[JB in TV]

Perhaps I have missed it being discussed here or in the press, but is Ebola transferable by mosquito? Person with active symptom-showing Ebola is bitten, that mosquito bites some one else. Is that second person then likely to get Ebola?

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by tcxr750

And don't forget that 90,000 die each year from Healthcare Acquired Infections!
In the U.S. last week the score was Ebola-1, Healthcare System-1730.
Number of cruise ships turned away because of Ebola-1
Number of cruise ships turned away because of HAI-0

This has little usefulness and trivializes the plight of nurses Nina Pham and Amber Vinson, who are suffering and could still die from the "Healthcare Acquired Infection" THEY have……called Ebola.

In fact the whole staff and whole patient populations at Texas Presbyterian, Emory, and Bethesda are focused on not getting a "Healthcare Acquired Infection" called Ebola…which they could spread to all their family members while they're dying an agonizing death!!

[TexaninVA]

Originally Posted by tcxr750

And don't forget that 90,000 die each year from Healthcare Acquired Infections!
In the U.S. last week the score was Ebola-1, Healthcare System-1730.
Number of cruise ships turned away because of Ebola-1
Number of cruise ships turned away because of HAI-0

The content of this reply entirely misses the point of what this thread is about ... not what has happened so much, but what could potentially happen. The notion then is to discuss should be done to prevent a significant outbreak.

Perhaps your intent is to make people feel better, and if so, thanks for doing that.

[twinklesweep]

I am away from TV for extended periods working 24/7 and rarely have the chance to connect to TOTV. I am now FINALLY here for a short rest and had the chance to read through this very revealing and today very relevant thread. I am quoting many posters, though I have deleted what I perceived as political comments that are inappropriate not only on TOTV but also concerning this public health issue.

Originally Posted by TexaninVA

... Besides, the classic DC game is to appoint a “czar” which takes the heat off the senior leaders and make many credulous members of the public think that “ok, they’re finally doing something.” It’s pretty sad to watch actually but it seems to work every time.

Originally Posted by billethkid

... Based on past performance of czars I remain cynical and suspect.

Originally Posted by billethkid

... Did the other czars get their job done??

Though there were appointees by presidents to posts without necessity of Senate confirmation, the first "czar" called by that revealing name was Carlton Turner, the "drug czar," appointed by President Reagan. Since then there have been many such appointees, with President George W. Bush topping the number at 49, followed by President Obama at 44. Yes, it would be an interesting research project (perhaps some doctoral candidate's thesis) to study the effectiveness of this position.

Originally Posted by graciegirl

... It is my belief that more than any other kind of smart person, a physician is needed now to coordinate all of the efforts on THIS ISSUE. Many physicians are in the top one percent of our population in intelligence and they are certainly as smart if not smarter than most lawyers, and many of them too, have attended fine schools like Georgetown and Harvard....

Originally Posted by graciegirl

... But what I think we need is a person who knows medicine and knows how this disease is spread and has run a large medical facility like Walter Reed. Georgetown and Harvard are quite impressive, but what we don't need is another danged lawyer-politician who isn't quite clear where his fibula is.

I respectfully disagree in that the solution will not be based solely on "intelligence" but rather in the ability to manipulate and control. Personally I am suspicious of doctors who become politicians. I consider service as a physician to be one of the highest and most respected; who is more associated with healing than a doctor? Politics? Well, let's not get into that, though we can keep in mind the old saw: "Pro is to Progress as Con is to Congress"!

Seriously, doctors' most important role is NOT as administrators, coordinators, managers, even dictators. The most recent CV I'm able to find online of the CEO of our Villages Regional Hospital was Timothy Hawkins, who served in this capacity (more specifically "CEO Villages Regional Hospital, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer, Central Florida Health Alliance") until 2012, whose educational qualification for this position was an MBA degree (that is, business administration) and NOT a medical degree. His job was to operate a program, not do patient care. No doubt, he utilized the services and relied on the expertise of doctors to perform his job, just as the newly appointed "ebola czar" will likely do. But the job involves far more than treating patients!

Originally Posted by janmcn

Ron Klain's job will be as manager of all the government agencies involved in the Ebola virus outbreak. No one has suggested that he would be treating infected patientsl

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

... Janmcn already identified what this choice is--a "a political operative", and explained above how "a political operative is the perfect choice" for that very purpose:

"Who would you appoint if you wanted someone to coordinate all the government agencies involved? Who would you appoint if you wanted to cut through all of the government red-tape? A physician or a businessman would not be able to do this, but a political operative is a perfect choice."

Originally Posted by billethkid

... A better chioce would have been Senator Frisk...he is a sitting senator....he is an MD....he knows the medical community....which should be driving ANY political actions....

Yes, I agree; a "political operative" is an appropriate choice, much more so than a physician, though of course it has to be the right political operative. Since the person occupying this post primarily has to deal with a multitude of governmental agencies, not simply those concerned specifically with the medical sphere (e.g., CDC, NIH, and so forth), based on her or his experience cutting across agencies and, if needs be, juggling and even forcing cooperation is something a political operative CAN do, whereas this would presumably never have been the bulk of the career experience of a doctor.

If the last poster above is referring to Senator Bill Frist (not "Frisk"), he is not a "sitting senator," having left office in 2007. While it certainly was his right to choose what to do with his life, it seemed to me at the time he ran for and was elected to office that his departure from medicine was tragic. Our country certainly needs cardiothoracic surgeons more than more politicians....

Originally Posted by cologal

... People are calling for a travel ban but there are no direct flights...if we stop all travelers at the airport we have no facilities in which to keep them for 21 days. All the quarantine stations were shutdown long ago....

I keenly remember in the 1980s when these quarantine stations were closed down, as were many chronic care mental health hospitals, with patients turned loose and who frequently became homeless and problems in other ways. Though I didn't live through the influenza pandemic of 1917-1918 during which millions died, I knew of family members and parents and grandparents of friends who did, some of whom died. I knew it was bound to happen again (and this is not to say necessarily that it will be ebola) and was flabbergasted at the shortsightedness of doing this. Now there is the possibility of the chickens coming home to roost based on the stupidity of the shutdown of these quarantine stations....

Originally Posted by cologal

There has been another virus epidemic ... thousands of people died before anything was done. Already Obama is being hammered when there have only been 3 people infected and only one death. Care to guess how many died the last time before that President acted?

I had been working my way through this long thread, waiting to see if anyone had the courage to bring up the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, during which time the leader of the Western world treated this terrible disease as a moral issue rather than as, well, the terrible disease it was--and still is. And yes, thousands and thousands died, including much of a generation of creative and artistic people. It was a tragedy AND a travesty! And though I cannot remember who or what year, a speaker at a convention subsequent to the 1980s who was stricken with AIDS spoke passionately about the need to recognize this dreaded disease for what it was. Sad to say, but again the chickens coming home to roost....

And, sorry to say, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a political operative, I'm not even a businessperson, and concerned as I am, no, I have no solutions to offer.

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by twinklesweep

I had been working my way through this long thread, waiting to see if anyone had the courage to bring up the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, during which time the leader of the Western world treated this terrible disease as a moral issue rather than as, well, the terrible disease it was--and still is. And yes, thousands and thousands died, including much of a generation of creative and artistic people. It was a tragedy AND a travesty! And though I cannot remember who or what year, a speaker at a convention subsequent to the 1980s who was stricken with AIDS spoke passionately about the need to recognize this dreaded disease for what it was. Sad to say, but again the chickens coming home to roost....

This CDC Fact Sheet on HIV-AIDS gives a clear picture of the incidence and risk groups affected.

CDC ? HIV in the United States ? Statistics Overview ? Statistics Center ? HIV/AIDS

[Jebstuart]

Perhaps reading this article will be helpful

Ebola: How to stop the disease

In the meantime, practice good hand washing. Support efforts to train medical and first responders on hazmat gear. Support sending education and supplies to the ebola zone. Food support, body bags, supportive medical equipment. Panic, politics, spreading fear and rumors and being crazy will help no one.

[cologal]

Originally Posted by JB in TV

Perhaps I have missed it being discussed here or in the press, but is Ebola transferable by mosquito? Person with active symptom-showing Ebola is bitten, that mosquito bites some one else. Is that second person then likely to get Ebola?

The answer is No!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by twinklesweep

I am away from TV for extended periods working 24/7 and rarely have the chance to connect to TOTV. I am now FINALLY here for a short rest and had the chance to read through this very revealing and today very relevant thread. I am quoting many posters, though I have deleted what I perceived as political comments that are inappropriate not only on TOTV but also concerning this public health issue.








Though there were appointees by presidents to posts without necessity of Senate confirmation, the first "czar" called by that revealing name was Carlton Turner, the "drug czar," appointed by President Reagan. Since then there have been many such appointees, with President George W. Bush topping the number at 49, followed by President Obama at 44. Yes, it would be an interesting research project (perhaps some doctoral candidate's thesis) to study the effectiveness of this position.






I respectfully disagree in that the solution will not be based solely on "intelligence" but rather in the ability to manipulate and control. Personally I am suspicious of doctors who become politicians. I consider service as a physician to be one of the highest and most respected; who is more associated with healing than a doctor? Politics? Well, let's not get into that, though we can keep in mind the old saw: "Pro is to Progress as Con is to Congress"!

Seriously, doctors' most important role is NOT as administrators, coordinators, managers, even dictators. The most recent CV I'm able to find online of the CEO of our Villages Regional Hospital was Timothy Hawkins, who served in this capacity (more specifically "CEO Villages Regional Hospital, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer, Central Florida Health Alliance") until 2012, whose educational qualification for this position was an MBA degree (that is, business administration) and NOT a medical degree. His job was to operate a program, not do patient care. No doubt, he utilized the services and relied on the expertise of doctors to perform his job, just as the newly appointed "ebola czar" will likely do. But the job involves far more than treating patients!








Yes, I agree; a "political operative" is an appropriate choice, much more so than a physician, though of course it has to be the right political operative. Since the person occupying this post primarily has to deal with a multitude of governmental agencies, not simply those concerned specifically with the medical sphere (e.g., CDC, NIH, and so forth), based on her or his experience cutting across agencies and, if needs be, juggling and even forcing cooperation is something a political operative CAN do, whereas this would presumably never have been the bulk of the career experience of a doctor.

If the last poster above is referring to Senator Bill Frist (not "Frisk"), he is not a "sitting senator," having left office in 2007. While it certainly was his right to choose what to do with his life, it seemed to me at the time he ran for and was elected to office that his departure from medicine was tragic. Our country certainly needs cardiothoracic surgeons more than more politicians....




I keenly remember in the 1980s when these quarantine stations were closed down, as were many chronic care mental health hospitals, with patients turned loose and who frequently became homeless and problems in other ways. Though I didn't live through the influenza pandemic of 1917-1918 during which millions died, I knew of family members and parents and grandparents of friends who did, some of whom died. I knew it was bound to happen again (and this is not to say necessarily that it will be ebola) and was flabbergasted at the shortsightedness of doing this. Now there is the possibility of the chickens coming home to roost based on the stupidity of the shutdown of these quarantine stations....




I had been working my way through this long thread, waiting to see if anyone had the courage to bring up the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, during which time the leader of the Western world treated this terrible disease as a moral issue rather than as, well, the terrible disease it was--and still is. And yes, thousands and thousands died, including much of a generation of creative and artistic people. It was a tragedy AND a travesty! And though I cannot remember who or what year, a speaker at a convention subsequent to the 1980s who was stricken with AIDS spoke passionately about the need to recognize this dreaded disease for what it was. Sad to say, but again the chickens coming home to roost....

And, sorry to say, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a political operative, I'm not even a businessperson, and concerned as I am, no, I have no solutions to offer.

I read your post and your responses to other posts but I am still not clear as to your point. I think you think that an M.D. would not be a good person to undertake the job of overseeing a task force on protecting this country from serious contagious disease.

There are M.D.s who are not good business managers and M.D.s who are. There are J.D.s who are not good business managers, and J.D.s who are. A J.D. can quote law, and an M.D. understands small culprits like microorganisms and knows how the slimy little bastards can slip into other people's bodies. A J.D. can talk all day and not get that.

I want someone who can say.....

"THE VIRUS STOPS HERE" . I want someone to say "STAY OUT."

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by Jebstuart

Perhaps reading this article will be helpful

Ebola: How to stop the disease

In the meantime, practice good hand washing. Support efforts to train medical and first responders on hazmat gear. Support sending education and supplies to the ebola zone. Food support, body bags, supportive medical equipment. Panic, politics, spreading fear and rumors and being crazy will help no one.

Thank-you for that link. I feel more confident that it is under control in Nigeria and Senegal. The NOVA presentation Surviving Ebola is also a morale builder.

[cologal]

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

This CDC Fact Sheet on HIV-AIDS gives a clear picture of the incidence and risk groups affected.

CDC ? HIV in the United States ? Statistics Overview ? Statistics Center ? HIV/AIDS

I am not sure about your intent posting this link. What do you mean with the statement....clear picture of the incidence and risk groups affected?

Surely you can't mean that no one, other than these people, should worry about HIV. Tell that to Elizabeth Glaser...my bad you can't because she died of AIDS.

But now AIDS is a manageable disease...

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by cologal

I am not sure about your intent posting this link. What do you mean with the statement....clear picture of the incidence and risk groups affected?

Surely you can't mean that no one, other than these people, should worry about HIV. Tell that to Elizabeth Glaser...my bad you can't because she died of AIDS.

But now AIDS is a manageable disease...

Why so defensive?? My intent was to show a link to facts about how most people are contracting HIV since people above compared the 1980s onset epidemic to this Ebola epidemic. There is one difference with Ebola at this point in time in the US: epidemiologists fear it has gone or could go airborne, God forbid.

The link I posted earlier clearly explains that ominous possibility. Additionally, this info from CDC leaves room for fears of this virus being contracted by sitting beside a victim or touching surfaces where droplets may have landed and can live for several hours and could transmit by hands touching that and then touching facial orifices......

"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.

What does “direct contact” mean?
Direct contact means that body fluids (blood, saliva, mucus, vomit, urine, or feces) from an infected person (alive or dead) have touched someone’s eyes, nose, or mouth or an open cut, wound, or abrasion.

How long does Ebola live outside the body?
Ebola is killed with hospital-grade disinfectants (such as household bleach). Ebola dried on surfaces such as doorknobs and countertops can survive for several hours; however, virus in body fluids (such as blood) can survive up to several days at room temperature. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/qas.html

Until it's determined it's definitely not airborne, quarantines are wisely being set, to avoid needless, unprotected exposures to a person with the disease. I don't see anybody pro-quarantine who is making it a "moral" (puritanical sexual) issue as someone above implied.

[Walt.]

Originally Posted by cologal

People are calling for a travel ban but there are no direct flights...if we stop all travelers at the airport we have no facilities in which to keep them for 21 days. All the quarantine stations were shutdown long ago.

Tis a problem....

Not really. Just let it be known that travelers from Ebola areas would not be admitted to the U.S. They would have to make arrangements with whatever airline they choose (at their own expense) and leave. Why would it be our responsibility? After the first few are turned back the problem would end because everyone would know it's a waste of their time and money. Of course we could do the same with... oh never mind...

Oh... the political minds missed a golden opportunity. Bill Frist would have been a good choice... but a brilliant choice would have been Dr. Ben Carson. It would have shown that this was being taken seriously... while ending all complaints. If he took the job or not it wouldn't matter. Political points scored all around for the POTUS.

[cologal]

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

Why so defensive?? My intent was to show a link to facts about how most people are contracting HIV since people above compared the 1980s onset epidemic to this Ebola epidemic. There is one difference with Ebola at this point in time in the US: epidemiologists fear it has gone or could go airborne, God forbid.

The link I posted earlier clearly explains that ominous possibility. Additionally, this info from CDC leaves room for fears of this virus being contracted by sitting beside a victim or touching surfaces where droplets may have landed and can live for several hours and could transmit by hands touching that and then touching facial orifices......

"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.

What does “direct contact” mean?
Direct contact means that body fluids (blood, saliva, mucus, vomit, urine, or feces) from an infected person (alive or dead) have touched someone’s eyes, nose, or mouth or an open cut, wound, or abrasion.

How long does Ebola live outside the body?
Ebola is killed with hospital-grade disinfectants (such as household bleach). Ebola dried on surfaces such as doorknobs and countertops can survive for several hours; however, virus in body fluids (such as blood) can survive up to several days at room temperature. Q&As on Transmission | Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever | CDC

Until it's determined it's definitely not airborne, quarantines are wisely being set, to avoid needless, unprotected exposures to a person with the disease. I don't see anybody pro-quarantine who is making it a "moral" (puritanical sexual) issue as someone above implied.

I admit I was vary.... The comparison in response by the White House in both cases is to be expected. For example during the hight of the AIDS crisis some members of Congress called for detention camps to house homosexuals. At that time no one knew what caused AIDS. It seemed to be limited to GAYS and Haitians. Then President Reagan did nothing as thousands died and now we have 3 cases with only 1 death and the White House response is not enough.

So far there is NO evidence Ebola is an airborne disease...none of the Duncan family members got Ebola even though they were in very close quarters. The Lab Tech, my job for 40 years, was put in lockdown because she might have handled a specimen.

There seems to be a bit of an over reaction.....to the facts.

[cologal]

Originally Posted by Walt.

Not really. Just let it be known that travelers from Ebola areas would not be admitted to the U.S. They would have to make arrangements with whatever airline they choose (at their own expense) and leave. Why would it be our responsibility? After the first few are turned back the problem would end because everyone would know it's a waste of their time and money. Of course we could do the same with... oh never mind...

Oh... the political minds missed a golden opportunity. Bill Frist would have been a good choice... but a brilliant choice would have been Dr. Ben Carson. It would have shown that this was being taken seriously... while ending all complaints. If he took the job or not it wouldn't matter. Political points scored all around for the POTUS.

I think we have to look at the facts.... travelers from West Africa will arrive at our airports. Once they get here we would have to keep them somewhere until they could be returned. We are we going to put them up? The airport Marriott or Hilton.

What makes Dr. Ben Carson such a great choice he doesn't have a background in infectious diseases does he?

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by Walt.

Not really. Just let it be known that travelers from Ebola areas would not be admitted to the U.S. They would have to make arrangements with whatever airline they choose (at their own expense) and leave. Why would it be our responsibility? After the first few are turned back the problem would end because everyone would know it's a waste of their time and money. Of course we could do the same with... oh never mind...

Oh... the political minds missed a golden opportunity. Bill Frist would have been a good choice... but a brilliant choice would have been Dr. Ben Carson. It would have shown that this was being taken seriously... while ending all complaints. If he took the job or not it wouldn't matter. Political points scored all around for the POTUS.

Dr Ben Carson, Dr Bill Frist, General Colin Powell, etc etc, all might have been good choices, but the job has been filled, and Ron Klain will start in his new position later this week.