The Ebola Scare

[NK612]

My apologies if this topic has another thread somewhere floating. I'm curious what people think. At the place I work at there is blood and naked people and medical instruments. Not one employee or supervisor or anyone at this place has even discussed it. I found that to be a little odd. On the other hand I think just maybe no one is discussing it because they don't want people to be freaked out and not come to work.

I don't even know what to think to be honest. So I go to work. I got to get paid but I would be lying if I didn't say I didn't have a mini panic attack when that kid sneezed in the store the other day. I was like, 😧 ah, droplets.

[starla]

I don't think sneezing is a symptom of ebola. If you see someone in the store with projectile vomiting and diarrhea, steer clear, but I feel like that's good advice regardless of Ebola.

I'm not worrying about it right now because I don't see how that would be helpful. I am, however, worried about how incompetent the CDC is showing itself to be.

[NK612]

I don't think sneezing is a symptom of ebola. If you see someone in the store with projectile vomiting and diarrhea, steer clear, but I feel like that's good advice regardless of Ebola.

I'm not worrying about it right now because I don't see how that would be helpful. I am, however, worried about how incompetent the CDC is showing itself to be.

I know sneezing isn't a symptom. Was just being silly because it's transmitted via droplets, I think ?

I honestly haven't looked into it too much because I know myself, I'll just start to worry if I start listening to the news about it. I have however come to the conclusion the CDC is a joke eons ago so there's no surprise there.


Either way. Was curious what other people's thoughts were on the subject. I also thought it a little weird my place of work never talked about it, as if to send the message that it isn't something to worry about. Yet this lady I know was trying to ask me what my work was doing to be safe. I had no answer. It was kinda awkward.

[OrionzRevenge]

Not sure what sort of medical environment you work at but it would probably be very wise to insist that your employer go over the list of Ebola symptoms and the use of PPE in that situation.

For good or ill the UN isn't & couldn't place a Padlock around Africa. Nor are the wealthy nations taking a very pro-active stance on containing the growth rate that is currently doubling every 4 weeks. This while the front-line aid workers have nearly reached their breaking point.

We've already seen in Dallas how human nature will circumvent the best laid plans.

Fortunately, all has been quite for an encouraging few days now, but we are a long ways out from counting down the last 22 day Max. incubation period in Africa.

All that said, I can't imagine that Duncan is to be our only brush with Ebola here in the U.S.

[OrionzRevenge]

CDC:

Although coughing and sneezing are not common symptoms of Ebola, if a symptomatic patient with Ebola coughs or sneezes on someone, and saliva or mucus come into contact with that person’s eyes, nose or mouth, these fluids may transmit the disease.

VHF can very easily Immunocompromise your system leaving you vulnerable a secondary infection such as the common cold or whatnot. Tis is the season.

[OrionzRevenge]

Too Funny. This just came over the AP Wire:

Urgent Care Clinics are urging anyone afraid that they may have Ebola to go to the Hospital instead.

When a Dallas County sheriff's deputy who had entered the apartment of the first patient to die from Ebola in the U.S. started feeling ill himself, he didn't rush to the nearest hospital. He chose an urgent care clinic.

So did a man who recently traveled to West Africa and was complaining of flu-like symptoms, prompting the suburban Boston urgent care practice where he went to briefly shut down over the weekend.

The deadly virus' arrival in the U.S. has put the spotlight on weak spots in American hospitals, but those facilities are not the only ones who have suddenly found themselves on the front lines against Ebola.

Urgent-care clinics for many people have become de-facto emergency rooms. They are not, however, equipped like hospitals to treat serious illnesses, such as Ebola, nor do they have isolation units.

Clinics are urging potential patients to get checked for the highly contagious virus at a hospital.

Given the problems at the Texas hospital, where Thomas Eric Duncan died and two nurses have been diagnosed with the virus, an Ebola case could have posed even greater problems at a clinic or smaller hospital, experts say.

"That would be an even less controlled situation," said Dr. David Weber, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina's hospital. "The likelihood for that is so remote that they may never have thought about that."

Still, clinics are preparing staff in case someone with Ebola does walk in. They are distributing protective gear and quickly trying to get up to speed on the best protocols to teach their health providers.

Dr. William Gluckman of the Urgent Care Association of America, which represents more than 2,600 clinics, said the facilities want anyone who suspects they may have contracted Ebola to go to a hospital emergency department.