Seems to me, there could not have been a different outcome, after that dutz at the ER sent him home.

His story is here

Here is a link that might be useful: Mr. Duncan died

I'm wondering why he got on an airplane when he had to have suspected or actually known he was exposed to ebola. Let's hope no other cases develop in TX.

This checking temperatures is good, but what about people who fly from Africa to Paris, for example, and then continue on to NY?

Also, I read this morning that some scientists are suspicious that the virus may be transmitted by coughing, sneezing. After all, when you cough or sneeze, body fluids are expelled, although very fine droplets. And we all have to breathe.

He must have suffered terribly, not a good way to die.

The whole thing is very scary. I pray we can discover a really good treatment or vaccine to prevent it soon. Time is running out. Germs are no respecters of borders.
Joann

Saw on the news Jesse Jackson was there to meet his mother.

I live on the east coast. DH had knee surgery yesterday and we were chatting with the dr. He said it will most likely spread everywhere...impossible to contain it because the symptoms may not appear for several weeks. Very scary.

Scares the H-E double hockey sticks out of me! I'll have to watch the Video tomorrow as it's not loading completely. Our IP is working on upgrading after a bad storm and sometimes it's just a bit slow.

Socks: From what I read today in a Washington Post article, the airport screeners would be looking at the original departure location, not (just) where the person's last airport departure place was.

I wonder, tho, how good U.S. screening can be when paired with some less well-funded screening operations beyond where you and I live.

I remember reading "The Hot Zone" several years ago -- freaked me out.

An ibuprofen will mask the low grade fever. I don't trust the screening process.

Adellabedella, is correct. They need to do more than check for a fever. There are too many ways to mask a fever.

They need to stop all travel from those countries. Period! And if anyone wants to travel there from the US, they need to understand they won't be let back in until this disease is completely eradicated. Period!

Well he lied all over the place. He lied on all the questions that were asked and even when he knew that he was infected was not truthful.
Now a sheriff's department officer who was at the man's apartment for over 30 minutes is now in the hospital with symptoms. No telling how many people this one man has potentially sentenced to death.
So sad for those who were unfortunately in his path.

He didn't lie. He was lied to. He helped a pregnant woman who said she didn't have ebola, she said she was ill from her pregnancy. Her family, who have now also died from ebola, proclaimed loudly even to their deathbeds, that she didn't have ebola. He said, if he knew, he would never have come back and subjected his fiance to what he had. He sought treatment at hospital who sent him home? Turned him away? Something that might have gotten him the treatment he needed and didn't get. He did nothing wrong, having done all the right things, and still, he died.

Story here was that the triage nurse as he entered the hosp. knew of his travel from Liberia ... but the people who treated him hadn't been told and they were the ones who, considering his issue of no great consequence, sent him home.

ole joyful

heartbreaking.

Ch 4 KOMO news Seattle (ABC sta) is reporting tonight that the deputy hospitalized has tested negative for Ebola and does not have the disease. He has a minor illness of no or little consequence....I find that very good news.

Sorry but it's in all of the news that he lied and Liberia was prosecuting him.
The news channels here were stating that too. Just going by the information I read and heard. I don't know where the truth lies in this case. Not sure any one will ever know.
See the link for just one news story.

It is a true blessing that the officer tested negative, I can't imagine how he and his family members were feeling.
No doubt it's extremely sad for anyone who was involved, and those still in quarantine.
The families of so many people dieing from such a horrible disease are all in my prayers. I pray that a miracle drug could be produced and stop the spread.

Here is a link that might be useful: News story

Fever is a symptom of numerous maladies.

So how many DAYS was it from when he helped the pregnant lady and his own death?

If it's so very difficult to contract, as we've been told, then why the hazmat suits? And how is it those wearing hazmat suits contract it?

I heard on the news that 2 doctors who were treating him, are in isolation.

I don't know why everyone isn't banning flights, period.
Ebola is spread by animals I also heard. Do animals contract it somehow?

Animals can be carriers by their waste products.

It's all in the news about her family proclaiming she had it and being in denial. They also say if he'd known, he wouldn't have come here.

So I guess it depends on the source. More of a he said/she said thing.

Doctors NEED to do something that they historically seldom do - listen or read the nurses notes!

Pammyfay, I read "The Hot Zone: back in the 90's and it was truly scary.

But The Coming Plague was even more frightening, and what Laurie Garrett predicted is unfolding before our eyes.

I don't know for sure that Duncan lied about the pregnant woman he helped. It is difficult to know how much people in that area of the world really understand about what is happening and why. The lack of knowledge and the superstitions surrounding this disease in these underdeveloped countries is staggering. I'm more inclined to think that Duncan wasn't even thinking of the possibility this woman was infected. I think he was just trying to be a gentleman, and he died for it.

Very sad, and very, very scary.

This post was edited by tally on Fri, Oct 10, 14 at 10:55

Too late now to bolt the barn door. Ebola has spread beyond West Africa.

The good news is that once the disease is fully developed in a person, he is too sick to travel -- "moribund" is the way one MD termed it.

Ebola is spread only by *direct physical contact* with a sick individual's blood or body secretions.

Further good news is that the uproar probably has alerted many previously unaware doctors, nurses, hospitals and members of the public. (Panic is the flip side of this.)

It's unlikely this will spread unchecked abroad as it has in West Africa, where medical resources barely exist and where many people don't comprehend or trust modern medicine.

Pneumonia, flu, etc. kill hundreds of thousands all over the globe every year. Ebola is 'scary' because it's new. People in non-tropical locations are not used to recognizing symptoms or treating *tropical* diseases. Crash course now.

Actually Ebola is not new. It is scary because it has a 21 day incubation period, international travel brings it to mega populations which are not as easily quarantined as a remote village, and it has a 60-90% death rate.

It's new HERE. It has a 70% death rate in West Africa, where the population doesn't believe in modern medicine, even if there were resources they could access. (Abysmal ratio of doctors to population.) Different scenario here.

AFAIK it is only transmitted in its' active stage.

Second Ebola patient is a Texas hospital caregiver wearing full protective gear. How does that happen?

Yes, it's only transmitted in the active stage - as far as we know. And define active stage - initial fever, or sooner? We don't really know. So far, we only know what we observe. It remains to be seen if it's transmittable at an earlier stage. It could also mutate, which is a real concern. Flu viruses mutate all the time, which is why the flu vaccines can be hit or miss. Don't think for a moment that that isn't a concern.

There is some hope with current experimental drugs - ZMapp especially, although current supplies are exhausted. Could take several months before sufficient quantities can be manufactured. I understand they are trying to accelerate production.

All good points, Tally. We'll be seeing if the 'active stage' can be more closely defined, and exactly how far 'direct contact' can range.

Viruses do mutate. They can become more -- or less -- virulent.

Accidental exposures do happen; best known may be medical personnel contracting HIV despite best efforts at protection. Nothing is 100%. (My DS is a paramedic in Chicago.)

We don't live under a protective glass bubble of health in the US, but I don't like to see the West African death rate from Ebola applied here. When we cite large annual number of deaths due to pneumonia and flu, we remember that many such deaths are among the elderly and others in non-robust health. (I remember my grandmother calling pneumonia 'the old man's friend'.)

I included a death rate range, because historically the death rate in West Africa has been around 90% or higher. The only reason it's coming down is because of Western influenced medicine, which has brought it down to around 60% in aggregate, and in large part because of experimental drugs which are no longer available. Of course in Duncan's case, it was 100%.

My biggest concern is that the West tends to think it can't happen here, because we're America. Well it did. And I am somewhat skeptical that airport screeners using thermometers are going to be of much help, and I'm not buying into all the happy talk about how we have everything under control (yeah, right Dallas). I think we have adopted a very lackadaisical approach to this disease, thinking because we're in a more advanced country we are not as at risk.

Time will tell. But I'm not comforted by the fact that both in Africa and here doctors and nurses are getting sick. These are people who understand the danger, and practice strict isolation technique.

This post was edited by tally on Sun, Oct 12, 14 at 12:51

OTOH, a 20-30% drop with 'just a little help' could be viewed as a positive. (Possible it was already 'burning out'?)

I agree that we think, "It can't happen here." I'm just trying to watch and learn without feeding fear.

I recently read a good article by an MD trained in Africa. He commented about the Dallas ER not recognizing Ebola, or at least considering that they were seeing 'a tropical disease'. He, of course, was trained to recognize tropical diseases. US doctors don't know what they haven't seen or been taught to look for. Maybe the hue and cry will serve to alert everyone -- if we don't panic and get in our own way.

I wonder if the equipment that is treating these patients are being discarded. I sure wouldn't want to be near any of the equipment they used on patients with this very scary disease. And also, if it's in their waste products going down the drain, what about the septic tanks that reuse that water? Why didn't they just keep these people in Africa until this is eradicated?

Linda -- It is too late to keep 'these people' anywhere. (And who would do the keeping?) Ebola patients are already being treated in nations outside of West Africa. You might want to read through this thread for more and search online for scientific facts about the problem.

Nancy Snyderman broke her voluntary quarantine to run to a restaurant for take out. Another crew member (also under voluntary quarantine) ran into the restaurant while Snyderman waited in the car.

I honestly don't know a thing about Ebola..but wouldn't you think a doctor would honor the voluntary quarantine?

It just seems a little irresponsible to me. :(