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Good going, vaccine deniers.
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Originally posted by Broncojohnny -
Has there been anything saying how the two doctors got it? I mean, if they know about the disease and are working on people with the disease, surely they took precautions to not get the disease. So, what failed?Originally posted by 46Tbird View PostYes, 2000 infected people. But the WHO is claiming that this particular strain seems "to be spreading in ways never seen before."
The article doesn't get too specific about that statement. But when the WHO is concerned, I'm concerned, especially when we have a virus like this moving through major hubs of international travel. I will continue to keep my hands off dead and dying people, just to play it safe."Self-government won't work without self-discipline." - Paul HarveyComment
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I guess I need to get my Ebola shots up to date.Originally posted by Nash B. View Post
I'm not sure the CDC is qualified to keep the virus contained after hearing about the box of deadly concoctions they left sitting out for many years.Comment
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Originally posted by GhostTX View Post
This Suit Keeps Ebola Out — So How Can A Health Worker Catch It?
by Marc Silver
July 24, 2014 2:58 PM ET
The fight against Ebola in West Africa suffered a setback Wednesday. Dr. Sheik Umar Khan, one of the top doctors treating patients, caught the virus, even though he was wearing protective gear.
"Even with the full protective clothing you put on," Khan has said, "you are at risk."
That statement made us wonder about those yellow and white suits you see in photos: Just how good are they at protecting health workers from the bodily fluids that can transmit the virus — vomit, blood, sweat, mucus?
To learn more about the gear known as PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), we spoke with , the medical adviser to for hemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola.
Does the suit have any weaknesses that put a health worker at risk?
The yellow suit that MSF [Medecins Sans Frontieres] uses is [made of] a woven plastic fiber. And they throw a laminate on it. It's very fluid impervious. But to work, it has to be used in conjunction with a set of behaviors and procedures.
Where we see health care worker infections when the PPE is in place, [the worker] did something to override the PPE: They didn't wear it appropriately or contaminated their hands in the process of getting [the suit] off.
So the hands could come in contact with fluids on the suit. Then what would happen?
The presumed way you get sick is virus gets into a mucus membrane inside your mouth, nose or eyes. If you were very, very good about keeping your hands off your face, you could probably get away with more exposed skin above the neck. But we like to cover [health workers] from the neck up. So when the hand goes to the face in an unconscious movement, it doesn't touch anything.
To reiterate: It's not the suit's fault. Things can just go wrong sometimes.
Yes. You can stick yourself with a needle, you can use your gear improperly, or you can undress improperly.
Could you get away with a less protective suit?
Let's say you're wearing some sort of material that covers you from the neck down — something that's permeable — and somebody vomited on your sleeve and fluid got through and got on your arm. Honestly, you should be OK. It won't get on you in a large volume. [The vomit] dries out, and [the virus] becomes inactive. Ebola doesn't last very long on a clean, dry surface.
But if you're caring for somebody and have virus on your hands, getting it into your nose, eyes or mouth is fairly common. So we wear the DuPont products that are fairly fluid resistant
You've worn the suits. Are they heavy?
It doesn't weigh all that much — a few ounces, really. It's just that they're suffocating. If you wear something very fluid-resistant, it's also very air-resistant. It's hotter than hell. You're unable to wear the PPE for more than 30 or 40 minutes in tropical heat.
Could there be a better suit?
The ideal suit would offer enough protection to keep filoviruses [such as Ebola] out but let in a certain amount of air flow. Some newer suits are more impermeable up in the front, more breathable in the back. I haven't had the chance to look at them.
How has the medical community in West Africa reacted to the news of Dr. Khan's infection?
It's shaking things up. A lot of people know Dr. Khan. He is a fun guy. He is fascinated by [Ebola]. He wasn't mailing it in. He wasn't doing his job just to get through the day.
You'd go visit him in Kenema [where he worked in the hospital], he'd be like, "Hey, take a look at this." And with his digital camera, he'd show you a rash he saw on a patient. He'd say, "I just saw that patient an hour ago. I'm going to write this one up."
He took great pleasure in his work and brought an infectious enthusiasm. He's a pleasant person to talk to. He wasn't one of these people who put on airs. You're familiar with all of the character failings of doctors and the stereotypes — he didn't fit into any of those.Comment
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Maybe the sickness is the cure?Comment
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come on, get down with the sickness.Comment
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Hope it's negative
New York City Hospital Treating Potential Ebola Patient
Aug 4, 2014, 4:17 PM ET
By SYDNEY LUPKIN
Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City is treating a possible Ebola patient who recently traveled to West Africa, hospital officials said.
The patient arrived at the hospital’s emergency room early Monday morning with “a high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms,” according to a statement from the hospital. The patient has been isolated and is undergoing diagnostic testing.
“All necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of all patients, visitors and staff,” the hospital said in a statement. “We will continue to work closely with federal, state and city health officials to address and monitor this case, keep the community informed and provide the best quality care to all of our patients."
..."Self-government won't work without self-discipline." - Paul HarveyComment
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CDC issues highest level alert amid Ebola outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised their emergency response to the Ebola outbreak to level 1.
This is the highest level of emergency response at the CDC and, according to an agency spokesperson, it has been activated because of the surge of personnel being sent into the affected countries. The CDC’s emergency operations center is now assisting the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, which specializes in the study and research of Ebola.
As of Wednesday, there are 240 CDC staff members working on the Ebola response, with 30 in the affected regions and more en route.
According to the CDC, level 1 is “all hands on deck.” The CDC has only been to level 1 three times in the history of the emergency operations center, which opened in 2003. Previously, it was activated for Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the H1N1 influenza outbreak in 2009.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has killed at least 932 people, according to the World Health Organization."Self-government won't work without self-discipline." - Paul HarveyComment
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The patient in NYC tested negative, btw.Comment
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Well that appears to be less than great. Scare tactics or real deal?Comment
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Seems like they're going "WTH is going on in Africa?!?"Originally posted by Scott Mc View Post"Self-government won't work without self-discipline." - Paul HarveyComment
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Yeah well Spain took a fucking 75 year old priest or something back to Spain today. Even though I would think if the guy was that old it would be hard for him to make it anyways. Really though I have zero concern about the ones they quarantine and bring back. I just worry about people like that fucking guy who died in Nigeria trying to get back to the states. Maybe they will get a good vaccine or cure going since they have live specimens to work with. Just not a fan of bringing it here. They need to get going on some bad ass mobile sanitizers, crematoriums and hospitals over there.Whos your Daddy?
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Unrelated but I just got my Vervet Monkey shipped in. He seems a little under the weather from jet lag but I will bring him up to the meet tonight.Comment
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Someone is about to make a fuck lot of money as soon as there is a quarantine breach or one of the millions of illegals crossing the border spreads ebola:
FDA lifts hold on experimental Ebola drug
Posted: Aug 07, 2014 4:34 PM CST Updated: Aug 07, 2014 6:36 PM CST
Federal health authorities have eased safety restrictions on an experimental drug to treat Ebola, a move that could clear the way for its use in patients infected with the deadly virus. (Source: MGN) Federal health authorities have eased safety restrictions on an experimental drug to treat Ebola, a move that could clear the way for its use in patients infected with the deadly virus. (Source: MGN)
By MATTHEW PERRONE
AP Health Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. health authorities have eased safety restrictions on an experimental drug to treat Ebola, a move that could clear the way for its use in patients infected with the deadly virus.
Canadian drugmaker Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp. said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration modified a hold recently placed on the company's drug after safety issues emerged in human testing.
The company has a $140 million contract with the U.S. government to develop its drug, TKM-Ebola, which targets the genetic material of Ebola. But last month the FDA halted a small study of the injection in adults to request additional safety information.
Tekmira said Thursday the agency "verbally confirmed" changes to the hold that may allow the company to make the drug available, although it has yet to be proven as safe and effective.
Two Americans diagnosed with Ebola recently received a different experimental drug called ZMapp, made by Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. of San Diego. It is aimed at boosting the immune system's efforts to fight off Ebola and is made from antibodies produced by lab animals exposed to parts of the virus.
The U.S. aid workers were first treated in Liberia. And while the FDA must grant permission to use experimental treatments in the United States, it does not have authority over the use of such a drugs in other countries.
The FDA's move Thursday comes amid an Ebola outbreak in West Africa that health officials warn could sicken more people than all previous outbreaks of the disease combined. More than 1,700 people have been sickened in the current outbreak, which began in March. Nearly 1,000 have died, according to the World Health Organization.
Currently, there are no licensed drugs or vaccines for the deadly disease. Several are in various stages of development, but none have been rigorously tested in humans.
The FDA in March granted Tekmira "fast track" status for its Ebola drug, a designation designed to speed up approval of high-priority drugs by granting companies extra meetings with FDA scientists. Early studies of TKM-Ebola in monkeys suggested it could block high doses of the Ebola virus. But on July 21, the company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, announced the FDA had halted a small dosing study of the drug in 28 healthy adults. The company said regulators had questions about a type of drug reaction that can cause nausea, chills, low blood pressure and shortness of breath.
Tekmira's CEO Mark Murray praised the FDA for modifying the restriction on Thursday.
"We have been closely watching the Ebola virus outbreak and its consequences, and we are willing to assist with any responsible use of TKM-Ebola," Murray said. "The foresight shown by the FDA removes one potential roadblock to doing so."
FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Yao said she could not confirm the company's announcement since FDA regulations bar the agency from disclosing information about experimental drugs. She did note that the agency places clinical holds on studies based on the risks and benefits to patients. Patients in the Tekmira study were healthy volunteers.
Tekmira's U.S.-traded shares jumped 89 cents, or 6.7 percent, to close at $14.27 in regular trading. They climbed another $1.18 cents, or 8.3 percent, to $15.45 in afterhours trading.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.I wear a Fez. Fez-es are coolComment
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"The company said regulators had questions about a type of drug reaction that can cause nausea, chills, low blood pressure and shortness of breath."
Umm lets see, versus bleeding out every orifice, ill take chills and nausea!Whos your Daddy?Comment
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