CDC issues Ebola checklist: 'Now is the time to prepare'

a reply to: xuenchen

It's very sensible emergency preparation. The help West Africa needs is NOT on the way (165 doctors from Cuba is good, but not enough). "Quarantine" won't work (it's been proved over and over) - and the virus will spread and mutate. One of those mutation might very well make it airborne.

So - looks like that's the plan.

a reply to: stardust22

Well, we have problems because they are still flying to the affected Country's, well Nigeria anyway. It will only take one infected coming from Nigeria to start it.

It is most certainly wise to prepare for a potential emergency, and its the job of the CDC to promote and provide that guidance to the US.

I think it is possible for someone coming into the country to bring it with them, and when they hit the ER in whatever city that might be, it behooves the medical staff to have a plan of action already in place. It might only be one hospital in the whole of the US, or it might be dozens, but whatever the situation, promotion of education and an emergency plan from a National point of view just makes sense and is key to containment should the virus hit our shores.

I don't see this as fear-mongering or a "hint" that the worst-case scenarios are on their way - I think it's the CDC's basic job to deal with this kind of stuff BEFORE something happens. It's proactive and could save lives.

My two cents, for whatever they are worth (or not)...

- AB

originally posted by: stardust22
a reply to: ketsuko

Do you think people will panic? Sometimes sheeples' ignorance really scares me...

Yes people would panic if it came to our continent, or any other besides Africa.
They are panicking in Africa.

Panic is dangerous because people do not want to be quarentined. Then it spreads.

If they don't t get control of this virus, it risks mutating each time it passes to another person.

About a month ago , they had already counted over 250 mutations of it.

Sooner or later it might become airborne, if not already. These virus' are smart and can adapt as they fight to survive our attempts at eradicating them

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

I agree - and all those oil execs and workers flying in and out of Nigeria and the other countries are the biggest problem. Sounds like you're up for a letter writing campaign. Here's my short list: Shell, Mobil, British Petroleum, Elf, Agip, Phillips, and Pan Ocean Corporation.

Shell in Nigeria: Oil, Gas, Development & Corporate Social Responsibility

Shell is a multinational corporation that for 50 years has been intimately involved in Nigeria’s economy, politics and overall development. ....Shell generates billions of dollars in export earnings while providing the federal government with half or more of its revenue.

a reply to: ketsuko

It's when you run and later turn up ill and infect everyone around you that problems happen.

That is one of the primary reasons a plague is "jumping around'" in Africa.

originally posted by: gatorboi117

originally posted by: intrptr
Ebola would cause the same reaction it does anywhere.

Just answer this simple question:

If you become one of those contactees that his a suspected host because your roommate got it, would you volunteer for quarantine for three weeks with other potential victims?

Or run?

I'd like to think I'd run. I'd run far into the wilderness and just wait it out. And if I began to show symptoms? I'd immediately cover myself as best as possible, and go straight to an ER, warning them ahead of time to expect me.

How would you know those early symptoms are really ebola, though? They resemble so many other flu and whatnot. You already ran to avoid authorities, now you will give in without really knowing? The wilderness is a far way from the health centers that treat the virus during an outbreak.

Plus, how would you escape the dragnet in the first place? An all points bulletin on your name and face might make it difficult to hide from all the cameras with facial recognition software, any RFID you may be carrying… your cellphone, etc.

The Matrix has you Neo.

I'm not worried about Ebola. I'll just make sure to eat plenty of strawberry shortcake and eat some grapefruit for breakfast every morning. Why do some people get Ebola and others don't?

a reply to: babybunnies

The western media is telling everyone that Ebola is only transmitted by fluid transfer, but African doctors have said that you only have to be in the same room as an infected patient.

They're both right.

The thing that is the most frightening is an Ebola victim traveling in the closed environment of an aircraft. The aircraft itself becomes part of the transmission process. Have you ever seen how filthy aircraft cabins are? Do you think they're cleaning well enough to eliminate a virus that can survive for a week in the fabric of an armrest? A virus which is so infectious that it takes only one viral strand to fully infect a new host?

I think the world has been lucky up to this point.

It would be cool to see something regarding this on the news, something about how to prepare and not about how to be scared, which is the selling point of a story like this. People are more concerned about Ray Rice though.

originally posted by: kicked
It would be cool to see something regarding this on the news, something about how to prepare and not about how to be scared, which is the selling point of a story like this. People are more concerned about Ray Rice though.

You cannot prepare for something like this. You would have to construct facilities to deal with mass casualties which don't currently exist. There's no money for that.

If the news were to broadcast anything that let this conversation out of the bag ... there's no telling where the conversation would go. The *truth* would come out and panic might occur. One has to realize that upwards of 60% of people who contract Ebola WILL die if they aren't afforded the absolute best of care. Who do you think is going to get that care if there's a choice to be made between you and your congressman, or you and your mayor, or you and your doctor?

You can take precautions to prevent it. That would mean shutting down travel until it burns itself out ... which might take years at this stage. That means international trade would have to be halted. Figure the odds of that happening as long as TPTB are in charge and bedded down with the corporate world.

it doesn't matter what your risk is for catching it..

If it concerns you then prepare for it, having a plan will make you more comfortable and if something happens you will be in a better position to deal with it.

a reply to: ketsuko

As someone that spends 36 hours a week working in a level II hospital you are right!!!!! Our hospital would be easily overwhelmed! Our healthcare system runs on fumes! We can't even handle an influx of patients in our ER during the busy days of the week without going on code diversion! I'm telling everyone at work if this thing hits my hospital sorry I'm done suckers! My life a d my young kids come first!!!!! This is a dog eat dog a scenario! I won't show up for my shift! My family comes first!

originally posted by: GreenMtnBoys
a reply to: ketsuko

As someone that spends 36 hours a week working in a level II hospital you are right!!!!! Our hospital would be easily overwhelmed! Our healthcare system runs on fumes! We can't even handle an influx of patients in our ER during the busy days of the week without going on code diversion! I'm telling everyone at work if this thing hits my hospital sorry I'm done suckers! My life a d my young kids come first!!!!! This is a dog eat dog a scenario! I won't show up for my shift! My family comes first!

I'm at a Level III facility and we're in the same pickle. I'm not coming to work either ... no way. I know exactly how unprepared we are and exactly what my chances of infection would be.

On top of that, the only risk I'm willing to take is getting out of one of the largest metropolitan areas on Earth. There's no way my wife and I could survive a lock-down of the city and I don't want to run that 60/40 risk of merely surviving the infection. Pretty sure it would be the breakdown of a civil society that would get us.

So any suggestions... Friday I get on an international flight US to Europe.. Just curious if anyone has suggestions on protecting myself.

Yes intellectually I understand my odds are small of coming into contact with it, but pandemic.. or major bug/virus has always been one of my deepest fears.

a reply to: Snarl

My word choice was a little off, i tend to agree that prevention is not possible and i meant precautionary measures that people could be made aware of. It's a frightening scenario when you hear of it being in population centres like India and Nigeria and because the incubation period is so long. i think it's been stated that it will give up some of lethality for ease of transmission as it is allowed time to mutate, but the fatality rate will remain extremely high regardless. What do you think needs to be done?

a reply to: kicked

What do you think needs to be done?

I don't know if it's too late. TPTB should have locked down travel from afflicted parts of Africa at the moment the outbreak turned into an epidemic. Any country accepting travelers from areas of outbreak go straight to the blocked list. Pretty simple.

Hard for me to 'armchair this one' when the implemented protocols aren't indicating outbreak beyond what 'could' be accepted. The moment you see a 'developed case' outside of Africa you could safely say their protocols failed. That said, as dangerous as this virus is, prudence would be my call if the decision were mine.

originally posted by: joho99
a reply to: ketsuko

Thats another problem lots of people are forced to go to work to pay mortgages and stuff unless they are at deaths door.

So until we know it has taken hold and people are advised to stay at home you will find people taking paracetamol at the initial symptoms and going into work.

That will be the biggest problem. I have worked with people who came to work so sick they could barely hold their heads up, proud of not using sick days. So what inevitably happened? A bunch of co workers get infected and it creates a big slow down at work. People who go to work contagious are dangerous and selfish and downright evil toward others.

I was at Hancocks the other day and every worker in their was sneezing, coughing with runny noses. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. My mother and I both used hand sanitizer the moment we walked out the door, and then I keep wipes in my car and we wiped off our hands, and then washed our hands when we got home. My guess? A co worker came in sick the week before and wiped out the entire staff who felt obligated to work and infect the customers.

People should be docked pay if they come to work with a fever and with a virus of any kind. Sick pay, even for part timers should be mandatory allowing at least a week per year.

The same with people who think God will smite them if they don't go to worship. That is such a selfish and uncaring thing to do, go to a large gathering contagious. Yet people do it over and over and feel pious about it.

I even got the paranoia picking up a prescription at CVS, making sure to touch nothing and to avoid anyone who appeared contagious.

Then don't get me started on people who send sick children to school to start massive epidemics of virus's. They should have to pay a hefty fine for knowingly sending a sick kid to school.

When people are sick, they should quarantine themselves as much as possible, even with a "little" virus, especially with the flu and when they are running a fever. That is one of the most unselfish, caring, and righteous thing a person can do.

I have become more aware with the Ebola outbreak than ever before. I wouldn't have been so upset when fabric shopping that all the clerks were obviously ill. But I am now much more aware of how epidemics happen and spread.

a reply to: xuenchen
Nah. Not sensationalism. I just found out I have latent TB. Got to pay a visit to ye good ole Health Department, now.

I am allergic to, like, everything. So, I cannot take the PPD skin test. Sent to Employee Health to take a new blood test called the T- Spot, and in 24 hours, I have a positive result.

That means I have TB bacteria in my system. So, latent TB, since I don't have symptoms.

Why does this have anything to do with this? I work in a hospital, for one, and, I work in an area flooded by Hispanics, illegals, for another.

So, for every latent TB infection, like mine, God knows how many active ones are running around, infecting everyone. Either knowingly, or, unknowingly.

It had to have been recent, as I have had multiple chest xrays, one in Feb., when I had surgery, then a full thoracic/chest series just over a month ago for my back problems.

So, chest xrays are clear. More testing, and likely 9 months to a year on medications, prayerfully, that I will not end up allergic to.

This is important, as it means I may now be immunocompromised.

I urge everyone to go get tested, if you can. I had no idea I was infected. Get tested, if infected, get treatment. Get well, get strong, your life may depend on it.