October 2013 Moms
Phalaenopsis
member
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Ebola- your questions answered
Phalaenopsis
member
Hit me with 'em. I'll try to answer some tonight and tomorrow morning while I have time. Lets keep it casual.
My credentials: boarded in internal medicine, Hospitalist, and I just sat through some lectures from infectious disease experts at a conference on the east coast.
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Re: Ebola- your questions answered
Maybe a crazy thought!?
Thanks for answering these questions!
They compare it to other past epidemics of similar proportion. as a side note, for each person that gets measles, statistically they infect 12. An Ebola patient statistically infects less than 2. MEASLES IS 10-fold more contagious than Ebola. #justsayin #priviligedtobevaccinated
As with most viruses, there is no antibiotic or antiviral therapy... Yet. The treatment of infected patients is what we call "supportive". The major issue, according to Emory unit, is the patients lose 10 liters of luid a day, and lose sodium and potassium, which can lead to irregular heart rhythms. Only 5% have bleeding issues. The mortality rate is high, 50-70% in Africa. Not everyone dies. There are people who recover and develop immunity. They've been transfusing plasma from the people who recovered into those infected with good success to boost immunity. Mr Duncan's blood type did not match the donors plasma, so he didn't get any.
No. Pissed at the CDC, yes. Annoyed at fear mongering and blaming in media, yes. Worried for your baby- no.
#askingforafriend
#itoldheritwasastupidquestion
It is in all bodily fluids. Interestingly, in the Emory unit, they did NOT find the virus on surfaces when they tested for it. None. It gets inactivated by sunlight too. This is somewhat good news. You can't get it from a toilet seat, only by swapping fluids.
If the virus is still in body fluid then yes, it Woukd still transmit. If there is no fluid, the virus doesn't survive on surfaces.
The dog supposedly was quarantined! But dogs can't get it so he's safe!
The minute they heard of an Ebola case in the US, they should have gotten a team out o that hospital to train the staff.
(Sorry if any above terms are incorrect)
If the urine or vomit is in the water system could it survive and be in the drinking water!!!???
Thanks for answering these questions. I'm still freaked out to let my mother get on a plane home on Saturday!
This was a mistake by the CDC, no doubt. And that doctor who broke quarantine is an embarrassment.
I don't think so.... It's not the typical form of transmission
Thank you for clarifying! I'm honestly only half reading the news reports because they make me anxious #iliketocontroluncontrolablethings
Yup, that's right.
Not really, no.
From what I am gathering from my research and our division's director of nursing who is co-leading our hosp's care team, Texas Presbyterian was not following protocol/quite possibly unaware of protocol and severity and importance(?) involved with caring for Duncan. Thus the exposure and spread to the nurses who cared for him. The team is also being co-led by the medical director of one of our newest trauma units who has spent a lot of time NB Sierra Leone caring for Ebola pts (he actually just returned home and completed his 21 day quarantine). It's pretty fascinating now that we are learning more about this. The management of care given will be so different than care we typically give. I actually, given proper education on care and proper PPE, would not be as afraid to care for someone as a nurse as I would be afraid of being exposed to it by someone in public who didn't know they had and were contagious.
That being said, as a mom of a 1 year old I am not volunteering because on the very small chance that PPE were breached during care I don't think I could live with myself if I exposed my son and my family.
I would. But... I don't consider myself on the front line. The nurses are the ones on the front line. They are at such higher risk than I. They have more direct and prolonged contact than I do.
In Texas, it is clear they were not prepared. There is no question. But i still mostly fault the cdc. It was a matter of time until Ebola would come to the US, and they flat out didnt have a plan of action in place for when it did. I mean, didnt they watch Contagion?? In cases like this, someone has to step up and lead and educate, and that has to come from a central authority. We just got a memo about an emerging diseases committee, so our hospital will be looking into it too.
(She lives a few towns over for me and it scares the hell out of me! This is giving me serious anxiety!)
Yes, they are already testing it in humans. There will be a vaccine soon and it will be given preferentially to front-line health care workers. Because, remember, hcw are at extremely high-risk. 10% of the infected in Africa are those trying to help. Risk to the general public is very, very low.
How do you feel about the quarantine of those who traveled near Amber Vinson? Necessary or just appeasing the public? Or a third opinion?
In Texas, it is clear they were not prepared. There is no question. But i still mostly fault the cdc. It was a matter of time until Ebola would come to the US, and they flat out didnt have a plan of action in place for when it did. I mean, didnt they watch Contagion?? In cases like this, someone has to step up and lead and educate, and that has to come from a central authority.
We just got a memo about an emerging diseases committee, so our hospital will be looking into it too.
------- eta stuck in quite box-------
Yeah... CDC flat out has sucked the big one on this and it is quite frightening. Just glad we are going to be prepared. As a large university medical and trauma center in Balt/Wash area it's inevitable we will be seeing low risk and potentially infected pts too (given international travel to/from and residents in this area).
Haha, I thought Contagion was good! Although totally alarmist. The virus doesn't break through the protective gear- the issue is probably with REMOVAL of the gear. You get a drop on your hand and then wipe your nose and you get infected.
I am not blaming them at all; I just think they were eager to do good and they weren't protected properly by those they trusted (ie their higher ups in the hospital system).
Seriously, she's an embarrassment. Should be fired from her public position. But she wasn't symptomatic, therefore not contagious, and knew she didn't have it at that time. It just sets a bad example/precedent.
Thank you!!! Thanks for doing this for us and making me feel not so paranoid! I had to bring ds1 to the er for stitches today and I was internally freaking out!
Edit- I agree, she should be fired!