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466 postsEbola is a disease caused by an ebolavirus. Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches. Vomiting, diarrhea and rash follow, along with decreased function of the liver and kidneys. Victims bleed both within the body and externally. From 1976 through 2013, the World Health Organization reported a total of 1,716 cases. In 2013 an outbreak started in Guinea, spreading to neighboring African countries and infectied doctors, some of who were transported back to the US for treatment. The virus continues to claim victims as it spreads to more countries.
The British national who died in Macedonia may have had alcohol poisoning, not Ebola. Unnamed official:
We have serious indications from several places that he consumed large amounts of alcohol, so the theory that this might be the cause of death is very much in play.
The UN body says practices like rubbing a patient’s body with limes and onions or drinking saltwater are ineffective against the virus, and warns against fake vaccines and cures.
Decades of scientific research have failed to find a curative or preventive agent of proven safety and effectiveness in humans, though a number of promising products are currently under development. All rumours of any other effective products or practices are false. Their use can be dangerous. In Nigeria, for example, at least two people have died after drinking salt water, rumoured to be protective.
Dr. Aileen Marty talks to Jorge Ramos of Fusion after returning from a 31-day WHO mission to Nigeria, and says no checks were performed at Miami International Airport:
I get to the kiosk…mark the fact that I’ve been in Nigeria and nobody cares, nobody stopped me
She says this highlights a lack of preparation to handle travelers from Ebola-affected areas:
If we don’t change our entry method and this outbreak continues to get completely out of control…it’s likely to be seen in other countries.
The WHO warns that Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Senegal top a list of 13 countries urged to be prepared for Ebola cases. Other countries the agency is concerned may get Ebola cases are Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria and Togo. Daouda Coulibaly, head of the epidemiological monitoring service at the Ivory Coast’s National Institute of Public Health:
We are extremely at risk given the fact we share borders with two countries heavily affected
Mayor Bill de Blasio puts New York City on alert but says authorities have clear protocols to handle any potential Ebola cases.
There has not been a case in New York City. There is no cause for alarm… The city is particularly well prepared for any possible instance of Ebola because of our extraordinary health care system. Physicians, hospitals, emergency medical personnel are trained in how to identify this disease and how to quickly isolate anyone who may be afflicted.
European countries are monitoring dozens of patients amid fears the outbreak could spread. 35 people in Macedonia have been placed in isolation after a British man died there and his friend was hospitalized. Lab samples are being tested in Frankfurt to determine if they had Ebola. In Prague, a Czech man is being tested for Ebola while in Spain, seven people turned themselves in voluntarily to an isolation unit, while six other people who had contact with nurse Teresa Romero are already being monitored. Romero’s condition remains serious but stable.
Scientific American says that the outbreak highlights problems with procedures, equipment and training worldwide. It notes a Guardian report that the doctor who attended Spanish nurse Teresa Romero Ramos complained his hazmat suit’s sleeves were too short, while Romero herself told Spanish media she may have contracted the virus by accidentally touching her face with a gloved hand as she removed her protective gear. It says the cleanup team at Thomas Eric Duncan’s apartment wore full-face respirators and Level B Saranac suits. Cleaning Guys vice president Brad Smith:
We followed the recommendations of the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] but went one level above that as far as personal protective equipment
A 14-year-old boy from Colorado visiting Brooklyn is reported to have been placed in isolation at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center and treated according to Ebola protocols, after showing flu-like symptoms. The patient said that he had recently returned from a trip to Sudan, and reportedly lied to authorities so he could fly home. An official with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene tells 1010 WINS there are no patients currently suspected of having Ebola in New York City. WCBS 880 reports that New York City health officials also confirm he tested negative for Ebola. The boy’s uncle says the family did not think he had Ebola but sent him to hospital after he felt dizzy:
These are regular procedures that the officials needed to take just to make sure everything’s OK. I’m perfectly OK with it
New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport starts screening arriving passengers for the virus. The CDC has stated that not every incoming passenger will be screened. In fact, only about 150 people per day will be screened. The country of origin will be a factor in deciding whether or not a passenger will receive further attention. The CDC admits that even with these measures, it will not be impossible to prevent the virus from entering the United States:
No matter how many of these procedures are put into place, we can’t get the risk to zero.
John F. Kennedy International Airport begins Ebola screening. Inspectors will use special procedures to screen people traveling from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea. CDC:
Our hope is that the screening will improve vigilance and increase awareness about the Ebola disease for those individuals traveling from the affected areas.
The NBC News crew including chief medical correspondent Nancy Snyderman that worked with Mukpo are placed in mandatory isolation in New Jersey after a 21-day voluntary isolation agreement was breached. The state Health Department says the crew remains symptom-free and there is no reason for concern of exposure to the virus to the community. It doesn’t give details on the breach of the voluntary agreement.
Liberia bans journalists from Ebola treatment units due to concerns over privacy. Deputy information minister Isaac Jackson:
Journalists are no longer allowed to enter ETUs. These journalists enter the ETUs and cross red lines. They violate people’s privacy, take pictures that they will sell to international institutions. We are putting an end to that.
Checks by Reuters show that state and city plans for handling Ebola are based on generic recommendations for disasters from measles to floods, hurricanes and dirty bombs. Health departments in Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, Minnesota, New Jersey, Maryland and Rhode Island are scrambling to adapt the generic plans. They must adapt hospital drills, 911 emergency operator guidelines, quarantine rules, and details such as checking that plastic body bags meet the minimal thickness of 150 micrometers recommended by the CDC. Rand Corp public health expert Chris Nelson:
It takes a certain amount of reverse engineering to get the plan to where it can respond to new, emerging threats.
Liberia’s armed forces are leading anti-Ebola efforts including building 18 treatment centres across the country, and are working with U.S. Africa Command forces to rejuvenate their image after the country’s civil war. Joseph F. Johnson, a deputy minister at Liberia’s Defense Ministry:
We’re trying to rebrand the A.F.L. as a force for good. Piggyback on this.
CDC director Frieden says the centre is considering several possibilities as to how the Dallas nurse became infected with the virus. One possibility is that the infection spread when protective equipment was removed or when Duncan received kidney dialysis or respiratory intubatution in last-ditch efforts to save his life:
Both of those procedures may spread contaminated materials and are considered high-risk procedures… When you have potentially soiled or contaminated gloves or masks or other things, to remove those without any risk of any contaminated material … touching you and being then on your clothes or face or skin … is not easy to do right.
Another possibility is out-of-protocol precautions taken by healthcare workers worried about safety, but which can actually increase risks, such as wearing three pairs of surgical gloves instead of two.
Health experts are rushing to determine how Pham contracted the virus. They propose several scenarios, including that she was infected while Duncan was being intubated or receiving kidney dialysis, both procedures with a high risk of contact with infected materials. Templeton University doctor Eileen Farnon, who formerly worked at the CDC and led teams investigating past Ebola outbreaks in Africa:
Removing the equipment can really be the highest risk. You have to be extremely careful and have somebody watching you to make sure you remember all the steps.
Dr. Dennis Maki, University of Wisconsin-Madison infectious disease specialist:
I can have on the suit and be very careful, but I can pick up some secretions or body fluids on a surface
State Attorney General Buddy Caldwell is seeking a temporary restraining order to block the disposal of incinerated waste from Duncan’s apartment at a Louisiana landfill:
We certainly share sadness and compassion for those who have lost their lives and loved ones to this terrible virus, but the health and safety of our Louisiana citizens is our top priority. There are too many unknowns at this point, and it is absurd to transport potentially hazardous Ebola waste across state lines.This situation is certainly unprecedented and we want to approach it with the utmost caution. We just can’t afford to take any risks when it comes to this deadly virus.
A passenger on a flight from JFK is investigated at LA International after showing Ebola-like symptoms. Officials say the cause is air sickness. Los Angeles Fire Captain Jamie Moore:
[It was] simple airline illness. If you were on a boat for a long time and you were going up and down, those are the same symptoms that this patient would have been exhibiting … Being in a confined space, not being able to get fresh air, not being able to see outside, just feeling general motion sickness.
Brown causes a fury among his fans when he comments on the Ebola outbreak.
I don't know … But I think this Ebola epidemic is a form of population control. Shit is getting crazy bruh.
— Chris Brown (@chrisbrown) October 13, 2014
Health experts criticize CDC Director Frieden’s remark that a ‘protocol breach’ caused the Dallas nurse’s infection. They say that hospital staff need to be coached on each step of the process of dealing with Ebola patients, and that given the level of training needed to do the job safely, the government should consider designating a hospital in each region as the go-to facility for Ebola. National Nurses United disaster relief expert Bonnie Castillo:
You don’t scapegoat and blame when you have a disease outbreak. We have a system failure. That is what we have to correct.