Posted on 08/10/2014 12:36:46 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe
Obi Justina Ejelonu,One of the nurses, that cared for Patrick Sawyer during his stay at First Consultant Hospital Obalende, has recounted her experience with him. She was previously working at Otunba Tunwase National Peadiatric Centre Ijebu Ode in Ogun state before relocating to Lagos to work at First Consultant Hospital Obalande months ago.
she posted the message on a Facebook group page that organises free medical services Last week “I never contacted his fluids .i checked his Vitals, helped him with his food.(he was too weak)…..i basically touched where his hands touched and dats d only contact. not directly wt his fluids.@a stage, he yanked off his infusion and we had blood everywhere on his bed…..but d ward maids took care of that and changed his linens with great precaution. Every patient is treated as high risk ….
(Excerpt) Read more at nairavibes.com ...
Ping...(Thanks, Black Agnes, for the tip)
So she was beside his bed feeding him or something when he pulled his IV out and blood went everywhere? A droplet could have splashed her eye, or something.
I too add my prayers for the life of this nurse.
A droplet could have splashed her eye, or something.
* * *
Exactly. NPR had an interview with an “expert” who said oh, no, Ebola can’t travel through the air. Now, of course they meant it’s not aerosolized (yet) and it isn’t a lightweight virus like the regular flu that will float through the air and through air ducts or something. BUT if someone is projectile vomiting, peeing on people (like Sawyer did) or getting blood splashed all around, then it seems to me all bets are off. I mean, just taking care of my kids, I have more than once gotten some unpleasant bodily fluids in my eye. Imagine if that drop of fluid held some horrific disease.
“I have more than once gotten some unpleasant bodily fluids in my eye.”
Bodily fluids includes sweat. Like from someone with Ebola. That touches the door handle within three days of when you do. And at some point you rub your mouth, nose or eyes before you wash your hands. Or your hands have small cuts on them (I have 2 small scratches on my hands at the moment.)
It doesn’t need to be some obvious event that can spread the virus.
Just getting out of protective clothing under heavily contaminated conditions could be problematical, too.
We have to remember that these patients may well suffer brain damage. If that damage is to portions of the brain where cognitive function takes place, their reactions may be more instinctive and survival oriented--fight or flight, without rational thought. That may well endanger both patient and (especially) caregivers.
The patient isn't malicious, but brain damaged at that point.
As a practical matter, with the tissue degradation which occurs, restraints may be difficult to apply.
I have nothing but respect for those who care for these patients, even under the best circumstances. Unfortunately, that sort of PPE isn't very common, the facilities very limited, and in any major outbreak on these shores will be overwhelmed quickly.
Now imagine it’s 95 degrees and there’s no AC. How hard would it be to work in that suit?
I’ve spent 12-14 hours in Chem gear with mask in similar temps. It’s incredibly difficult and we had many people fall out.
Probably a droplet of blood reached her eye or skin. The virus can enter through broken skin, too.
It really does not take much—contact most people would consider to be negligible can be fatal.
Agree with every word you said. And of course these patients cannot help their actions, even if they endanger others. I understand that all too well as both my parents have Alzheimers.:(
All commercial flights from these countries should be stopped, and all Americans volunteering or working there should have access to charitable private flights back and forth, with quarantine procedures at their arrival airport for a day or so before returning to their homes. It isn’t everything but it’s better than open commercial air travel.
Once a few people slip into our society here and are found to have Ebola, it’s all over. No one will want to go anywhere. It will be worse than the worst terror attack.
And because of that scenario, an Ebola vaccine will be gobbled up by all Americans and thus will be a huge moneymaker. Which scares me because an Ebola vaccine has so much that could go wrong with it. But out of abject fear, its market is only limited by the number of people on this planet.
Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.
The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.
So far the false positive rate is 100%.
At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.
*sigh* Such is life, and death...
Scary. Prayers up for this woman and all of the other health care workers.
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