Posted on 11/02/2014 8:49:43 AM PST by Kaslin
I am a faithful and loving husband to a wonderful woman, and I do not make a practice of hugging women I don't know. But if I had the chance, I wouldn't hesitate to embrace Kaci Hickox.
She apparently would be willing. In denouncing the quarantine imposed on her by the government of Maine -- which she defied the other day by going on a bike ride with her boyfriend -- the 33-year-old nurse said, "You could hug me. You could shake my hand. I would not give you Ebola."
That's accurate, from all available evidence, since she has never had any symptoms of the disease. A hug from her would be more likely to break my ribs than give me a deadly virus.
Returning from a month in Sierra Leone working for Doctors Without Borders, Hickox was stopped at the Newark airport. After a forehead scanner indicated a fever -- which she attributed to being flushed from distress at being detained for hours with no explanation -- an oral thermometer registered 98.6 degrees. She didn't have a fever before or since. Still, she was placed in an isolation tent in a hospital for three days before being flown to her home in Maine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, only Ebola victims showing symptoms can pass the virus to others. But some officials couldn't care less about such details. Three governors have issued quarantine mandates for any medical worker who has had contact with Ebola patients -- Chris Christie of New Jersey, Andrew Cuomo of New York and Pat Quinn of Illinois. A Maine court ordered Hickox not to leave town and to stay at least three feet away from others -- only to lift the order the following day.
Christie went out of his way to patronize this woman who risked her life to save patients on the other side of the world. "When she has time to reflect, she'll understand," he predicted.
Given time and reflection, maybe the rest of us will understand just how ridiculous he and others are for inflicting needless burdens on people who pose no discernible danger. When did it become a badge of toughness to succumb to irrational panic?
The hardliners act as though we have no experience with infectious disease and therefore have to take any steps that could conceivably block it. In fact, the CDC has been dealing competently with illnesses like this for a long time.
Back in 2002 and 2003, a virus called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infected more than 8,000 people, mostly in Asia, and killed 774. Even though it could be spread through the air, had a high mortality rate and infected 27 people in the United States, the CDC didn't recommend mandatory quarantines. So it makes sense that the agency would not advise that approach for Ebola, which is much harder to contract.
There is an assumption that health care workers returning from Ebola zones are too irresponsible to avoid infecting others. But groups that work in these areas know better than anyone how to avoid getting or giving the disease.
Ebola has been around since 1976, and Doctors Without Borders (which goes by the French acronym MSF) has a lot of experience on the front lines. Until this year's outbreak, the biggest ever, it had never had an international staff member infected. Only three have contracted the virus this time. None has spread it to other people.
Nor is any likely to. Upon coming home, the group says, staffers are required to "check their temperature two times per day; finish their regular course of malaria prophylaxis, since malaria symptoms can mimic Ebola symptoms; be aware of relevant symptoms, such as fever; stay within four hours of a hospital with isolation facilities; and immediately contact the MSF-USA office if any relevant symptoms develop."
Why should we trust these doctors and nurses to follow this strict regime? First, because they wouldn't survive treating Ebola if they were sloppy. Second, because professionals who have made great sacrifices to fight the disease are not likely to knowingly put others in danger. Third, because they are acutely aware of the symptoms of Ebola and have every reason to get immediate care if they appear.
Hickox, however, is at the mercy of public officials who are eager to trample on her freedom in deference to unwarranted hysteria. In going to Africa to treat Ebola patients, she showed admirable courage. Too bad it's not contagious.
Roommates of Duncan didn't get infected.
I though most of those were local helpers and not doctors.
I probably won’t get Ebola, but unfortunately there are a lot of first responders at risk due to 150 random possibly infected immigrants coming in every day.
Lucky them, huh? Would you like to room with the net Liberian who comes here with Ebola?
Wasn't that TWO too many?
So, is there like, a telegram that one receives that tells someone that they will be symptomatic in 47 hours or something? What if out on this bike ride she had become symptomatic?
This is all about Obola wanting this disease in this country to wreak havoc. What further proof does an electorate need that the man at the top does not have our best interests at heart?
Seriously? Did that person who just left the public bathroom ahead of you leave Obola behind for you to encounter? We will never know...
No, Liberians should not be let into this country, I would revoke the 13,500 visas to Ebola countries (last count that I heard). It makes no sense to let people in who can easily be incubating with no fever or even, in some cases, infectious with no fever.
Hickox isn’t an actual practicing nurse, is she? She works for the CDC as a disease detective I read...She will never treat anyone who is infected through her careless and thoughtless behavior...
To some extent the health care industry brought this on themselves because a lot of them were in favor of Obamacare. Now they are going to get Obolacare forced on them.
No doubt about that. First responders will get infected, municipalities will shell out billions (Dallas spend over a million last time I read about it). Health care workers will be overwhelmed and put at risk. None of this is necessary if we just stopped the flow of Ebola land refugees.
The type of person who goes to school for years - doctors AND nurses - then volunteer for these 'doctors without borders' possible death positions are NOT like the rest of us - more courage - more insanity...
There was a thread last week about a hospital doctor who said he knew all the CDC procedures - and his hospital was checked out and fine... he just didn't know if health care professionals would chose to risk their lives over this disease. Or if they would call in sick.. or stop practicing.
If this disease get a foothold here we're going to have to put everything on the table... didn't mean to offend.
That's what I'm concerned about more than one nurse.
Obama democrats, and liberal elites at the CDC are fighting to bring in hundreds - maybe thousands - of possible Ebola carriers. That's what will cause the disease to explode if it's going to... that's where we have to draw the line. STOP ALL FLIGHTS OUT OF AFRICAN HOT ZONES.
No, if you want local doctors then try this infromation
Note that this includes local doctors , and doesn't include nurses , and aides, and general Healthcare workers.
'Dr. Samadi: 230 DOCTORS Have Died from Ebola- “Still Don’t Know How They Can Possibly Get It”
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/10/dr-somati-230-doctors-have-died-from-ebola-we-still-dont-know-how-they-can-possibly-get-it-video/
I know that there was an early press release by MSF, which motivated them to change their medical protocols,
and update equipment , PPE , nitrile gloves, rubber booties ,and full bodily coverage (with hood),
and most recently recommended independent air supply.
From link:
Many students pursuing master’s degrees in public health at Johns Hopkins University went home for the holidays. Kaci Hickox went to Uganda.
She spent a month at the end of 2010 caring for yellow fever patients through Doctors Without Borders, a group she had worked with several times before. She had long been passionate about providing medical care overseas, her classmate Chelsea Solmo said.
“It was more than just a hobby or an interest,” Ms. Solmo said. “She had these skills as a nurse, and she felt she had to use them.”
For the last month, Ms. Hickox, 33, was with the group in Sierra Leone, working with Ebola patients.
”Liberals” are willing to spend our grandchildrens’ futures on “protecting the earth” from CO2 - when there is scant evidence of any likelihood that the earth needs any help - and no chance that CO2 can be prevented from growing due to the dozens of coal-fired power plants being erected in China, with more in India.But all it takes is one unsuspected case of ebola and a little bad luck and/or a little bad faith, and it’s hard to be sure how many cases and deaths we might suffer. What if it gets into our high school locker rooms and our elementary schools???
How many health care personnel would get it? How many people would they infect? Caution is the only sensible course w/ respect to a disease for which we have no cure and only palliative treatment. But for the people who would have us all freeze in the dark in the vain hope of “saving the earth” from CO2 growth, minor inconvenience is too much to accept to minimize an actual, serious threat.
And spare us the conceit that “liberals” are the compassionate, courageous among us. They aren’t even actually liberal.
See post 38.
I saw it. I’m sure Christians will be on the front lines fighting against this disease... that goes without saying.
I like your tagline, I was thinking of “The rat party delenda est” for my next one.
Or just ending every post “and also F the democrats”.
Probably the most ignorant and stupid column I’ve ever seen on Townhall.
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