The Ebola News Digest

[grower]

I read an article that said she went to visit family in Cleveland.

How ignorant, selfish and foolish.

Exactly how it got here from Liberia.
Throw in the haughty arrogance of U.S. officials who kept saying, "It can't happen here," and you've got a mix for national disaster.

[saulteux]

Salteaux, you should demand a bonus payoff on your bet.

I don't think the person has logged on in a while.

[Godwit]

Heather Lander, PhD ‏@PathogenPhD 20m20 minutes ago
@biskits_n_gravy Ebola patient at Emory University Hospital says he's recovering
http://reut.rs/1EZbRmy via @reuters

(Reuters) - An American treated for Ebola at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta since Sept. 9 said on Wednesday he was recovering from the virus and expected to be discharged from the hospital soon.

The patient, who has not been identified, was working in Sierra Leone when he tested positive for the disease and was evacuated to the United States on a private chartered flight.

He disclosed the first public details of his condition in a statement released by Emory but said he wished to keep his identity secret for now.

"I want to share the news that I am recovering from this disease, and that I anticipate being discharged very soon, free from the Ebola virus and able to return safely to my family and to my community," the patient said.

Crawford Kilian ‏@Crof 10m10 minutes ago
#Ebola in the US: Second nurse will be moved to Emory
http://bit.ly/11oPSpu

More --


Emory Healthcare ‏@emoryhealthcare 6m6 minutes ago
UPDATE: Our #Ebola patient who arrived Sept. 9 expected to be discharged soon & requested we release this statement:
http://bit.ly/1vet5I8

[Silverheart]

I don't think the person has logged on in a while.

What a surprise.

[Godwit]

Statement by RN’s at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital as provided to National Nurses United --

When Thomas Eric Duncan first came into the hospital, he arrived with an elevated temperature, but was sent home.

On his return visit to the hospital, he was brought in by ambulance under the suspicion from him and family members that he may have Ebola.

Mr. Duncan was left for several hours, not in isolation, in an area where other patients were present.

No one knew what the protocols were or were able to verify what kind of personal protective equipment should be worn and there was no training.

Subsequently a nurse supervisor arrived and demanded that he be moved to an isolation unit– yet faced resistance from other hospital authorities.

Lab specimens from Mr. Duncan were sent through the hospital tube system without being specially sealed and hand delivered. The result is that the entire tube system by which all lab specimens are sent was potentially contaminated.

There was no advance preparedness on what to do with the patient, there was no protocol, there was no system. The nurses were asked to call the Infectious Disease Department. The Infectious Disease Department did not have clear policies to provide either.

Initial nurses who interacted with Mr. Duncan nurses wore a non-impermeable gown front and back, three pairs of gloves, with no taping around wrists, surgical masks, with the option of N-95s, and face shields. Some supervisors said that even the N-95 masks were not necessary.

The suits they were given still exposed their necks, the part closest to their face and mouth. They had suits with booties and hoods, three pairs of gloves, no tape.

For their necks, nurses had to use medical tape, that is not impermeable and has permeable seams, to wrap around their necks in order to protect themselves, and had to put on the tape and take it off on their own.

Nurses had to interact with Mr. Duncan with whatever protective equipment was available, at a time when he had copious amounts of diarrhea and vomiting which produces a lot of contagious fluids.

Hospital officials allowed nurses who had interacted with Mr. Duncan to then continue normal patient care duties, taking care of other patients, even though they had not had the proper personal protective equipment while caring for Mr. Duncan.

Patients who may have been exposed were one day kept in strict isolation units. On the next day were ordered to be transferred out of strict isolation into areas where there were other patients, even those with low-grade fevers who could potentially be contagious.

Were protocols breached? The nurses say there were no protocols.

[grower]

Statement by RN’s at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital as provided to National Nurses United --

When Thomas Eric Duncan first came into the hospital, he arrived with an elevated temperature, but was sent home.

On his return visit to the hospital, he was brought in by ambulance under the suspicion from him and family members that he may have Ebola.

Mr. Duncan was left for several hours, not in isolation, in an area where other patients were present.

No one knew what the protocols were or were able to verify what kind of personal protective equipment should be worn and there was no training.

Subsequently a nurse supervisor arrived and demanded that he be moved to an isolation unit– yet faced resistance from other hospital authorities.

Lab specimens from Mr. Duncan were sent through the hospital tube system without being specially sealed and hand delivered. The result is that the entire tube system by which all lab specimens are sent was potentially contaminated.

There was no advance preparedness on what to do with the patient, there was no protocol, there was no system. The nurses were asked to call the Infectious Disease Department. The Infectious Disease Department did not have clear policies to provide either.

Initial nurses who interacted with Mr. Duncan nurses wore a non-impermeable gown front and back, three pairs of gloves, with no taping around wrists, surgical masks, with the option of N-95s, and face shields. Some supervisors said that even the N-95 masks were not necessary.

The suits they were given still exposed their necks, the part closest to their face and mouth. They had suits with booties and hoods, three pairs of gloves, no tape.

For their necks, nurses had to use medical tape, that is not impermeable and has permeable seams, to wrap around their necks in order to protect themselves, and had to put on the tape and take it off on their own.

Nurses had to interact with Mr. Duncan with whatever protective equipment was available, at a time when he had copious amounts of diarrhea and vomiting which produces a lot of contagious fluids.

Hospital officials allowed nurses who had interacted with Mr. Duncan to then continue normal patient care duties, taking care of other patients, even though they had not had the proper personal protective equipment while caring for Mr. Duncan.

Patients who may have been exposed were one day kept in strict isolation units. On the next day were ordered to be transferred out of strict isolation into areas where there were other patients, even those with low-grade fevers who could potentially be contagious.

Were protocols breached? The nurses say there were no protocols.

Oh my God........ There are no words.

[Homesteader]

Oh my God........ There are no words.

My sentiments exactly.

[Lenno]

Oh my God........ There are no words.

Yes there is:

[Silverheart]

Oh my God........ There are no words.

There are plenty of words. We're just not supposed to use the appropriate ones on this forum.

[abvp]

Salteaux, you should demand a bonus payoff on your bet.

I concur.