5. So he was relieved, hugged people, etc. etc.
6. Got sicker, diarrhea, bad fever, ended up puking his guts out, took ambulance to E.R. again.
7. This time diagnosed with Ebola, now he's dying.

In other words, HE LIED TO GET INTO THE U.S. TO BE DIAGNOSED AND TREATED.

Okay, now the tin-foil hat comes out.

IF WE TREATED THIS FIRST CASE SUCCESSFULLY AND HE LIVED, HUNDREDS MORE WOULD FOLLOW.

1. So I think the CDC is letting this man die because they don't want people who think they've got Ebola coming to the U.S. for diagnosis and treatment.
2. Because the CDC doesn't believe they can keep it from becoming an epidemic here.
3. And I think they're right -- they can't stop it, because our health facilities aren't ready for it. See what happened in Dallas.

So maybe it's really a case of "letting the first sucker die, hopefully to dissuade others from following".

Am I giving the CDC too much credit for being smart???

(Tin-foil hat off)

[tumblindice]

African gray with beautiful plumage, not dead, just restin’?

Mr. Duncan’s excellent adventure seems to have turned into a dead parrot sketch. Now I suppose we can count on receiving and treating every African with a travel visa and airfare.
Oh yeah—and a fever.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

the 3 (it took 3) authors of the article

[Jack Hydrazine]

‘In 1976 I discovered Ebola, now I fear an unimaginable tragedy’
Peter Piot was a researcher at a lab in Antwerp when a pilot brought him a blood sample from a Belgian nun who had fallen mysteriously ill in Zaire

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/04/ebola-zaire-peter-piot-outbreak

[Bobalu]

[PastorBooks]

And...

4. They don’t have enough of that miracle drug for everyone, so might as well save what they have for the Special People if this thing gets bad.

[petitfour]

Are Liberians who descended from former US slaves called American Africans? Do they think of Liberia as another state of the United States?

[PA Engineer]

The government messaging and narrative has begun.

[Cementjungle]

family members and others who were in contact with him said they are being ostracized by the local Liberian community

They don't seem to grasp the meaning of "quarantine".

[Mark17]

What is important is he’s black and we’re evil mostly white folks...

And racist of course

You are correct sir. It always WAS about race. If only us evil white folks would stop being evil white racists, and just off ourselves, the world would be a better place. S/

[RegulatorCountry]

PC narrative running headlong into infectious disease again. Wonder which will win this time? Last time, PC won. AIDS. This time, those infected most likely will be gone inside of a month, so it’ll be tough to parade them around for sympathy. That particular PC impulse will kill a lot of those who try it in person. Judge Jenkins in Texas should be sweating bullets by now, if he has a clue. Not so sure he does.

[tumblindice]

“quarantine”
Like the Seinfeld skit:
You know to take the reservations. You just don’t know how to keep them. And that’s the most important part, isn’t it?

Yeah, must of us would prefer that people hacking and sneezing Ebola germs into our faces were at home, and not infecting us, and some people don’t have the sense to stay home, or quarantine themselves.
Any Africans bringing us this plague should be isolated until they die or recover, then prison. Then deport them with a bill to Monrovia.

[greeneyes]

No he’s not sweating bullets. He was on Fox News today. He was assured by the CDC that this approach would be safe. He just wanted the people treated like he would treat his own family, and he wouldn’t want them escorted by people in spacesuits.

PC in overdrive.