Ebola - all or nothing?

[FreshFish]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

I've seen several articles that indicate that taking temperature of passengers deplaning is of limited value. I guess it's better than nothing, but it doesn't sound like a measure that is seriously meant to catch people who may have Ebola.

I read an article today that a company has developed a test that indicates whether a person has Ebola or not in several hours (the duration of an international flight - take the test at the gate and report the results before they deplane!).

The problem: they cannot get FDA approval.

The article went on to discuss how many effective drugs have been introduced in Europe and Canada (by US manufacturers) that have been used for years there successfully, that still have not received FDA approval in the US despite the number of lives they save.
(can't remember where I saw the article, else I'd post the link).

 

[The Sicatoka]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Good article from a trained hazmat hospital worker.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abby-norman/im-a-hazmat-trained-hospi_b_5998486.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

I've said in other places that what I've seen on television "B roll" footage of "hospital bio-hazard workers" is a joke. That author gives me a glimmer of hope as I finally see gloves taped to sleeves in the picture.

To me Ebola (or any other hemorrhagic virus) is the biologic version of the nuke's nightmare: Cobalt-60 (or any other high energy, relatively short lived isotope).

Both are nasty things that you:
(a) need to deal with at times,
(b) can deal with safely if you know what you are doing (training, plan) and have the correct gear, and
(c) can kill you via rather unpleasant means and mechanisms if you screw up and crap yourself up with it.

Thinking more about this analogy, what we have in the medical world right now is tantamount to average Navy personnel (non-nuke, untrained, uneducated) thinking they can toss on a "chicken suit" (yellow anti-c's) and deal with rad-con. Uh ... no.

Signed,

A former Navy nuclear program guy (and yeah, I've done my time in a "chicken suit")

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Just a question-since we are using temperature screening now at the 5 major airports-and this screening is being done by measuring skin temperature only(notoriously less accurate than the plain old thermometer into an orifice). What if a really sick passenger with a fever developing on the plane takes a few Advil or Tylenol on the plane. With transatlantic flights taking several hours, he would have more than enough time to lower his temperature significantly. And if the plane was really well air conditioned and cool..... Just not sure shining a light on skin from 3 feet away is making me feel real safe right now.

Sadly, there is a big difference between doing something effective and doing something to prove to people that you are doing something...

 

[The Sicatoka]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

You're in North Dakota?

Kepler, I know this may change your normal diet but here's some advice on "Staying Ebola Free".


Signed,
Your friends in North Dakota

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

The way this thread immediately turned political makes me ... this.

I agree, up to a point. And the point would be appointing a political hack like Ron Klain as our totally unnecessary and equally unqualified "Ebola Czar." I guess Pee Wee Herman's dance card was filled.

There's ample precedent, however. When Hillary and her gang of smart a*s Ivy Leaguers were conspiring to take control of health care, there wasn't a single doctor involved.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

I've seen several articles that indicate that taking temperature of passengers deplaning is of limited value. I guess it's better than nothing, but it doesn't sound like a measure that is seriously meant to catch people who may have Ebola.

It may not be better than nothing. It may be just theater, trying to wind down the fear that the media is stoking up. That's OK as long as it isn't diverting resources from actually working on effective means.

It is also a near certainty that our political leaders and institutions have no handle on this. Members obviously know nothing, but typically they have staffers who know stuff. There aren't any highly trained doctors working on Members' staffs, though (if for no other reason they would be bored). So where are they getting the information that drives policy? From institutions like the CDC, yes, but (1) in the case of Texas, the advisory role was as far as we know primarily driven from within the state, (2) we've never had a truly enormous public health disaster so the channels of information are mostly theoretical as with the continuity of operations drills conducted within the IC every once in a while to ostensibly "train" for a massive infectious disease outbreak, a bio-chemical weapon attack, etc, and (3) plenty of people with influence on policy are just plain science-illiterate or even science-hostile, and their decision-making is going to be some combination of self-interest and magical thinking.

The scientists and doctors and the lifer bureaucrats who work at the NIH etc I trust. The politicals, both elected and behind the scenes, I do not trust, but hope they have an ounce of self-knowledge and will defer to the science. But I wouldn't bet on it.

In any case, I doubt we will know what's really going on as far as scale, treatment, and strategy, until years after the fact. Right now we're just seeing messaging.

 

[unofan]

I read an article today that a company has developed a test that indicates whether a person has Ebola or not in several hours (the duration of an international flight - take the test at the gate and report the results before they deplane!).

The problem: they cannot get FDA approval.

The article went on to discuss how many effective drugs have been introduced in Europe and Canada (by US manufacturers) that have been used for years there successfully, that still have not received FDA approval in the US despite the number of lives they save.
(can't remember where I saw the article, else I'd post the link).

$10 says it was from the editorial pages of the WSJ or NY Post...

Edit: yep. Found it at the Post. Written by a guy who runs a fundraising organization sponsored by a biotech company.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

The way this thread immediately turned political ....

I'm just waiting for those right-wing crazy extremist fascist [pile on as many pejoratives as you like here, Kepler] to start arguing with each other whether to smirkingly call it the Obola virus or the Ebama virus.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

$10 says it was from the editorial pages of the WSJ or NY Post...

Or from a chain letter from that one really strange great-uncle. Marine Todd had a cure but a liberal stabbed him and took it to sell for her birth control.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

I agree, up to a point. And the point would be appointing a political hack like Ron Klain as our totally unnecessary and equally unqualified "Ebola Czar." I guess Pee Wee Herman's dance card was filled.

In all fairness, Pee Wee is a damn fine dancer.

 

[The Sicatoka]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

... trying to wind down the fear that the media is stoking up.

1. Of course they're stoking up folks.They're out to sell ads/clicks not teach or inform.
2. Average Person doesn't want to be, or have time to be, informed or taught the real issues (or educate themselves) or is just a plain old "Seven out of Ten"*.

Yes, that's a very negative take on media and society; however, it's all too accurate. So, we'll have people hear the word "Ebola", get the sniffles, and run to the ER "with Ebola!"; alternatively, we'll have others who really were exposed get on airplanes and cruise ships because they have a wedding to plan or booked the cruise before all this. < facepalm >


*courtesy Dan "Comman Man" Cole, (Goldie fans can explain)

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

An informative story giving a brief history of infectious diseases at this link.

(my apologies if it is behind a paywall). Straight reporting, no spin nor snark.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Oops

Thanks, Obama.

The Wall St. Journal's token centrist summarizes the non-partisan position pretty aptly:

so what are the people who are on the front lines in Africa doing to deter the spread of Ebola? maybe they know something we can learn from.

There's so much fail in his commentary it's hard to know where to begin. I will say there's irony in trying to write a story contemplating the mindset of an 11 y.o. while unintentionally making an overall argument that not even an 11 y.o. would be childish enough to advance.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Subscribed because this thread is worse than bloody diarrhea.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

Subscribed because this thread is worse than bloody diarrhea.

A wise man by the name of The ODB said, "I let it out like diarrhea, got burnt once but it was only gonorrhea"

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

No, seriously. This is one of the worst threads I have seen on this board. You people should all feel shame.

 

[Foxton]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

No, seriously. This is one of the worst threads I have seen on this board. You people should all feel shame.

I hope they all travel to africa and get ebola, that'll really show everyone how right they were!

 

[The Rube]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

No, seriously. This is one of the worst threads I have seen on this board. You people should all feel shame.

Eat. My. Arse. Actually, lick my gray balls. Is that making this thread worse? I hope so.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

This is the kind of thread that wouldn't have made it to a second page on GPL before being gif bombed.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Ebola - all or nothing?

This is the kind of thread that wouldn't have made it to a second page on GPL before being gif bombed.

I dunno the code to cheat on pics, so just imagine Rosie O'Donnell sitting naked on a toilet taking a massive dump after a Chipotle burrito.