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Ebola

Ebola466 posts

Ebola 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.

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13 Oct, 2014

Most severe modern health emergency

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The WHO warns that the virus is ‘the most severe acute health emergency in modern times.’ Director-General Margaret Chan:

I have never seen a health event threaten the very survival of societies and governments in already very poor countries. I have never seen an infectious disease contribute so strongly to potential state failure.

Warns against disorganized, irrational efforts

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Director General Margaret Chan warns that 90% of the economic costs of any outbreak stem from…

irrational and disorganized efforts of the public to avoid infection.

She adds that the treatment of patients spotlights growing global inequalities:

The outbreak spotlights the dangers of the world’s growing social and economic inequalities. The rich get the best care. The poor are left to die.

U.S. nurse identified

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ebola-nina-phamThe Dallas nurse diagnosed with the virus is identified as 26-year-old Nina Pham. Her family confirm the identification. Pham graduated from Texas Christian University’s nursing program in 2010.

Donates blood to Pham

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Brantly donates plasma to Pham, the third patient who has been given his blood in the hope that antibodies he developed in his recovery from the virus can cure others. Brantly is believed to have traveled to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital to make the donation on Sunday night.

CDC director: cases may increase

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Frieden says that a breach in safety protocols led to the infection of the nurse in Dallas, and warns of more infections:

We’re deeply concerned. Unfortunately, it is possible that in the coming days we will see additional cases of Ebola.

LA Metro bus driver quarantined

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The driver is isolated and his bus is taken out of service after a masked passenger began shouting threats:

Don’t mess with me, I have Ebola!

Metro officials and the LA County sheriff’s transit authorities are reviewing surveillance tapes from inside the bus to determine the identity of the passenger, who was accompanied by a woman.

CDC: ‘Think Ebola’

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CDC Director Frieden says hospitals across the U.S. must know how to handle patients who have been in affected areas, and be prepared for the possibility they have the virus.

We have to rethink the way we address Ebola infection control, because even a single infection is unacceptable.

14 Oct, 2014

Apologizes for violating quarantine

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Snyderman, NBC’s Chief Medical Editor, apologizes for violating voluntary quarantine under which she and her crew are placed when her cameraman Ashoko Mukpo is diagnosed with Ebola in Africa. Snyderman and two of her crew members are allegedly seen in public picking up a take out order.

While under voluntary quarantine guidelines, which called for our team to avoid public contact for 21 days, members of our group violated those guidelines and understand that our quarantine is now mandatory until 21 days have passed. We remain healthy and our temperatures are normal. As a health professional I know that we have no symptoms and pose no risk to the public, but I am deeply sorry for the concerns this episode caused. We are thrilled that Ashoka is getting better and our thoughts continue to be with the thousands affected by Ebola whose stories we all went to cover.

Pham statement

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In a statement released by Texas Health Presbyterian, Pham says she is “doing well.”

I’m doing well and want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers. I am blessed by the support of family and friends and am blessed to be cared for by the best team of doctors and nurses in the world.

Pham is listed as “clinically stable,” according to the director of the CDC Dr. Tom Frieden.

States may get Ebola centers

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The CDC says a plan to designate a hospital in each state is still in the discussion plan. One issue is that there are only four hospitals nationwide that have top-level bio-containment units. Abbigail Tumpey, who heads the CDC’s education outreach:

We’d like to have at least one hospital in every state that does feel they could manage a patient from start to finish

MSF loses nine medics

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A total of 16 Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) doctors have contracted the virus, and nine have died. The head of Doctors Without Borders in South Africa, Sharon Ekambaram, says medical workers have received inadequate assistance from the international community.

70 staffers cared for Duncan

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Medical records show that around 70 Texas Health Presbyterian staffers cared for Duncan, and some of them may have had direct contact with his body or fluids. The CDC says there were breaches in protection protocol at the hospital, and is investigating to identify them. WHO doctor Aileen Marty says no amount of protection will help if hospital workers do not put on and take off their protective layers carefully:

The first thing in caring for someone with Ebola is to do everything in your power to never become a victim

Predicts 10,000 cases per week

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WHO assistant director-general Dr. Bruce Aylward gives the figure at a press conference in Geneva. He outlines what will happen if the global response isn’t stepped up within 60 days:

A lot more people will die

Model shows U.S. at risk of more cases

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A model by Northeastern University based on flight patterns shows that the U.S. is at highest risk of more Ebola cases both without a travel reduction from west Africa and with a travel reduction of of 80%.

Mobile response team

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The CDC creates a mobile team to respond to any cases of infection. CDC Director Frieden:

I wish we had put a team like this on the ground the day the patient – the first patient – was diagnosed. That might have prevented this infection. But we will do that from today onward with any case anywhere in the U.S.

Second person monitored

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The person, reported to be Pham’s boyfriend, is reported to be in isolation at Texas Health Presbyterian. An internal company email indicates that he works at global eye care products company Alcon in Forth Worth, Tx.

Mortality rate rises to 70%

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WHO assistant director-general Dr. Bruce Aylward says in Geneva that the new rate confirms Ebola is ‘a high mortality disease.’ Previously, the WHO had estimated the death rate around 50%.

CDC monitoring 125 people

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The CDC is monitoring 11 people who had contact with Duncan and 114 people who may have had contact. None of the people are showing signs of Ebola. It says that 48 have been monitored since before Duncan was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian, 75 are people who worked in the hospital, and one is someone who had contact with Pham.

Device could diagnose virus in 10 minutes

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Denver-based Corgeniz develops a device called a lateral flow dipstick-type test that can identify the virus in 10 minutes. The company has received a government grant to study Ebola. The test device is already being used to detect the Lassa virus in west Africa. CEO Douglass Simpson expects the test to be available in about a year depending on the green-lighting process by the government.

What if the CDC said we need to speed this process up. Could you do that? We’re in sixth gear now. We’re going as fast as we possibly can.

 

Texas school rejects two students

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CBS reports that Navarro may have denied entry to two Nigerian men. Letter to student:

Unfortunately, Navarro College is not accepting international students from countries with confirmed Ebola cases.

The school responds that it is focusing on students from other countries:

As part of our new honors program, the college restructured the international department to include focused recruitment from certain countries each year. Our focus for 2014-15 is on China and Indonesia. Other countries will be identified and recruitment efforts put in place once we launch our new honors program fall 2015.