North Texas Patient Tested for Ebola Virus

[SSP]

When you take into consideration the rate that the mutations have been occurring (350+ since May) and the fact that it has not been exposed to our type of environment where we have people frequently pumped with antibiotics and other medications and The higher level of caustic chemicals that are in our air- this is most certainly something to be concerned about. Extreme mutations are inevitable within the first 10 victims here in the US. The first 10 victims are inevitable also...

It is very rare that a virus mutates it's form of transmission. But the simple fact that it can remain on surfaces for up to four days is pretty frightening. Ponder how many times you boys have gone into a public restroom to see that someone has missed the urinal? Think about your shoes and walking into your house.....having your children play on the floor..... We don't even know enough about this virus to know whether or not it is transmittable through animals either.

Fact of the matter is- making absolution based comments is irresponsible. So is shuffling this off like it's just another Thursday...

People that are buying out water at Walmart is a little much at this point but let's not kid ourselves and be arrogant about the situation...

[greenminer]

When you take into consideration the rate that the mutations have been occurring (350+ since May) and the fact that it has not been exposed to our type of environment where we have people frequently pumped with antibiotics and other medications and The higher level of caustic chemicals that are in our air- this is most certainly something to be concerned about. Extreme mutations are inevitable within the first 10 victims here in the US. The first 10 victims are inevitable also...

Overall good post, but I'm just not sold on the above. Ebola is new to the USA, but the US is not new to virus. Is there any empirical evidence to suggest concern (above and beyond normal) about Ebola going airborne because of our environment?

[TheTastyGreek]

Is there any empirical evidence to suggest concern (above and beyond normal) about Ebola going airborne because of our environment?

No.

In fact, SIGNIFICANTLY less.

[FirefightnRick]

Dallas Top Epidemiologist Being Monitored For Ebola.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/10/16/dallas-top-health-epidemiologist-being-monitored-for-ebola/

Rick

[KingDL1]

No.

In fact, SIGNIFICANTLY less.

The problem is there much more we don't know about viruses than what we know about viruses.

[SSP]

When you take into consideration the rate that the mutations have been occurring (350+ since May) and the fact that it has not been exposed to our type of environment where we have people frequently pumped with antibiotics and other medications and The higher level of caustic chemicals that are in our air- this is most certainly something to be concerned about. Extreme mutations are inevitable within the first 10 victims here in the US. The first 10 victims are inevitable also...

It is very rare that a virus mutates it's form of transmission. But the simple fact that it can remain on surfaces for up to four days is pretty frightening. Ponder how many times you boys have gone into a public restroom to see that someone has missed the urinal? Think about your shoes and walking into your house.....having your children play on the floor..... We don't even know enough about this virus to know whether or not it is transmittable through animals either.

Fact of the matter is- making absolution based comments is irresponsible. So is shuffling this off like it's just another Thursday...

People that are buying out water at Walmart is a little much at this point but let's not kid ourselves and be arrogant about the situation...

Overall good post, but I'm just not sold on the above. Ebola is new to the USA, but the US is not new to virus. Is there any empirical evidence to suggest concern (above and beyond normal) about Ebola going airborne because of our environment?

No. There is not. There are "theories" by international disease analysists suggesting both scenarios. That's the "fear". Even the experts who study infectious disease their entire lives and win Pulitzers- don't know.

It is rare that the form of transmission changes. It could in fact go the opposite direction according to some research. But even so.... The mishandling of this wouldn't take much of a shove to go from "oops" to "OHHHH... Fu**."

I'm hopeful. Not too optimistic. This crap was fumbled the day that CDC's guidelines were released to the hospitals. These 2+ nurses futures and the growing panic rests straight on the shoulders of the CDC. But in other views- maybe the panic is exactly what the admin wanted?

Edited October 17, 2014 by SSP

[TheTastyGreek]

The problem is there much more we don't know about viruses than what we know about viruses.

That's also true of gravity.

But I'm also not worried that gravity is suddenly going to reverse tomorrow, and mass will start repelling mass, and fling me out into space.

And no one should be worried that Ebola is going to mutate in the US to suddenly become airborne.

[Cerebus]

No one knows about biology. No one actually know why or how anesthetics work. Biology is black magic.

That doesn't mean we don't have pretty good working knowledge of how to use anesthesia or how viruses tend to mutate.

Look, yes, Ebola is a scary RNA virus. So is the flu. And it's much more contagious. if you're going to worry about an RNA virus, worry about influenza. The last major influenza outbreak killed 5% of the worlds population, yet most people can't be bothered to get a yearly flu shot.

[FirefightnRick]

And no one should be worried that Ebola is going to mutate in the US to suddenly become airborne.

Right, and four weeks ago no one needed to be worried about it coming to the US and spread either.

Rick

[UNTexas]

Next from White House: The Ebola outbreak was caused spontaneously due to a YouTube video.

[TheTastyGreek]

Right, and four weeks ago no one needed to be worried about it coming to the US and spread either.

Rick

You're half right.

It's not that it isn't scary, and it's not that you can't catch it. And it isn't and wasn't that we shouldn't have been concerned that it could get here, and people might get sick.

BUT... Remember

Emphasis, in case you forgot:

I am fully aware that we can never rule out what a virus might or might not do. But the likelihood that Ebola virus will go airborne is so remote that we should not use it to frighten people. We need to focus on stopping the epidemic, which in itself is a huge job

Disease? Dangerous. Airborne mutation threat in the U.S.? Nonsense.

[FirefightnRick]

No. There is not. There are "theories" by international disease analysists suggesting both scenarios. That's the "fear". Even the experts who study infectious disease their entire lives and win Pulitzers- don't know.

It is rare that the form of transmission changes. It could in fact go the opposite direction according to some research. But even so.... The mishandling of this wouldn't take much of a shove to go from "oops" to "OHHHH... Fu**."

I'm hopeful. Not too optimistic. This crap was fumbled the day that CDC's guidelines were released to the hospitals. These 2+ nurses futures and the growing panic rests straight on the shoulders of the CDC. But in other views- maybe the panic is exactly what the admin wanted?

Last night Friedman was on Fox getting grilled by Megyn Kelly over this mess and emphatically backed the CDC guidelines which consisted of single-layer coverage head to toe, a hat, mask, eye protection and a single layer of gloves, and said he would have NO concern whatsoever treating an Ebola patient following these same guidelines. Then they showed a photo of him earlier in the year in Liberia working at a center over there in a full Biohazard suit, a breathing mask with micro filters, full head gear and he's pulling on a second pair of gloves.

Rick

[TheTastyGreek]

Or, don't take a leading virologist's assessment... Hear it from the World Health Organization:

Ebola virus disease is not an airborne infection. Airborne spread among humans implies inhalation of an infectious dose of virus from a suspended cloud of small dried droplets.

This mode of transmission has not been observed during extensive studies of the Ebola virus over several decades.

But, THEORETICALLY, it could potentially spread in a way that isn't clinically airborne, but still sort of airborne in a limited way over very short distances involving direct human-to-human fluid contact, right? RIGHT????

Theoretically, wet and bigger droplets from a heavily infected individual, who has respiratory symptoms caused by other conditions or who vomits violently, could transmit the virus – over a short distance – to another nearby person.

This could happen when virus-laden heavy droplets are directly propelled, by coughing or sneezing (which does not mean airborne transmission) onto the mucus membranes or skin with cuts or abrasions of another person.

WHO is not aware of any studies that actually document this mode of transmission. On the contrary, good quality studies from previous Ebola outbreaks show that all cases were infected by direct close contact with symptomatic patients.

Whatever, you dumb nerds.... WHAT IF IT MAGICALLY CHANGES TRANSMISSION FORM ALL OF A SUDDEN???

No evidence that viral diseases change their mode of transmission

Moreover, scientists are unaware of any virus that has dramatically changed its mode of transmission. For example, the H5N1 avian influenza virus, which has caused sporadic human cases since 1997, is now endemic in chickens and ducks in large parts of Asia.

That virus has probably circulated through many billions of birds for at least two decades. Its mode of transmission remains basically unchanged.

Speculation that Ebola virus disease might mutate into a form that could easily spread among humans through the air is just that: speculation, unsubstantiated by any evidence.

[Army of Dad]

No one knows about biology. No one actually know why or how anesthetics work. Biology is black magic.

That doesn't mean we don't have pretty good working knowledge of how to use anesthesia or how viruses tend to mutate.

Look, yes, Ebola is a scary RNA virus. So is the flu. And it's much more contagious. if you're going to worry about an RNA virus, worry about influenza. The last major influenza outbreak killed 5% of the worlds population, yet most people can't be bothered to get a yearly flu shot.

Which only works if they get the shot right. It is just an educated guess and they miss about as often as they hit. I got a Flu shot this year, and do so most years, but I don't miss any sleep on years I miss getting that vaccine.

[KingDL1]

That's also true of gravity.

But I'm also not worried that gravity is suddenly going to reverse tomorrow, and mass will start repelling mass, and fling me out into space.

And no one should be worried that Ebola is going to mutate in the US to suddenly become airborne.

Apples and Oranges and kind of silly.

We literally are still learning about Ebola, and thousands of new viruses are found all the time.(you know more than we can study) I am pretty sure whether gravity seeps into another dimension or a parallel universe that it does not mutate a bit with each contact. My point is in the virus world we barely know anything. To be cavalier about what Ebola is going to do expert or not is ridiculous. No I am not losing sleep over Ebola going airborne it is bad enough how it is. I would rather it be gone all together and I would like to them restrict travel from the three countries that it is out of control in.

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/20/an-infinity-of-viruses/

[SSP]

Last night Friedman was on Fox getting grilled by Megyn Kelly over this mess and emphatically backed the CDC guidelines which consisted of single-layer coverage head to toe, a hat, mask, eye protection and a single layer of gloves, and said he would have NO concern whatsoever treating an Ebola patient following these same guidelines. Then they showed a photo of him earlier in the year in Liberia working at a center over there in a full Biohazard suit, a breathing mask with micro filters, full head gear and he's pulling on a second pair of gloves.

Rick

I saw that.

Isn't this the same guy who pushed all of those dietary restrictions on Bloomberg in New York? He also wouldn't answer a pretty direct question on his statements about travel ban in relation to discussions with administration officials about it.

[SSP]

Some people also think that Ebola is one of the viruses invented by the U.S. Army Biological Facility in Fort Detrick. Maybe that's why they are "so sure" that it won't go airborne... Without saying exactly how they can be "sure"....?

And there are some virologists who believe that the strain in Zaire is already airborne.

http://m.livescience.com/47859-ebola-virus-airborne.html

Who knows? The only thing that we can be "sure" about is that we are being lied to. Like, ALOT.

Edited October 17, 2014 by SSP

[Censored by Laurie]

Isn't this the same guy who pushed all of those dietary restrictions on Bloomberg in New York?

the soda size restrictions?

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/

Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2010, with 69,071 death certificates listing it as the underlying cause of death, and a total of 234,051 death certificates listing diabetes as an underlying or contributing cause of death.

how many has ebola killed state-side again?

Edited October 17, 2014 by Censored by Laurie

[KingDL1]

the soda size restrictions?

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/

how many has ebola killed state-side again?

Really is that your logic? Ebola can kill you in 10 days from exposure or less and kills more than 50% of the people that become infected. Last I checked you can live a lifetime with diabetes and I am fairly sure diabetes is not contagious. Nuclear war compared vs driving a car. Cars have killed more people than any nuclear weapon. So why would you worry if there were uncontrolled nuclear weapons floating around the US?

[UNT90]

Which only works if they get the shot right. It is just an educated guess and they miss about as often as they hit. I got a Flu shot this year, and do so most years, but I don't miss any sleep on years I miss getting that vaccine.

Never gotten a flu shot.

Haven't had the flu since I was 20.

Overrated.

[UNT90]

And I still find it curious that the most liberal on here are the least concerned with an epidemic that if allowed to get out of control would affect the less fortunate quicker and in far greater numbers than it would the middle class and up.

Maybe their belief in man is just beyond reproach...

Contain it and kill it. Stop Fing around with it.

[Censored by Laurie]

Really is that your logic? Ebola can kill you in 10 days from exposure or less and kills more than 50% of the people that become infected. Last I checked you can live a lifetime with diabetes and I am fairly sure diabetes is not contagious. Nuclear war compared vs driving a car. Cars have killed more people than any nuclear weapon. So why would you worry if there were uncontrolled nuclear weapons floating around the US?

My point is this...every time we have one of these health scares/panics, Americans...some of the most day-in, day-out unhealthiest people in all of the world...finally start to pay attention to their personal well-being. Unfortunately, their concern grows for number 84,678,902 on the "what might kill you" list, while numbers 1 through 84,678,901, many of which through education, moderation and common sense are preventable, continue to go largely ignored. I have this scene playing over and over in my head of a family sitting to dinner over a smorgasbord of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut (because you can get all three at the same effing restaurant), each with a 72oz kick-ass-XL cup of Pepsi discussing the health risk of ebola. Maybe even dad gets so angry at the government's handling of this "epidemic" that he has to go outside on the porch and have a smoke.

Instead, we focus on fear of the unknown and seemingly out of our control...despite our astronomically small the likelihood of our contracting the illness. A recent study conducted at Out of My Ass University concluded that you're 3.4 gajillion times more likely to die of the stress caused by ebola media coverage than you are of the disease itself (if you ask for citation, I'll ask for citation that ebola is now an airborne virus).

As to the CDC's public statements...I don't get the criticism. the simple fact of the matter was that as soon as Duncan left the plane, Vegas set the over/under at 10.5 people who would contract the disease and 5.5 at the number of people who would die (so far, if you took the under on both you're looking good for finishing in the money) Is this what you'd prefer a government agency come out and said? And before you answer that...consider the fact that we, us gmg.com-ers, are among an elite, small percentage of the populace...college-educated, information-seeking...supposedly reasonable people. Us. eulesseagle, lovemg, checkfacts and tulsafanintexas...amongst so many others. now think of how the less-educated, less-reasonable populace would react.

no one is doubting the severity of ebola. it is an awful and horribly contagious disease. but to this point one person has died in the states...and two of his medical workers are confirmed to be carrying the illness. it merits mention and it merits action. it merits legitimate conversation about airport screenings and hell, I'm even open to legitimate conversation about travel bans/limitations.

it doesn't merit 18 hours of news coverage and 18 pages of discussion.

[SSP]

I have this scene playing over and over in my head of a family sitting to dinner over a smorgasbord of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut (because you can get all three at the same effing restaurant), each with a 72oz kick-ass-XL cup of Pepsi discussing the health risk of ebola. Maybe even dad gets so angry at the government's handling of this "epidemic" that he has to go outside on the porch and have a smoke.

.

[UNT90]

My point is this...every time we have one of these health scares/panics, Americans...some of the most day-in, day-out unhealthiest people in all of the world...finally start to pay attention to their personal well-being. Unfortunately, their concern grows for number 84,678,902 on the "what might kill you" list, while numbers 1 through 84,678,901, many of which through education, moderation and common sense are preventable, continue to go largely ignored. I have this scene playing over and over in my head of a family sitting to dinner over a smorgasbord of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut (because you can get all three at the same effing restaurant), each with a 72oz kick-ass-XL cup of Pepsi discussing the health risk of ebola. Maybe even dad gets so angry at the government's handling of this "epidemic" that he has to go outside on the porch and have a smoke.

Instead, we focus on fear of the unknown and seemingly out of our control...despite our astronomically small the likelihood of our contracting the illness. A recent study conducted at Out of My Ass University concluded that you're 3.4 gajillion times more likely to die of the stress caused by ebola media coverage than you are of the disease itself (if you ask for citation, I'll ask for citation that ebola is now an airborne virus).

As to the CDC's public statements...I don't get the criticism. the simple fact of the matter was that as soon as Duncan left the plane, Vegas set the over/under at 10.5 people who would contract the disease and 5.5 at the number of people who would die (so far, if you took the under on both you're looking good for finishing in the money) Is this what you'd prefer a government agency come out and said? And before you answer that...consider the fact that we, us gmg.com-ers, are among an elite, small percentage of the populace...college-educated, information-seeking...supposedly reasonable people. Us. eulesseagle, lovemg, checkfacts and tulsafanintexas...amongst so many others. now think of how the less-educated, less-reasonable populace would react.

no one is doubting the severity of ebola. it is an awful and horribly contagious disease. but to this point one person has died in the states...and two of his medical workers are confirmed to be carrying the illness. it merits mention and it merits action. it merits legitimate conversation about airport screenings and hell, I'm even open to legitimate conversation about travel bans/limitations.

it doesn't merit 18 hours of news coverage and 18 pages of discussion.

Says a guy that lives over 2000 miles away from where this is occurring. To you, I'm sure it doesn't. The people of Dallas probably have a much different view. And what ratchets that killing tension and anxiety to a higher level is when government officials screw up and downplay the screw ups to the people that live in the communities affected.

[Green P1]

Ebola is so 21 days ago.