Ebola... In Texas.

sweaver93

I'm having a minor(major actually) panic attack right now, last night news channels announced a patient in Texas was admitted with signs of Ebola and due to travel history they were testing them for Ebola. Happend before, came back negative lat time, thought this would too. However according to multiple sources, this is a confirmed case of Ebola. In Dallas, approximately 30 minutes from my house. I'm not the type to get overly worried, but this person had symptoms for a few days before going to the hospital. Not to mention the people he had contact with on the plane coming back from west Africa an anyone he came in contact with while he showed symptoms. (You aren't contagious until the symptoms show up around 21 day after exposure).Maybe I'm overly nervous about this, but all I can think about is what if something happens to my kids and for some reason they get it? I know it's hard to get, but there is still that fear. It doesn't help I studied Ebola in high school for my yearly project, so I know more than I care to and it's adding to the fear. Anyone else heard this yet? It's also known to do really awful things to a developing baby and the mother.

2Swanns

I just read this, "...the virus is only spread through contact with bodily fluids, such as blood or vomit, says Brett Giroir, CEO at Texas A&M Health Science Center, an intensive care specialist." So hopefully that is true and puts your mind at ease.

sweaver93

RQuinlin said:

I'm watching the press conference now. The virus is only transmitted once symptoms appear. People on the plane and at the airport are fine. However, he was sent home from the ER after presenting symptoms. They are currently tracking who could have gotten it. It is spread by fluids, but I don't know how long it is active in body fluids after leaving the body.

I read on one thing tht he actually had symptoms before he left west Africa. I didn't hear they sent him home before though, my thing is, what if he had coughed and it got on something and some random person came in intact with it before it dried and had a tiny, microscopic cut and got it that way. It's also spread through sperm so what if he slept with someone, who then gets it and spreads it further once they become contagious? There are so many outcomes.

honkytonk_kid

I'm a nurse in DFW. I'm a little freaked out. But at the same time I feel like it's a risk I knowingly accept as a nurse. I'll just have to try extra hard not to make out with my patients...

In the general population I'm not that concerned. Avoid sick people, wash your hands, etc. 

sweaver93

RQuinlin said:

The CDC press conference says he arrived in the US on the 20th and did not have symptoms until the 24th, sought treatment on the 25th, and then again on the 28th when they kept him at the hospital quarantined. He flew in from Liberia into DFW.

That's good to hear. The part about no symptoms until later. I really hope they get everyone who had any possible contact and get them tested and kept under control. My other thing is, I have appointments in Dallas, it's where my hospital is and my doctor is, I try to sanitize and I go through an insane amount of hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes. But I worry that no matter how cautious, there's the risk. Ugh. And it could be 21 days before anyone else shows symptoms. I'm ready to get out of Texas for awhile.

djoliet

I live 5 hours from Dallas but its still worrisome to hear!

blinksmb

I wouldn't get too worried about it. I'm sure they will be containing and monitoring those who could have been exposed.
Most of the patients hospitalized for potential ebola exhibit symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever and those could mean any number of things this time of year. Because of that it will probably get blown out of proportion by the news, but then again doesn't everything?
Like pps said, wash your hands, make sure your kids wash their hands, if you see blood don't lick it, etc.

honkytonk_kid

RQuinlin said:

@sweaver93‌ Which hospital do you use? I can't remember the exact name of the hospital the patient is at, but I'd know the name if I saw it. Not that I'm sure it matters.

Texas Health Presbyterian in Dallas

edit: is where the patient is being treated.

kella0708

The "shut the fuck up" is too harsh for this situation, but you get the idea...

lisap0924

I heard this and it scares the crap out of me! I live in MA, but still!

very scarey!

Anne Mommy

My H works at the hospital in Nebraska where the doctor was treated- although he didn't work directly with the man. People freaked out about getting it.
Your chances are slim. I imagine you have OB appts which are probably not in the same area as people who think they have Ebola. I wouldn't worry.

thejucheidea

I laugh at anyone who gets freaked out about ebola. Do you know how this disease works or are you just listening to Facebook posts?

thejucheidea

aylacbw said:

I laugh at anyone who gets freaked out about ebola. Do you know how this disease works or are you just listening to Facebook posts?

Yeah I know lots about it. Regardless of the fact that it is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids, a shit ton of people in Africa have it and it's now gotten out of control. Granted I know there are reasons for that... Lack of education on how to handle the bodies, lack of resources, riots against aid workers/government trying to help, all that. Problems we don't have in the US. But it is still scary!

A shit-ton of people in Africa have it because of direct contact with people who had ebola. Things are very different culturally in Africa -- last I checked, since I got back from living in Africa, I've had indoor plumbing, wash my clothes in a machine instead of in the river, sleep in my own king-size bed instead of in a room with twenty plus other people, have access to good medical care instead of a hospital that doesn't have electricity most of the time, use my own car for transportation instead of cramming into a trotro with a thousand other people and farm animals, et cetera. I also pay people to clean, prepare and bury my dead instead of doing that myself and doing a shitty job of it.

There is simply no comparison between healthcare and general society in West Africa, where I have lived and worked in healthcare, and America. There is literally not a single thing to fear about this unless you don't have all of the information needed to realize what an insignificant threat this is to the general American public.

thejucheidea

Also, 700 soldiers from the 101st are heading to West Africa next month to help ensure better isolation and safety so that this flow of ebola patients ebbs some, so help with hygiene and more education for local civilians is coming and will affect the course of this entire epidemic: https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/fort-campbell/2014/09/30/fort-campbell-troops-headed-liberia-fight-ebola/16498771/

blinksmb

RQuinlin said:

I will agree that things are obviously very different in West Africa. I also think the women who live in the DFW area or have families there can legitimately be afraid of this virus. The CDC had already stated they expect further cases in the area before it is successfully contained. For those living on the other side of the country there is no need to freak out. For those living nearby, the threat is very real and their fears do not deserve to be mocked or minimalized.

I totally get that! I want trying to mock anyone, sorry if it came off that way. I was just trying to encourage staying calm since we are well equipped to combat this illness.
I hope you and yours stay healthy and that Texas kicks ebola's booty.

caribeth80

I'm actually more concerned about that nasty respiratory virus that's hitting kids all over the US. That's something to stay aware about for sure.

janda426

This man suspected he was showing symptoms of Ebola and still flew back to the US? How responsible.

That being said, I do hope he makes a full recovery and hasn't infected anyone else.

sweaver93

Watching the press conference and reading the new info has helped with some of the fear. I second the post that talked about the microscopic tears in our skin, because what if the person coughed on his hand and then shook someone else's hand? (Very small chance, but a chance) He wasn't contagious on the plane, and had no fever so they say there is "zero chance" of anyone onboard getting it. It's just the fact this man went around while contagious. I'm aware what it takes to get it. Some of the stories that were out out by the local stations made it seem like he was contagious while flying in, and that he roamed all over while he was contagious and interacted with many people. In reality, he was here visiting family and probably didn't have much contact with anyone besides them, and they are taking the proper steps to watch them, as well as the workers(nurses, ambulance driver, patients transported by the same ambulance, etc.) that had contact with him and that is comforting. I know we have the equipment to deal with it, and have it better of than west Africa, but I worry. I'm just going to do what was suggested and make sure I take the precautions. There's likely to be more cases obviously, because if one of his family member has it, they cant stop it, but they can stop it from spreading after that, and I hope he and all the others with it have full recoveries. It's kind of strange, but it's a blessing for him to be here being treats where we do have much better facilities to deal with it. (Can you tell I'm not as freaked out?) I'm obviously not going to go around kissing random people, or licking random blood, so I think the chances are slim of getting it. For those of you who haven't, I would suggest reading "The hot zone". It's all about the three strains of Ebola, and is one of my favorite books and very informative in many aspects. Hope that all made sense, I'm one tired momma, but wanted to check in before I went to bed.

knottie93263eb66eeacb31

caribeth80 said:

I'm actually more concerned about that nasty respiratory virus that's hitting kids all over the US. That's something to stay aware about for sure.

This... Yes the Ebola is scary but I'm way more worried about the respiratory virus that is hitting almost every state in the country right now. Kids are now becoming paralyzed. How long before it jumps to adults and even worse pregnant women because we are already immune compromised?

crunchymamaof2

afalken1021 said:

I'm actually more concerned about that nasty respiratory virus that's hitting kids all over the US. That's something to stay aware about for sure.

This... Yes the Ebola is scary but I'm way more worried about the respiratory virus that is hitting almost every state in the country right now. Kids are now becoming paralyzed. How long before it jumps to adults and even worse pregnant women because we are already immune compromised?

This. I wasn't concerned until I started hearing about the potential paralysis. Hopefully they figure this out fast. My friend's son has a badly compromised immune system and I especially get nervous for them and being pregnant during he winter as well.

Ebola is scary and I sure as hell don't want to get it. But it's one of the furthest things from my mind right now. The doctors are monitoring everyone he came in contact with and are on top of things. As long as travel is permitted between countries Ebola was bound to come here eventually. We are fortunate enough to live in a country that has the resources and technology to fight this disease and I'm confident it can be contained. I just watched "and the band played on" about the aids discovery in my medical sociology class and seeing how far we've come from the early 80s has lessened my fear.

kcbizme

aylacbw said:

Watching the press conference and reading the new info has helped with some of the fear. I second the post that talked about the microscopic tears in our skin, because what if the person coughed on his hand and then shook someone else's hand? (Very small chance, but a chance) He wasn't contagious on the plane, and had no fever so they say there is "zero chance" of anyone onboard getting it. It's just the fact this man went around while contagious. I'm aware what it takes to get it. Some of the stories that were out out by the local stations made it seem like he was contagious while flying in, and that he roamed all over while he was contagious and interacted with many people. In reality, he was here visiting family and probably didn't have much contact with anyone besides them, and they are taking the proper steps to watch them, as well as the workers(nurses, ambulance driver, patients transported by the same ambulance, etc.) that had contact with him and that is comforting. I know we have the equipment to deal with it, and have it better of than west Africa, but I worry. I'm just going to do what was suggested and make sure I take the precautions. There's likely to be more cases obviously, because if one of his family member has it, they cant stop it, but they can stop it from spreading after that, and I hope he and all the others with it have full recoveries. It's kind of strange, but it's a blessing for him to be here being treats where we do have much better facilities to deal with it. (Can you tell I'm not as freaked out?) I'm obviously not going to go around kissing random people, or licking random blood, so I think the chances are slim of getting it. For those of you who haven't, I would suggest reading "The hot zone". It's all about the three strains of Ebola, and is one of my favorite books and very informative in many aspects. Hope that all made sense, I'm one tired momma, but wanted to check in before I went to bed.

The hot zone is why I get so scared of Ebola. Sure maybe irrationally but that book is scary as fuck. I read it like 15 years ago and remember being so terrified I had to hide it under my bed.

THIS! I have this book and have read it more than once. That is why I already knew how serious the virus is. I read it in 12th grade AP Biology - my teacher actually lent it to me. Seriously. Crazy shit.

myjessesgirl

crunchymamaof2 said:

afalken1021 said:

caribeth80 said:

I'm actually more concerned about that nasty respiratory virus that's hitting kids all over the US. That's something to stay aware about for sure.

This... Yes the Ebola is scary but I'm way more worried about the respiratory virus that is hitting almost every state in the country right now. Kids are now becoming paralyzed. How long before it jumps to adults and even worse pregnant women because we are already immune compromised?

This. I wasn't concerned until I started hearing about the potential paralysis. Hopefully they figure this out fast. My friend's son has a badly compromised immune system and I especially get nervous for them and being pregnant during he winter as well.

Ebola is scary and I sure as hell don't want to get it. But it's one of the furthest things from my mind right now. The doctors are monitoring everyone he came in contact with and are on top of things. As long as travel is permitted between countries Ebola was bound to come here eventually. We are fortunate enough to live in a country that has the resources and technology to fight this disease and I'm confident it can be contained. I just watched "and the band played on" about the aids discovery in my medical sociology class and seeing how far we've come from the early 80s has lessened my fear.

I agree. We live in a very different environment than West Africa and our medical system is far better equipped to deal with this. I am not concerned about either of these viruses, mostly because the news broadcasts worst case scenarios and not necessarily the reality. Granted, I do live a few hundred miles from Texas, but I think there is no cause for concern right now.

kella0708

Two articles from The Atlantic for anyone who is interested...

Wait, you can fly with Ebola?
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/wait-you-can-fly-with-ebola/380977/

What would happen if someone got Ebola in America
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/what-would-happen-if-someone-got-ebola-in-america/375928/

ETA: The second article is from August but paints a very detailed picture of how the U.S. health system might deal with a patient.

ngolimento

I am of two minds about the issue. Yes, people are overreacting (not necessarily those in this thread), but it IS uncomfortable to have a virus that killed over 3 thousand people in as many months running around in your back yard.

I honestly don't understand the people who are so scornful of those taking moderate extra precautions. Is it such a bad thing that people are washing their hands more? OK, it won't necessarily effect Ebola, but maybe flu will take a hit this year. I'll take that any day. Especially as a pregnant lady.

CoozieInMyPurse

I'm glad to hear that more people will be washing their hands and monitoring otherwise minor medical complaints (like low grade fever). Bathing in hand sanitizer probably isn't necessary.

If you live in DFW, it's not the worst idea ever to check your supplies of emergency drinking water and non-perishable foods (Everyone should have supplies on hand in case of any shelter-in-place situation, extended power outage or situation that affects water pressure making it unsafe to drink). Check out Ready.gov for information on building an emergency kit. (Note, this is not a recommendation in reaction to Ebola; simply everyday preparedness).

Oh, per the CDC's Twitter account (@CDCgov) about an hour ago:"CDC has issued guidance that people exposed to Ebola should not board commercial airplanes. https://t.co/9CZHCdAyrI"

Also,
 

bdazzld

Hope the kiddos and their family's end up being clear!

thejucheidea

sweaver93 said:

Watching the press conference and reading the new info has helped with some of the fear. I second the post that talked about the microscopic tears in our skin, because what if the person coughed on his hand and then shook someone else's hand? (Very small chance, but a chance) He wasn't contagious on the plane, and had no fever so they say there is "zero chance" of anyone onboard getting it. It's just the fact this man went around while contagious. I'm aware what it takes to get it. Some of the stories that were out out by the local stations made it seem like he was contagious while flying in, and that he roamed all over while he was contagious and interacted with many people. In reality, he was here visiting family and probably didn't have much contact with anyone besides them, and they are taking the proper steps to watch them, as well as the workers(nurses, ambulance driver, patients transported by the same ambulance, etc.) that had contact with him and that is comforting. I know we have the equipment to deal with it, and have it better of than west Africa, but I worry. I'm just going to do what was suggested and make sure I take the precautions. There's likely to be more cases obviously, because if one of his family member has it, they cant stop it, but they can stop it from spreading after that, and I hope he and all the others with it have full recoveries. It's kind of strange, but it's a blessing for him to be here being treats where we do have much better facilities to deal with it. (Can you tell I'm not as freaked out?) I'm obviously not going to go around kissing random people, or licking random blood, so I think the chances are slim of getting it. For those of you who haven't, I would suggest reading "The hot zone". It's all about the three strains of Ebola, and is one of my favorite books and very informative in many aspects. Hope that all made sense, I'm one tired momma, but wanted to check in before I went to bed.

He was in contact with 12-18 people only: https://www.wfaa.com/story/news/health/2014/10/01/thompson-dallas-county-ebola-patient-cases/16524303/

PuppyLove84

Glad to see that people have a good perspective on here!  Ebola is scary, but it doesn't actually spread that easily, and is not hard to contain with thorough contact tracing in situations like this.  Fun fact: We've actually had several people over the last few years who have come to the US and then been diagnosed with very similar hemorrhagic fevers, and there's never been an outbreak here.  It usually doesn't even make the news!  I hope none of the people exposed end up with the virus, but I'm confident it won't spread beyond any of them.  That's not to say we won't have other cases in the US; it really is inevitable as long as people are flying here from the West African countries!  But hopefully this will be a wake up call to healthcare providers to be *extra* vigilant about asking for travel histories!

I'm more worried about flu myself, and so if this ebola fear will get people to wash their hands more, that's a good thing!  And I'd worry about EV68 if I had kids, but most adults have more immunity to it, so there is no evidence that it is particularly dangerous for us pregnant women, unless you were to get it close to delivery and then pass it on to your newborn.

mangomimosa

I'm not worried -- but the guy is an asshole. He knowingly had direct, hands-on contact with a woman dying of ebola in Liberia. Then, 4 days later he flies to the US (I'm curious as to when he bought those tickets) and 6 days later he goes to ER., sick. He neglects to mention he had direct contact with ebola 10 days previously. He is sent home, & while sick, spends time with family including children. Guarantee that fucker knew he probably had ebola. All he cared about was getting to the US where he knew he'd get top care. He'd just seen a dying pregnant woman get turned away from an overrun clinic & he knew he'd been exposed. Perfect time to visit family in the US. Didn't give a fuck about who got exposed along the way. I hope no one else gets sick.

(Yes I'm judging him based on news articles. Maybe I'm wrong & then I'll eat my words. Until then, he's an asshole.)

ruemorgan

DH just told me he flew through Dulles international airport 5 mi away from our house and they now suspect he may have been contagious for the flight. :-SS @-)

Too lazy but I totally have the homer backing into bushes gif im my head.

Christina1939

So I have been following this, and the enterovirus D68 story also. I am an immunology researcher at a university and my husband is a physician. We are in Ohio, so not near Texas but the chance someone could come here infected is probably as good as any city. I personally am not really concerned about it. I think the issue in countries such as Africa is they don't have the infrastructure or finances to effectively treat and prevent diseases like this, ergo the AIDS epidemic. The chances of it being a large scale outbreak here are pretty slim unless the virus changes and it becomes transmissible a different way. Plus it sounds like treatments for it are around, just not widely available, especially to poor countries where they can't even get them anti-retrovirals. Those are just my thoughts -- either way though it is pretty scary & sad for all those who have died so far

crunchymamaof2

mangomimosa said:

I'm not worried -- but the guy is an asshole. He knowingly had direct, hands-on contact with a woman dying of ebola in Liberia. Then, 4 days later he flies to the US (I'm curious as to when he bought those tickets) and 6 days later he goes to ER., sick. He neglects to mention he had direct contact with ebola 10 days previously. He is sent home, & while sick, spends time with family including children. Guarantee that fucker knew he probably had ebola. All he cared about was getting to the US where he knew he'd get top care. He'd just seen a dying pregnant woman get turned away from an overrun clinic & he knew he'd been exposed. Perfect time to visit family in the US. Didn't give a fuck about who got exposed along the way. I hope no one else gets sick. (Yes I'm judging him based on news articles. Maybe I'm wrong & then I'll eat my words. Until then, he's an asshole.)

If this is true, and the more I think about it, how can it not be true, I agree with you whole heartedly. Is this guy a US citizen and/or does he live in Liberia? IMO if you know you either have or are likely to have such a deadly disease and don't take precautions to avoid spreading it you should be charged criminally. No different then knowing you have HIV and purposefully not telling the people you're sleeping with.

I really hope his isn't the case, but how can someone truly not understand the risk after being in the hot zone, potentially coming in contact with infected persons and then not mention this when seeking treatment for feeling ill? I hope I'm way overthinking this. How can somehing this serious simply be "forgotten" by someone?

kella0708

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I'm really tired of people comparing Ebola to HIV and AIDS epidemic. Yes, they are both transmitted through bodily fluids but HIV is NOT transmitted through saliva, feces, urine, or vomit of the infected person.

There is so much blame and shame rhetoric when it comes to HIV. Many people become infected or pass the virus to others unknowingly. Unlike Ebola - you will know who is infected, if you are infected, or have come in contact with an infected person right away.

Also, HIV is NOT a crime. Laws that seek to criminalize those with a positive HIV status are completely antequated and desperately need to be modernized. Most laws are based on misinformation, stigma and myths about the virus. In fact HIV criminalization laws have actually been shown to discourage testing and status disclosure to avoid possible prosecution. Current laws further stigmatize already marginalized communities while missing important opportunities for prevention education.

End rant.

djoliet

We had a scare in Lubbock I think yesterday.I saw it on the news this morning. A guy went to the ER (of the hospital I'm having the baby at...eek) with symptoms. They said they tested him for Ebola but it was negative, so they sent him home. Apparently he recently traveled to Liberia too. Kinda nervewracking and everyone is asking what if he was tested too early.

crunchymamaof2

@kella0708 I don't think this is anything like the aids/HIV epidemic and don't think people with any disease should be criminalized. But if someone knew they had HIV/Ebola/any serious, often fatal, disease, and continued to engage is risky behaviors without telling the other person(a) involved I think they should be held accountable. Not knowing or taking precautions to be safe aren't included in my opinion on that.

@mangomimosa I just read in a newer article that he claimed he told one of the nurses that he was in west Africa and somehow that information wasn't communicated properly to the other doctors. But why wouldn't you be telling all the doctors/nurses that were caring for you?? The risk of spreading it aside, I'd want to get the best care for myself if that was even a remote possibility!

mangomimosa

crunchymamaof2 said:

If this is true, and the more I think about it, how can it not be true, I agree with you whole heartedly. Is this guy a US citizen and/or does he live in Liberia? IMO if you know you either have or are likely to have such a deadly disease and don't take precautions to avoid spreading it you should be charged criminally. No different then knowing you have HIV and purposefully not telling the people you're sleeping with.

I really hope his isn't the case, but how can someone truly not understand the risk after being in the hot zone, potentially coming in contact with infected persons and then not mention this when seeking treatment for feeling ill? I hope I'm way overthinking this. How can somehing this serious simply be "forgotten" by someone?

I think he's a Liberian citizen with family in the US. I'm totally making assumptions -- but by looking at him, and by knowing that he had the $$ to just up and fly to the US -- I can't imagine that he's an ignorant man. I can't imagine that he could be clueless about his exposure-- I'd bet a million bucks it was the motivation for his travel. Like I said -- I'm prepared to eat my words -- for now I'm feeling full of rage at this guy. And his fucking nephew is all over the news about how the hospital mishandled his case and delayed diagnosis. He says all he wants is for his uncle to "get the same kind of treatment that was given to the four other patients that survived". As if anyone is trying to prevent him from getting care? He wasn't discharged the first time because they wanted him to go home and die. If there was ANY thought he could have ebola he would have been isolated IMMEDIATELY. He was discharged because he had a fever and non-specific symptoms, and NO ONE TOLD THE DOCTOR the patient had been in Liberia. And yes, the doctor didn't ask-- not free of blame, but the patient did not volunteer that he'd been fucking HOLDING A DYING WOMAN 10 DAYS BEFORE! (Again -- I'll eat my words if, say, there was a language barrier issue or something.)

So -- news FUCKING flash -- if you tell the billing people that you don't have a SSN because you've been in Liberia, and respond to the triage nurse that you've recently traveled from Africa -- that's NOT THE SAME as telling your DOCTOR. And maybe you wouldn't realize that, which is fair, but when you get sent home and NO ONE mentions the travel, no one asks about exposure, no one brings up ebola -- wouldn't you speak up and be like -- "hey so about my recent travel from ebola city? we aren't worried about that?" Should the nurse have told the doctor? Yes. Communication failure. But if you knew you had been in Liberia and were concerned about ebola -- TELL YOUR DOCTOR. If you knew you'd been holding a woman just hours before her death from ebola -- TELL YOUR DOCTOR. Nephew, your asshole uncle made a way bigger mistake by withholding that information. He directly contributed to the delay in his diagnosis AND knowingly exposed his family. ASS. HOLE.

Sorry, I'm seriously fired up about this. I don't understand why it's not in the news articles at all. It's just all blamey-finger-pointy at the hospital. Let's be real here. Blame exists on both sides. WHO HOLDS A WOMAN DYING OF EBOLA AND FAILS TO MENTION THAT TO THEIR DOCTOR?! 

ETA -- I don't think it's quite the same as knowingly spreading HIV. He didn't know for sure he had ebola. He could have been hoping he didn't -- he could have been reassured by the antibiotic Rx and hospital discharge. But he's still a selfish asshole. Many others would have assumed it was ebola until proven otherwise and taken the steps to prevent spread, instead of trying to save themselves at the expense of others.

Christina1939

I don't have the time to read this whole thread but kella0708 if you are talking about my post you seriously misread what I wrote. I am ONLY bringing up HIV/AIDS to bring up the point that Africa hasn't had the infrastructure or support to effectively deal with HIV/AIDS -- just like they don't have the capacity to deal with other serious fatal illnesses such as tuberculosis. Just like they obviously don't have the capacity to deal with ebola virus either.

I agree with everything you said about the stigma and problems associated with the disease --part of my focus in graduate school is on the AIDS pandemic so I am by no means trying to further push all the crap that has prevented it to be dealt with effectively. So whatever your deal is -- take it somewhere else -- because unless you are some renowned HIV/AIDS expert -- you do not know more about it then me.

kella0708

crunchymamaof2 said:

@kella0708 I don't think this is anything like the aids/HIV epidemic and don't think people with any disease should be criminalized. But if someone knew they had HIV/Ebola/any serious, often fatal, disease, and continued to engage is risky behaviors without telling the other person(a) involved I think they should be held accountable. Not knowing or taking precautions to be safe aren't included in my opinion on that.

Gahhhhhhh - maybe an UO but I hate the term "risky behavior." Were we all engaging in "risky behavior" when we were KTFU?? Or is that special little phrase just reserved for substance abusers and people with HIV???

I've worked with people living with HIV or AIDS for many years. Disclosure is a very person journey and decision for each person. You can hope and encourage all PLWHA to disclose to their partners but at the end of the day you and I cannot force someone to put their personal medical history on blast. If someone chooses not to disclose, you at least hope and encourage them to always use protection. You also hope that people they are engaging in sex or needle sharing with take precautions for themselves as well. Again - so many layers of blame placed on an already stigmatized group of people.

If laws exist to criminalize PLWHA why don't they exist for all infectious diseases? If you choose not to vaccinate your child, they get sick and as a result someone who is immunocompromised dies should you face criminal charges as well? Hell, if someone with the FLU knowingly goes out and infects my 90 year old grandma and she dies, should that person go to jail also??

The continued existence of HIV criminalization laws run the risk of countering scientific research and evidence about HIV and undermine the public health goals of promoting screening and treatment.

Christina1939

Ok maybe I should have read the thread -- I see I was defending myself when you weren't even talking to me... Sorry Kella!!  

kella0708

Christina1939 said:

I don't have the time to read this whole thread but kella0708 if you are talking about my post you seriously misread what I wrote. I am ONLY bringing up HIV/AIDS to bring up the point that Africa hasn't had the infrastructure or support to effectively deal with HIV/AIDS -- just like they don't have the capacity to deal with other serious fatal illnesses such as tuberculosis. Just like they obviously don't have the capacity to deal with ebola virus either.

I agree with everything you said about the stigma and problems associated with the disease --part of my focus in graduate school is on the AIDS pandemic so I am by no means trying to further push all the crap that has prevented it to be dealt with effectively. So whatever your deal is -- take it somewhere else -- because unless you are some renowned HIV/AIDS expert -- you do not know more about it then me.

Oh honey, get off your high horse! How the hell do you know what or how much I know about HIV/AIDs from one post on TB. Pretentious much??

That fact that you grouped the entire continent of Africa into one homogenous place tells me you may not know as much as you think you do.

In fact, Washington, D.C. has a higher HIV/AIDS rate than Lagos, Nigeria. Does this mean our nationals capital does not have the infrastructure or support to effectively deal with the virus?

Excuse me while I brush off my MPH and get back to my public health job. But go ahead, tell me how I know nothing.

ngolimento

I am so confused at how this took a "AIDS is not a crime!" turn. Nobody in this thread even so much as hinted that it was. The only comment I saw about HIV was using it to show how shitty education and infrastructure contributes to epidemics. Which is the truth. So.....how did that turn into defending against AIDS persecution?