Ebola in the US? - Part of CMC ER roped off, officials say patient being tested

Ebola in the US??

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A corridor of Carolinas Medical Center – Main’s Emergency Room is roped off on the first floor near the entrance. A security guard is posted outside to prevent anyone from crossing the line. CMC officials said a patient is being tested, but a spokesman would not specify what they are testing the patient for. The hospital is taking “all normal precautions,” according to officials.

Part of CMC ER roped off, officials say patient being tested

2 Americans Get Ebola Virus, Both Have NC Connections

Samaritan's Purse spokeswoman, Melissa Strickland, tells WCNC Charlotte a missionary with SIM, a missionary group working in conjunction with Samaritan's Purse, is the second U.S. citizen working in Liberia to test positive for the Ebola virus. That missionary is Charlotte resident Nancy Writebol.

2 Americans Get Ebola Virus, Both Have NC Connections

Ebola Outbreak: NC Missionaries Evacuating 60 People

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- North Carolina groups, SIM in Charlotte and Samaritan's Purse in Boone, announced Tuesday they are bringing some of their missionaries home because of the growing Ebola outbreak in West Africa. SIM is similar to Samaritan's Purse, it's a Christian organization that sends missionaries across the world. SIM USA President Bruce Johnson said around 60 people, mostly nonessential personnel like children and spouses, will return to the U.S.

Ebola Outbreak: NC Missionaries Evacuating 60 People

"Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC, says a person came to ER Tuesday after visiting country known for high risk of infectious diseases; all appropriate infection control measures taken to protect patients, staff, and visitors, hospital says - @wcnc"

a reply to: LrdRedhawk

Let's just hope and pray that it is just a precaution.
It quite honestly scares me that it may end up here.
Thanks for the info.

a reply to: LrdRedhawk

Your first link says:

it appears the risk for communicable disease is low. No further testing is needed and the patient will be sent home. The Emergency Department at Carolinas Medical Center remains open and operating normally."

I think it's great to see the medical center took precautions, that's one of the first steps to containing it.

Also, I think that your "Ebola in the US?" title is a bit alarmist. It made me frown. Save those kinds of titles for when/if the situation actually requires it.

a reply to: LrdRedhawk

the they story they said,

no further testing is needed and the patient will be sent home. The Emergency Department at Carolinas Medical Center remains open and operating normally."

So it would seem while the dude was sick, they don't think it's Ebola...

I personally think everyone coming back from infected areas should be quarantined and tested before being allowed into the general populous. Precautionary measures are warranted with Ebola.

Now that missionary groups are scared enough to recall all their personnel, they should have the CDC implement a program to test them all upon arrival.

Sorry, but if I was over in Africa, living in the infected zones, I'd want to be tested before going home to my friends and family.


Des

a reply to: MojaveBurning

That wasn't in the article when I posted it. It must be an update.

The "Ebola in the US?" (*note the question mark) comment was relevant since this event happened in Charlotte, NC. Just look at the rest of the post where it clearly says that 2 doctors from Charlotte, NC have been infected with Ebola and the fact that the missionary group just evacuated 60 people from Africa back to North Carolina.

So I'd say there was nothing "alarmist" about anything I posted at the time I posted it.

a reply to: HardCorps

Think that was an update. It's still concerning that they evacuated all those people from Africa back to NC, though.

a reply to: Destinyone

Indeed. It doesn't make sense how they're handling this outbreak. You would think they would halt all flights and transportation out of the infected countries until it was resolved. Basically quarantine the places that are infected and not allow anyone in or out. But hey, that's common sense and since when does anyone in the government have any of that?

If it is Ebola? So what? The hospital and infected person has taken all the right measures.

I dont know what North Carolinas are like but im guessing they wont attack the hospital and take the infected person out then run round the city with the infected person like they seem to like doing in Africa? Im also guessing sick people go to hospitals there and dont just go to with doctors? And (forgetting detroit) don't roll around in gutters and drink polluted water?

originally posted by: LrdRedhawk
a reply to: Destinyone

Indeed. It doesn't make sense how they're handling this outbreak. You would thing they would halt all flights and transportation out of the infected countries until it was resolved. Basically quarantine the places that are infected and not allow anyone in or out. But hey, that's common sense and since when does anyone in the government have any of that?

Maybe containment is not the long range goal?

Scary thought there...

Des

a reply to: Destinyone

You just had to go and say it, didn't you? *grrrr

a reply to: crazyewok

These kind of things scare the hell out of me. Next thing ya know we are the next season of the Walking Dead or Mad Max.

human disease bombs would be the mother of all terrorist attacks.

Funny just yesterday there was talk from media and soap box commentary that there's no worry in the US.

"1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature."

a reply to: crazyewok

I think more people are concerned if it becomes an outbreak in the U.S

originally posted by: thesaneone
a reply to: crazyewok

I think more people are concerned if it becomes an outbreak in the U.S

It wont as something like that in the first world would be stamped out pretty quick.

Ebola doesn't spread very fast. After 6 months its only killed 700 people in Africa

As I mentioned this is a country that thinks hospital are evil and roll around sewage. And there hospitals can barely be called that anyway, our high school first aid stations are better equipped, doctor training is limited and nurse training is what you learn on the day.


Poor state of US healthcare aside, it would come down and isolate such a thing pretty quickly. Ebola just don't well suited for western country's.....unless it ever goes airborne

a reply to: crazyewok

Check this out...

Fears are growing that the most lethal form of the Ebola virus can mutate into an airborne pathogen, making the spread of the terrifying disease more difficult to check.

It was previously thought the untreatable virus, which causes massive internal bleeding and multiple organ failure, could only be transmitted through contact with infected blood.

But now Canadian researchers have carried out experiments showing how monkeys can catch the deadly disease from infected pigs without coming into direct contact.

'Our findings support the hypothesis that airborne transmission may contribute to spread, specifically from pigs to primates, and may need to be considered in assessing transmission from animals to humans in general,' they said.

Coul d Ebola now be airborne? New research shows lethal virus can be spread from pigs to monkeys without contact

a reply to: LrdRedhawk

Yep, mutation, scares the hell out of me.

I feel like this too is being done on purpose.

a reply to: MojaveBurning

From your post:

"...it appears the risk for communicable disease is low."

Does anyone else find it unacceptable that they sent the person home after having just said this? In light of things, I need to hear "the patient has tested negative" to truly move on without another thought on this incident.

It should be criminal allowing anyone into the borders from a country that is dealing with an Ebola breakout... But if by some chance they are allowed access back in to this country they NEED to be quarantined and checked for the virus.. We have the family of the doctor from Indiana who caught the disease in Liberia and now we have this... Sigh..

All the things we used to be taught about Ebola and the other viral hemorrhagic fevers is beginning to go out the window. The HF's were thought to be 'self-limiting' since their lethality caused outbreaks to burn-out quickly. The new problem is tat these outbreaks are becoming more widespread and lasting longer. These longer, expanded outbreaks offer significantly more opportunity for the virus to mutate into a more easily transmitted form.