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In Liberia, a Good or Very Bad Sign: Empty Hospital Beds
New York Times ^ | 10/29/2014 | Sheri Fink

Posted on 10/29/2014 10:38:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

SUAKOKO, Liberia — For days this month, the ambulances from this Ebola treatment unit went out in search of patients, only to return with just one or two suspected cases. And many times, those people ended up testing negative for the disease.

“Where are the patients?” an aid worker wondered aloud as colleagues puzzled over the empty beds at the International Medical Corps treatment unit here in Bong County, Liberia, which opened in mid-September.

Around the country, treatment centers, laboratory workers who test for Ebola, and international and national health officials trying to track the epidemic have noticed an unexpected pattern: There are far fewer people being treated for Ebola than anticipated.

As of Sunday, fewer than half of the 649 treatment beds across the country were occupied, a surprising change in a nation where patients had long been turned away from Ebola units for lack of space.

Now, new admissions to treatment centers are dropping or flatlining, the number of samples being submitted to Ebola laboratories has fallen significantly, and the percentage of people testing positive for the disease has dropped as well.

“The numbers are decreasing, but we don’t know why,” said Malin Lager, a spokeswoman at a Doctors Without Borders treatment center just outside Monrovia, the capital. Its vast campus of white tents, which has a capacity for 253 patients, had only 90 on Sunday.

“It’s too early to celebrate,” Ms. Lager said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ebola; hospital; liberia
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1 posted on 10/29/2014 10:38:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Patient burnout?


2 posted on 10/29/2014 10:39:22 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: SeekAndFind
'
3 posted on 10/29/2014 10:40:15 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Zimmerman, Brown, Fast & Furious, IRS harassment, Philly ignorance: holdering in 1st degree)
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To: SeekAndFind
Many of the monitoring experts, too, are based in the capital. Months into the crisis, officials still remind themselves of the need to get out into the wider country to test their assumptions about the epidemic.

Cowering in their 5-star digs? That's your typical UN in-country gig, is it not?

4 posted on 10/29/2014 10:43:32 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (Pointing out dereliction of duty is NOT fear mongering, especially in a panDEMic)
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To: SeekAndFind

If the hospital beds are empty then why is Obola sending the Army to Liberia to build more hospitals?


5 posted on 10/29/2014 10:47:21 AM PDT by relee ('Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away)
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To: freedumb2003

That guy reminds me of Josh Groban. Maybe he can compose a song with that title.... :)


6 posted on 10/29/2014 10:56:07 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (If at first you don't succeed, put it out for beta test.)
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To: relee

Obozo is deeply saddened.


7 posted on 10/29/2014 10:56:52 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: Paladin2

Maybe or could be they have decided to refuse to come in as they know it’s likely they’ll die.


8 posted on 10/29/2014 10:59:45 AM PDT by reed13k (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothings)
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To: SeekAndFind

HMMM
and yet WHO reports a 13% jump in cases just from 4 days ago including in Liberia( see thread 4 or 5 above this one)

who should we believe


9 posted on 10/29/2014 11:04:12 AM PDT by RWGinger
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To: BunnySlippers
Obozo is deeply saddened claiming victory.
10 posted on 10/29/2014 11:06:25 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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To: thackney

Bong county sounds like a really mellow place to live though don’t it?


11 posted on 10/29/2014 11:32:32 AM PDT by bicyclerepair (Linux rocks. TERM LIMITS ... TERM LIMITS)
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To: 2ndreconmarine; Fitzcarraldo; Covenantor; Mother Abigail; EBH; Dog Gone; ...
Ping...

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

12 posted on 10/29/2014 11:41:06 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: SeekAndFind

A while back, a very intelligent and mathematical FReeper posted a statistical study of projected Ebola spread. Now I can’t find that thread.

Did anyone bookmark it, and would you please post a link?


13 posted on 10/29/2014 11:50:50 AM PDT by Jedidah
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To: Jedidah

FR scouter did several progressive graphs ping or FR mail and request a repost

So far her tracking has pretty much proved out given B minus C plus data reliability


14 posted on 10/29/2014 11:55:22 AM PDT by Covenantor ("Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern." Chesterton)
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To: relee

You may have hit on something there. The patients maybe are in the army hospitals where no one can see them or count them.


15 posted on 10/29/2014 12:02:02 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: Covenantor

Found it! Thank you so much.


16 posted on 10/29/2014 12:12:36 PM PDT by Jedidah
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To: reed13k
Maybe or could be they have decided to refuse to come in as they know it’s likely they’ll die.

Not that NOT going to hospital would be a bed of roses either, but if I had to bet, I'd bet you've hit on the most plausible explanation.

17 posted on 10/29/2014 12:15:22 PM PDT by tomkat ( /.02)
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To: Jedidah

Oh good. Please post the link here for one and all.


18 posted on 10/29/2014 12:17:36 PM PDT by Covenantor ("Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern." Chesterton)
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To: SeekAndFind

Burned out already?


19 posted on 10/29/2014 12:20:56 PM PDT by Gamecock (USA, Ret.)
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To: NonValueAdded

I’ve been to Liberia. There are no 5 Star properties.


20 posted on 10/29/2014 12:21:41 PM PDT by Gamecock (USA, Ret.)
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