Texas health care worker tests positive for Ebola

CNN ^ | Sun October 12, 2014 | By Joe Sutton, CNN

[radu]

A health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has tested positive for Ebola after a preliminary test, the hospital said in a statement.

Confirmatory testing will be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

[Mamzelle]

Well, Ebola started in the Sudan in the seventies. And a few weeks ago there was no Ebola in Texas. But, likely he’s negative.

[Will88]

Ebola can be contained with a proper medical response and good leadership from a country's president. Oops. We're doomed.

Yep, the leaders in African nations bordering those with ebola outbreaks had the common sense to close their borders to the extent possible.

[Jim Noble]

They are giving teeth to the lies that we really have nothing to worry about

Read the first item in the current (as of 8:05 am 10/12/14) CDC FAQ titled "Safe Management of Ebola Patients in US Hospitals". Then read down to #5, the one that has "There are important differences between providing care or performing public health tasks in Africa versus in a U.S. hospital."

Then look at what health care workers in one of the four federally-funded biocontainment units do:

Up until this morning, many hospitals were prepared to take CDC at their word about "routine" personal protective equipment (PPE). I imagine this is no longer the case.

Once 100 hospitals are "ruling out" 100 patients (most of whom will not have Ebola, of course), I imagine the system will grind to a halt.

[Jim Noble]

But, likely he’s negative

It's already been announced. I just want to try to keep wrong facts off the Ebola news threads - there are a lot of true facts we need to keep up with.

[Sooth2222]

"Spanish nurse with Ebola may have touched her face with a glove when removing protective gear"

Considering how the Duncan case has been mishandled (Bunny suits with the sleeves rolled up? Power washing vomit from the sidewalk outside Duncan's apartment without masks or any protective gear?) it's amazing that there aren't hundreds of cases by now!

[Will88]

Yes - treated Duncan. What's not being reported is how many other patients this worker has been in contact with,

That's a question I haven't heard discussed concerning the protocols for hospitals handling ebola patients. Once doctors, nurses and others have ministered to an ebola patient and removed their hazmat suits, do they then resume their normal routines of treating other patients in the hospital?

[trebb]

Once 100 hospitals are "ruling out" 100 patients (most of whom will not have Ebola, of course), I imagine the system will grind to a halt.

Yep - my daughter is a nurse and says that if it gets a real foothold, we are pretty screwed. Most hospitals are unprepared and will remain that way due to lack of resources/training to do an effective spin up. If it begins to spread out, they will quickly become overwhelmed and be unable to accomplish proper control procedures.

While initial prognoses were that the likelihood of its spread in the US was low, that has gone up exponentially with this health worker case - especially since they did not do their due diligence from the get-go and there is no telling how many she came into contact with and how many each of those contacts came into contact with...

[trebb]

That's a question I haven't heard discussed concerning the protocols for hospitals handling ebola patients. Once doctors, nurses and others have ministered to an ebola patient and removed their hazmat suits, do they then resume their normal routines of treating other patients in the hospital?

Since they haven't included any positive statements that she was under surveillance and kept apart from anyone, I have to assume that they went with the false meme that all was well.

[Paul R.]

I have high respect for "tiny droplets in the air"

[Old Sarge]

I find it hard to believe this -- or anything -- will change the fundamental complacency of the American people.

[PoloSec]

"You’d think this would be a headline on Drudge. But nothing. Same headline from Fri to Mon every weekend. Weak."

Weak is the right word, I've noticed for a long time now, stories that show up on Drudge, have already been reported here on FR, two or three days before they hit Drudge, very few exceptions, and weekends forget about it.

[abb]

Presser in Dallas, TX on the air now. CNN.

[Old Sarge]

The REAL QUESTION is how will food and water be distributed to 330 Million people who are ORDERED to stay home under penalty of being shot on sight (320 Million of them unprepared and laughing at us now).

[antidisestablishment]

Ebola is more like the Spanish Flu. It will have a greater mortality rate in healthy individuals because it triggers a cytokine storm.

[Paul R.]

In case it hasn’t been posted — WHO Ebola FAQ page:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/faq-ebola/en/

I have not seen the 90% mortality figure before and am not sure exactly what situations to which it might pertain. I assume it’d be in areas with poor health care capabilities, but, still...

[babygene]

“He’s probably had sex with his wife by now.”

Since he’s a lib, probably someone else’s wife...

[corkoman]

Looking at the Presser now. Was one of those guys at the podium the crazy judge who wandered into Duncan’s apartment? Looked like him.

[SE Mom]

2nd visit. ..on low expectations list. .did wear protection

[SE Mom]

This doctor is very worried.

[abb]

That’s him