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First american ebola case diagnosed

 
 
 
ksen

ksen

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http://www.vox.com/cards/ebola-fact...l-diagnoses-the-first-case-of-ebola-in-the-us

"Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas has admitted a patient into strict isolation to be evaluated for potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) based on the patient's symptoms and recent travel history. The hospital is following all Centers for Disease Control and Texas Department of Heath recommendations to ensure the safety of patients, hospital staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors. The CDC anticipates preliminary results tomorrow."
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in dallas
 
Another doctor who was exposed to the virus has been put in isolation for observation and monitoring.

An American doctor who was exposed to the Ebola virus while volunteering in Sierra Leone was admitted Sunday to a hospital at the National Institutes of Health near the nation's capital.

The patient, who was not identified, arrived at NIH's Clinical Center about 4 p.m., NIH said in a statement on its website.
NIH said that out of "an abundance of caution," the physician was admitted to a special isolation unit. NIH infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci wouldn't discuss details about the patient but said that in general, an exposure to Ebola doesn't necessarily mean someone will become sick.
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http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/nih-treat-us-doctor-exposed-ebola-virus-25814154
 
ksen said:
http://www.vox.com/cards/ebola-fact...l-diagnoses-the-first-case-of-ebola-in-the-us

"Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas has admitted a patient into strict isolation to be evaluated for potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) based on the patient's symptoms and recent travel history. The hospital is following all Centers for Disease Control and Texas Department of Heath recommendations to ensure the safety of patients, hospital staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors. The CDC anticipates preliminary results tomorrow."
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in dallas
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It's been confirmed as Ebola. CDC is on its way to Dallas, TX and they're tracking down anyone he came in contact with.

Amazing. You'd've thought it'd be NYC or LA or Chicago or Miami. Big cosmopolitan cities. Instead, it flies right into the heartland, completely bypassing these other cities.
 
Obligatory XKCD:

clumsy_foreshadowing.png
 
Fortunately it's not very likely to spread in the first world. No reason to panic.
 
Absolutely!
Madagascar is full of fruit bats, a known vector for the disease. It's only a matter of time till the whole population is wiped out.
 
bilby said:
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/shut-down-everything

Sorry, I guess that was a bit too obscure.
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D'oh! Missed that one completely :o

bilby said:
barbos said:
What if it mutates to spread through coughing?
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Viruses have neither lungs nor throats, so this seems unlikely.

Even if they did, they are very small; even a massive coughing fit couldn't propel them more than a few millimetres.
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A cough or sneeze can propel droplets several meters, and even if no-one else is in the vicinity, the droplets can settle on environmental surfaces. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vw0hIs2LEg

In the videos I've seen the medical personnel treating Ebola patients are wearing N-95 filtration masks or full filtration hoods. This is consistent with full Airborne Precautions, not just Droplet Precautions. Note also that they're spraying down environmental surfaces.

Droplet and airborne transmission mechanisms are different. Viral capsids (the protein shells that contain the viral DNA/RNA) are often delicate and disintegrate in dry air. Encased in a droplet of liquid, on the other hand, they're much more robust.

Medical personnel are observing full airborne precautions, not just droplet precautions, despite the reassuring PR.

In the Reston strain, there appeared to be actual airborne transmission from monkey to monkey as well as monkey to pig.

Viral concentration in respiratory secretions is thought to be low, but low isn't necessarily safe.
 
barbos said:
bilby said:
Viruses have neither lungs nor throats, so this seems unlikely.

Even if they did, they are very small; even a massive coughing fit couldn't propel them more than a few millimetres.
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You have a lot of free time, don't you?
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All the time in the world :D

I got seyorni again though; so the time wasn't completely wasted ;)
 
If it's arrived in USA, one would expect it to arrive in other non-african countries as well.

On the one hand, PERHAPS the way the US deals with the virus (e.g. successfully or not) can demonstrate that western helpers CAN help in Africa, too, thereby increasing effectiveness of western containment efforts in Africa. On the other hand, maybe not.


Silly tangent, is Africa in "the West" or in "the East"?
 
Rhea said:
If it's arrived in USA, one would expect it to arrive in other non-african countries as well.

On the one hand, PERHAPS the way the US deals with the virus (e.g. successfully or not) can demonstrate that western helpers CAN help in Africa, too, thereby increasing effectiveness of western containment efforts in Africa. On the other hand, maybe not.
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Containment in the US is bound to be facilitated by health care workers applying all necessary standard precautions established by the CDC. That in view of health care workers in affected African nations being a main contributor to infecting the local population as they return to their homes after their shifts. Further factor contributing to the expansion of Ebola in those nations are local traditions regarding burial/funeral rites where loved ones insist in washing corpses and handle them (without any PPE) via direct physical contact. There is also the fear from those local populations to report to a treatment center as they view them as "the place you go to die". Therefor, so many families treating their infected loves ones themselves and exposing themselves to contamination and again as they do not use any protective gear.

It is highly improbable that such common incidences would occur within the American population.

When we look at the potential for other highly contagious diseases to spread within the American population, the fact that an airborne highly contagious disease such as TB has remained contained to isolated cases (even though Americans are not BCG vaccinated) ought to reassure Americans that Ebola is not going to become an epidemic in the US. Even as if it were to mutate towards the Reston type. Interestingly, the Reston type had been identified among a couple of Italian workers attending imported monkeys in Italy, infected with Ebola/Reston. If the monkeys died after being infected via respiratory exposure (airborne), the Italian workers did not. They tested positive but no serious symptoms and it appears their immune system overcame the virus by naturally producing antibodies.


Silly tangent, is Africa in "the West" or in "the East"?
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I have never heard the term "East" versus "West" as in "Western nations" applied to African nations. Commonly though, the term "Third World nations" comes to mind. Based on the socio economical frailty of those nations to include great political instability in some of them.

If we use "western" versus "eastern" when referring to culture alone, I would not place African nations within the "western culture" category. However,some ex colonies have still retained traits of the "western culture".

Just an aside you brought up, I would just give my 2 cents.
 
I for one, welcome our new Ebola Overlords.
aeebee50 said:
This too close to home. I will be watching.
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Nothing to fear. The CDC announced they are doing a hands off approach and will let the free market find a solution.
 
I have some bottles of tap holy water that I filled in my bathroom got blessed by a blind, one-legged monk from Tanzania. Guaranteed* to provide immunity to ebola with just a few doses. Just $500 per bottle. Call me.

*This is not a guarantee
 
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