# Ebola:  outbreak, Canadian/other response (merged)



## Armymedic (4 Sep 2014)

If the president of MSF (Doctors without Borders) thinks military assistance may be required, then the situation is bad.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/msf-call-for-military-medical-help-with-ebola-response-shows-outbreaks-severity-273708951.html?cx_navSource=d-more-news

This outbreak is different and worth watching as it's impact on the economic stability and security of the region is in jeopardy.


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## Colin Parkinson (5 Sep 2014)

It's already gutting a very fragile medical system there, so even if this one gets contained, the next one won't.


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## Brad Sallows (6 Sep 2014)

It puzzles me a little that the wealthier and currently unaffected countries of the world are not pouring resources in to decisively contain and end this outbreak before it ends up on their doorsteps (airports).


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## Furniture (6 Sep 2014)

Brad Sallows said:
			
		

> It puzzles me a little that the wealthier and currently unaffected countries of the world are not pouring resources in to decisively contain and end this outbreak before it ends up on their doorsteps (airports).



It seems to me that the modern world isn't too concerned because of how hard the virus is to spread. If it was airborne we would have already seen all travel to and from that part of the world shut down until the epidemic passed.


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## GAP (6 Sep 2014)

There will be tentative attempts by well meaning/capable people, but the mindset of the western and eastern nations not affected will be "just another little African crisis". 

The fastest way for this to be fought effectively is for it to show up in the "west".....


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## Brad Sallows (6 Sep 2014)

I realize everyone makes plans based on the assumption an outbreak always burns out quickly.

The economic cost of a panic if a single case is discovered "in the wild" (ie. outside a research centre, hospital, etc) in North America may be considerable.


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## SeaKingTacco (6 Sep 2014)

I think that it is nearly a certainty that there will be cases in North America and Europe, probably before the end of October.


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## OldSolduer (6 Sep 2014)

Just a thought, is there not some way we could introduce this virus to ISIS?


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## SeaKingTacco (6 Sep 2014)

Something like that almost always backfires...


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## OldSolduer (6 Sep 2014)

SeaKingTacco said:
			
		

> Something like that almost always backfires...



Quite right....but one can imagine.... >


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## Vanguard48 (7 Sep 2014)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Quite right....but one can imagine.... >



Think about their poor goats though and what would become of them. :-\


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## Flavus101 (7 Sep 2014)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Just a thought, is there not some way we could introduce this virus to ISIS?



Tom Clancy "Executive Orders"  :-X


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## Old Sweat (7 Sep 2014)

I am a firm believer that a Fire Mission Division with 10 rounds Fire for Effect repeated as necessary can cure most evils.


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## OldSolduer (7 Sep 2014)

Flavus101 said:
			
		

> Tom Clancy "Executive Orders"  :-X



I remember that book. Good read.


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## George Wallace (13 Oct 2014)

I am starting this in the International Defence and Security Forum because it is a serious Security Threat, as well as a Biological Defence issue.

We all heard in the news about the Doctors and Nurse who were brought back to the US from Liberia to be treated for Ebola, which so far seems to have been successful.  In the past week, the man in Texas who had Ebola has died and one of the Health Care workers who was treating him has developed symptoms.  We also saw a few scares where people were cleared of having Ebola, one of them in Toronto.  Now we have two cases in Ontario, one in Ottawa and another in Belleville, of people who have developed symptoms.  With the freedom of movement in today's age, the spread of these infectious diseases are proving difficult to contain under current Laws and Regulations.

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.



> Patient at the Ottawa Hospital being tested for Ebola
> 
> CTV Ottawa
> Published Monday, October 13, 2014 12:35PM EDT
> ...



Read more on LINK.



> Patients with Ebola-like symptoms hospitalized in Ottawa and Belleville
> Jordan Press
> Ottawa Citizen
> Published on: October 13, 2014Last Updated: October 13, 2014 3:50 PM EDT
> ...



More on LINK.

Even if these two are cleared of having Ebola, the threat still remains.


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## Remius (13 Oct 2014)

The fact that we've had scares and immediate action to deal with them does inspire some confidence.  I know that CBSA and Public Health have been very active at monitoring and looking out for any cases. It isn't perfect and I'm sure that we might very well see a case arrive here but at least here in Canada, there are steps being taken to contain any potential outbreaks.


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## jollyjacktar (13 Oct 2014)

I'm more worried about the 80 little johnny jhaids that have apparently come back to Canada than I am about ebola.


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## George Wallace (13 Oct 2014)

jollyjacktar said:
			
		

> I'm more worried about the 80 little johnny jhaids that have apparently come back to Canada than I am about ebola.



I was more of the opinion that it would have been more advantageous that those leaving Liberia and area were headed to Syria and not North America.   That is only wishful thinking.

And we already do have a thread or two on little johnny jhaidists.


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## jollyjacktar (13 Oct 2014)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> I was more of the opinion that it would have been more advantageous that those leaving Liberia and area were headed to Syria and not North America.   That is only wishful thinking.
> 
> And we already do have a thread or two on little johnny jhaidists.


Yes we do.  The reason I am not scared about ebola is that they can and will kill it on sight to the best of their ability.  I believe they will stamp it out swiftly and with vigor. They're not going to be so accommodating with the other threats.


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## RedcapCrusader (13 Oct 2014)

Ever looked at the symptoms of Ebola? Basically the same symptoms of influenza. Everyone is just paranoid and hypervigiliant that anything g remotely "ebola-like" gets media attention.

The reason why Liberia and Sierra Leone are struggling to containsit is because their quality of care and health care benchmarks are poor.


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## Remius (13 Oct 2014)

RedcapCrusader said:
			
		

> Ever looked at the symptoms of Ebola? Basically the same symptoms of influenza. Everyone is just paranoid and hypervigiliant that anything g remotely "ebola-like" gets media attention.
> 
> The reason why Liberia and Sierra Leone are struggling to containsit is because their quality of care and health care benchmarks are poor.



More than that but the population thinks it's a conspiracy and don't even believe it's Ebola. Violence against clean up teams, body removal parties, ransacking some medical stations etc.  as well fear of stigma leading people to stay home rather than seek treatment.  A combination of a weak health system and ignorance.


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## a_majoor (13 Oct 2014)

We might think that as a "First World" nation, we are relatively safe. Mark Steyn reported on how our health care system essentially collapsed from SARS, and I doubt things have changed in any substantive way. The only thing that may "save" us is the relatively low rate of transmission (compared to something like flu, for example).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/900134/posts?page=51



> *Mark Steyn: The system infected us*
> National Post ^ | April 24 2003 | Mark Steyn
> Posted on April 25, 2003 at 9:47:59 AM EDT by knighthawk
> 
> ...


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## McG (14 Oct 2014)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Now we have two cases in Ontario, one in Ottawa and another in Belleville, of people who have developed symptoms.


The Ottawa patient tested negative, but a Canadian Forces member in Belleville is still in isolation.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/ottawa-patient-tests-negative-for-ebola-dnd-member-still-in-isolation-1.2051532


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## The_Falcon (14 Oct 2014)

I seriously don't understand why Canada and the US have not implemented a travel ban for anyone who has been to those countries.


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## Stoker (14 Oct 2014)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> I seriously don't understand why Canada and the US have not implemented a travel ban for anyone who has been to those countries.



I agree. I know if you are military you can't go. One of our members had a trip scheduled and was told no.


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## PMedMoe (14 Oct 2014)

Chief Stoker said:
			
		

> I agree. I know if you are military you can't go. One of our members had a trip scheduled and was told no.



As in a personal trip?  Do they have family there?  Otherwise, I can't imagine being crazy/stupid/altruistic/suicidal enough to go there....   ???


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## Stoker (14 Oct 2014)

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> As in a personal trip?  Do they have family there?  Otherwise, I can't imagine being crazy/stupid/altruistic/suicidal enough to go there....   ???



They had a trip planned to go to Mount Kilimanjaro for some time. They thought it would ok since there had been no cases in that part of Africa. Military said no.


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## Edward Campbell (14 Oct 2014)

I'm with _The Economist_ on this one: the risk to the modern, rich, sophisticated West, with its excellent public health systems, is low. Our current response is media (and political) induced _panic_.

Banning flights is a terminally f'ing stupid idea ... unless you want to do a repeat of 9/11 on a long, long term basis: and that's equally f'ing dumb.

There IS an ebola crisis and we can and should, in our own self interest, do something to solve it ... that may involve sending CF personnel to Africa, not hiding, in fear, behind stupid half measures.

Fear, irrational media induced fear, is our enemy, not ebola.


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## George Wallace (14 Oct 2014)

This interactive link from the Wall Street Journal shows the spread of Ebola (and interestingly enough, none of the cases reported in Canada exist).

http://graphics.wsj.com/maps/ebolas-deadly-reach?mod=e2fb


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## George Wallace (14 Oct 2014)

In world economics, prepare to see your sweet tooth cost you more:


Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.



> Ebola threatens chocolate
> 
> Politico Pro
> By BILL TOMSON | 10/12/14 7:05 AM EDT Updated: 10/13/14 10:10 AM EDT
> ...




More on LINK.


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## The Bread Guy (14 Oct 2014)

RedcapCrusader said:
			
		

> Ever looked at the symptoms of Ebola? Basically the same symptoms of influenza. Everyone is just paranoid and hypervigiliant that anything remotely "ebola-like" gets media attention.


According to the WHO and others, it sounds pretty hard to catch Ebola unless you're in very close contact w/someone who's pretty sick already:


> .... Infection occurs from direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes with the blood, or other bodily fluids or secretions (stool, urine, saliva, semen) of infected people. Infection can also occur if broken skin or mucous membranes of a healthy person come into contact with environments that have become contaminated with an Ebola patient’s infectious fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen, or used needles ....


The CDC's take:


> .... Ebola is not spread through casual contact; therefore, the risk of an outbreak in the U.S. is very low. We know how to stop Ebola’s further spread: thorough case finding, isolation of ill people, contacting people exposed to the ill person, and further isolation of contacts if they develop symptoms ....


Finally, Health Canada....


> Ebola can be spread through:
> - contact with infected animals (bats, monkeys, gorillas, pigs, etc.)
> - contact with blood, body fluids or tissues of infected persons
> - contact with medical equipment, such as needles, contaminated with infected body fluids


All that said, have to agree with you and E.R.C. on this bit:


			
				E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Our current response is media (and political) induced _panic_.


No pun intended, but if it bleeds, it leads ....


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## Edward Campbell (14 Oct 2014)

That's right George it is chocolate, not Canada, that is threatened.

The panic would be funny if it wasn't infecting so many otherwise apparently (moderately) intelligent people. Between _CNN_ which needs these sorts of false crises to keep the advertising dollars flowing and the absolutely collossaly stupid and irresponsible wing of the US Republican Party, which wants to use anything to bash the black man in the White House, the serious, but local (to Africa) problem has been blown into a global crisis.

Now, don't get me wrong: this is a _*crisis*_ ... in Africa. We have both a moral duty and a socio-economic/political interest in helping to stem and solve the crisis. We may need to deploy troops - engineers, mainly, and civilian public health workers and contractors to help address the crisis. There are useful things we can do ... stopping air travel isn't one of them.


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## Colin Parkinson (14 Oct 2014)

I am going to disagree, Ebola in it's current form is really nasty bug to fight and our healthcare system while not bad is not designed to deal with pandemics. Remember http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic ? Ebola ha infected more people in the last few months than in it's entire known history, the virus will mutate into what we don't know.
The cost of maintaining control of even a few patients and the healthcare staff is staggering. I suspect the disease will establish in the US and get into the homeless population through ER contact and become incredibly difficult to stamp out. It is the incubation period that is the disease's strongest point and exploits our weaknesses. People will get infected without knowing, move a significant distance and then infect others, so you will have hotspots popping up everywhere.

In theory Canada is at minimal risk as long as the disease does not take hold in the US, then all bets are off. The main defense at the healthcare end is to re-direct anyone with possible symptoms away from ER rooms to specialized ER's. I would prepare specialized ATCO type trailers, with a easy to clean UV equipped receiving room, with filtered air exhaust. The staff portion is sealed from the receiving room and staff can triage incoming patients with no direct contact reducing risks of infection and transmission throughout the hospital (and significant costs). From the Triage room, suspected patients are taken by a stripped down ambulance (again sealed from driver) to a designated hospital with a sectioned off area setup to treat and isolate potential carriers. Currently ER's see significant amounts of transient , drug users and homeless people, you really want to prevent the virus from getting into that crowd or it will be all over the city in a flash.


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## Remius (14 Oct 2014)

Sorry Colin but you are comparing apples and oranges.  Ebola is not airborne like the flu or SARS.  Our hospitals are actually well placed in dealing with an ebola patient.  basically if you have an isolation ward, you can contain it.  Most of our hospitals actually do have isolation wards.  If Ebola was actually airborne it would be a whole diffrent ball game but as it is, it is much harder to contract.  The reason it is spreading so fast in Africa is lack of education, mistrust and very poor health care facilities.  Not to mention cultural norms in regards to dealing with bodies during funeral rites etc etc.   You can barely teach some people how to use a condom let alone explain to them how to deal with Ebola.


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## Colin Parkinson (14 Oct 2014)

We will lose the battle in the ER waiting rooms, not the isolation rooms. The disease in the early stages mimics the flu making false positives a much more likely event and lower attentiveness. The disease can linger on hard surfaces in a cool environment for up to 72hrs. Take note that a nurse in isolation gear was infected, likely from improper undressing. one infected person spending a couple of hours in a waiting room can infect a whole host of people with no one the wiser for days or even a week.


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## Remius (14 Oct 2014)

Colin P said:
			
		

> We will lose the battle in the ER waiting rooms, not the isolation rooms. The disease in the early stages mimics the flu making false positives a much more likely event and lower attentiveness. The disease can linger on hard surfaces in a cool environment for up to 72hrs. Take note that a nurse in isolation gear was infected, likely from improper undressing. one infected person spending a couple of hours in a waiting room can infect a whole host of people with no one the wiser for days or even a week.



I would agree with you if this was Africa.   But it isn't.  Yes it can linger in blood and other secretions on surfaces for that time period.  Contracting it through casual contact is extremely rare.  Because of its secondary infection rates it is much easier to contain.  The flu has something like 17 for secondary infection rates compared to Ebola which is 1.3-1.8 and with it's 2 week incubation period containing it is much easier.    the closest thing that I can think of as far as transmission is concerned would be Rabies.  There are only one or two cases a year in the US resulting in death but 55 000 anually in asia and africa.  Mind you it isn't hemoragic fever but it spread through infected saliva, blood etc and can be misdiagnosed as something else. 

one infected person could infect anyone if they bleed, puke or sneeze and that other person got it in open wounds, mouth eyes or mucus membranes.  When someone bleeds or vomist in an ER they don't just leave it there to be touched by anyone.  again, it isn't airborne like the flu where yes, an ER can become full of infected people.


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## Remius (14 Oct 2014)

We also have to consider that in the US and Canada, contact tracing is much more developped than in Africa where, i think it is damned near impossible to conduct effectively.


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## Stoker (14 Oct 2014)

Yesterday I heard some discussion on the formation of a multinational rapid reaction force specifically tailored to contain and eliminate viral outbreaks. Perhaps if we had something in place the crisis in Africa wouldn't of gotten so far.


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## medicineman (14 Oct 2014)

I think one of our docs put it rather succinctly last night at work when someone was going on about being worried about Ebola - "I'd be more worried about the kid here with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease than the one with Ebola, since it (HFMD) is about 300 times more infectious".

 :2c:

MM


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## George Wallace (14 Oct 2014)

In the 'Security Concerns Department'; there are some who would like to call for extreme measures and block all transit into and out of infected areas.  That is a rather simple thought, but would only cause migrants, healthy or sick, to use "underground" routes to 'escape' the blockades.  These clandestine travelers would pose more of a risk than those travelling through terminals that are monitoring the infection.

World wide pandemics have happened in the past decade or so.  We have witnessed the fears over the 'Bird Flu' and been able to contain it.  We also have seen more virulent infectious diseases, including the common flu cause deaths in our country that greatly outnumber those potential deaths this threat may pose. 

I have heard that the Canadian Government has already developed a vaccine that they are going to test on forty volunteers in the US.

Canada's Ebola vaccine: How does it work?


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## Colin Parkinson (14 Oct 2014)

Crantor said:
			
		

> We also have to consider that in the US and Canada, contact tracing is much more developed than in Africa where, i think it is damned near impossible to conduct effectively.



Agreed it is better, but the events in Dallas shows that it is only as good as the person on the receiving end and that was with a person who had a distinct history. You get an infected person that does not know they have it and did not travel there, but picked it up say from the Paris International Airport and it is likely they will also get misdiagnosed. 

As for quarantine, it does work and has worked in the past.


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## Remius (14 Oct 2014)

Colin P said:
			
		

> Agreed it is better, but the events in Dallas shows that it is only as good as the person on the receiving end and that was with a person who had a distinct history. You get an infected person that does not know they have it and did not travel there, but picked it up say from the Paris International Airport and it is likely they will also get misdiagnosed.
> 
> As for quarantine, it does work and has worked in the past.



Misdiagnosis is definitly a risk but consider this.  Ebola is contagious when symptoms start showing such as fever, vomiting etc.  It has a two week incubation period.  So even if someone slipped through the cracks eventually they will need hospitalisation.  they will likely suspect malaria or even a severe case of the flu in which case the same isolation protocols that exist for ebola are enacted.  When testing comes back positive for Ebola you still have time to track down anyone that that specific patient had contact with.  So we might see a cluster where some secondary or possibly tertiary infection might occur it would most likely be stopped at that point given the incubation period.  Close contact would in almost all cases be family and easily tracked.  

If you caught something at the Paris airport it would have been something significant, like vomit or bleeding.  Something airpiort authorities are on the look out for even in a non-ebola emergency situation. 

Emergency workers are always at higher risk for obvious reasons, so a nurse in dallas catching it is not surprising and by all accounts she was contained. 

You have more to worry about with rabbies, Hep C and a whole host of stuff.  More people will die this year from the flu than any ebola oubreak here will.  Ebola is indeed scary and horrible but only if you live in a place like Africa where it is an almost garanteed death sentence.


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## Colin Parkinson (14 Oct 2014)

I remain quite unconvinced about how good our procedures are for this and when this takes off in Africa, it will bleed into Southern Europe first and if it gets into Central America we have at least 2 mass vectors for it to arrive.  

The people I have talked who go regularly to Serra Leone to give medical aid have little good to say about the WHO and their figures, so likley the WHO is/has been under reporting by a significant amount.

http://www.news1130.com/2014/10/14/who-official-there-could-be-up-to-10000-new-cases-of-ebola-per-week-in-2-months/
_GENEVA – The death rate in the Ebola outbreak has risen to 70 per cent and there could be up to 10,000 new cases a week in two months, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.

WHO assistant director-general Dr. Bruce Aylward gave the grim figures during a news conference in Geneva. Previously, WHO had estimated the death rate at around 50 per cent.

Aylward said the 70 per cent death rate was “a high mortality disease” in any circumstance and that the U.N. health agency was still focused on trying to get sick people isolated and provide treatment as early as possible.

He told reporters that if the world’s response to the Ebola crisis isn’t stepped up within 60 days, “a lot more people will die” and there will be a huge need to deal with the spiraling numbers of cases.

For the last four weeks, there’s been about 1,000 new cases per week — including suspected, confirmed and probable cases, he said, adding that the U.N. health agency is aiming to get 70 per cent of cases isolated within two months to reverse the outbreak.

WHO increased its Ebola death toll tally to 4,447 people on Tuesday, nearly all of them in West Africa, from 8,914 cases.

Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have been hardest hit nations in the current outbreak. Aylward said WHO was very concerned about the continued spread of Ebola in the three countries’ capital cities —Freetown, Conakry and Monrovia.

He said the agency was still focused on trying to treat Ebola patients, despite the huge demands on the broken health systems in West Africa.

“It would be horrifically unethical to say that we’re just going to isolate people,” he said, noting that new strategies like handing out protective equipment to families and setting up very basic clinics — without much treatment — was a priority.

In Berlin, a U.N. medical worker infected with Ebola in Liberia died despite “intensive medical procedures.” The St. Georg hospital in Leipzig said Tuesday that the 56-year-old man, whose name has not been released, died overnight of the infection.

The man tested positive for Ebola on Oct. 6, prompting Liberia’s U.N. peacekeeping mission to place 41 other staff members under “close medical observation.”

He arrived in Leipzig for treatment on Oct. 9. The hospital’s chief executive, Dr. Iris Minde, said at the time there was no risk of infection for other people, since he was kept in a secure isolation ward specially equipped with negative pressure rooms that are hermetically sealed.

He was the third Ebola patient to be flown to Germany for treatment. The first man recovered and returned home to Senegal. A Uganda aid worker is still being treated in Frankfurt._


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## Stoker (14 Oct 2014)

I would be more worried that ISIS or some other Terrorist group, intentionally infect some of its members and send them to North America. Lots of panic would be created and they are willing to die for their beliefs.


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## Colin Parkinson (14 Oct 2014)

Not sure that death is "clean enough" to convince people, going out in a blaze of glory is one thing, but puking your guts out in agony slowly might be a hard sell.


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## Brad Sallows (14 Oct 2014)

Most really excellent crises have sharp inflection points.  The likelihood of the crisis is pooh-poohed and argued away until the Day After.  Almost by definition, crises are never seen coming because no one wishes to see them.

>I'm more worried about the 80 little johnny jhaids that have apparently come back to Canada than I am about ebola.

As already noted, I'd be mostly worried about Johnny Jihadi with citizenship or a Canadian passport who took a detour to be smuggled in and out of a hot zone (no passport stamps) with the single intention of trying to acquire something and get back into Canada while asymptomatic.


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## Colin Parkinson (15 Oct 2014)

Meanwhile

An email sent out to the Alcon staff by its CEO reportedly said that the ebola nurse’s boyfriend was admitted into hospital with “Ebola-like symptoms.”

Gotnews.com has received word from two different Alcon employees, both of whom asked not to be identified.

Alcon’s U.S. headquarters are in Fort Worth, Texas. It is an ophthalmological pharmaceutical company.

Requests for comment from Alcon were not returned.

    So, parents work at Alcon and so does Nina Pham's boyfriend.. He's now in quarantine

*and......*



    DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The CDC has announced that the second healthcare worker diagnosed with Ebola — now identified as Amber Joy Vinson of Dallas — traveled by air Oct. 13, the day before she first reported symptoms.

    The CDC is now reaching out to all passengers who flew on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth. The flight landed at 8:16 p.m. CT.

    The CDC is asking all 132 passengers on the flight to call 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800 232-4636). Public health professionals will begin interviewing passengers about the flight after 1 p.m. ET.


*and......*

Nurses Union Head: 'No Protocols' at Dallas Hospital

Among some of the more serious allegations made by the union were that Duncan was not immediately isolated when he was admitted to the hospital with Ebola symptoms and that the protective gear they initially wore left their necks exposed.

When Duncan was admitted, he was "left for several hours, not in isolation, in an area where other patients were present," Burger told CNN.

As many as seven other patients were in that area, the nurses told the union.

When a nursing supervisor demanded that Duncan be moved to an isolation unit, she faced resistance from hospital officials, the nurses told the union.

In addition, when the nurses treating Duncan complained that their necks had not been covered by the gear, they were told to wrap their necks with medical tape, Burger told CNN.

Hazardous waste also piled up while Duncan was being treated, Burger said, and nurses got no "hands-on training" on how to use the protective gear.

"There was no one to pick up hazardous waste as it piled to the ceiling," Burger told CNN. "They did not have access to proper supplies."

In addition, "There was no mandate for nurses to attend training," Burger added.

Hospital officials did send nursing staff an email about a seminar on Ebola, however.


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## a_majoor (18 Oct 2014)

Jerry Pournell provide a roundup of Ebola related events; the picture is not reassuring at all:

http://www.jerrypournelle.com/chaosmanor/a-new-ebola-czar-military-deploys-to-plague-zone-competence-in-government/



> *A New Ebola Czar; Military deploys to plague zone. Competence in government*.
> By Jerry Pournelle | October 17, 2014 - 1:16 pm | Updated: October 17, 2014 - 11:04 pm | View
> View 846 Friday, October 17, 2014
> 
> ...


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## CougarKing (19 Oct 2014)

Canada's role...

Reuters



> *Canada to ship experimental Ebola vaccine to WHO in Geneva*
> Sat Oct 18, 2014 2:02pm EDT
> 
> TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian government will ship 800 vials of its experimental Ebola vaccine to the World Health Organization in Geneva beginning on Monday, the Public Health Agency of Canada said on Saturday.
> ...


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## Remius (20 Oct 2014)

And, it would seem the outbreak can be contained if proper measures, even in a developping country, are implemented.  All without shutting borders.

Nigeria and Senegal are Ebola free, 48 people that had contact with the US case (the one that died) have been cleared.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/20/health/ebola-outbreak-roundup/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

The problem lies with countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone where superstition, distrust and overall crappy conditions have led to a massive outbreak.  The US and Canada (two countries that are light years ahead of Nigeria and Senegal's health care systems) may see a few isolated cases but will not see the same levels.

More people will die from the flu, so get your shot, stay calm and carry on.


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## Colin Parkinson (20 Oct 2014)

I hope I am wrong to worry as much as I do and you are right.


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## Remius (20 Oct 2014)

Colin P said:
			
		

> I hope I am wrong to worry as much as I do and you are right.



And I hope I am not proven wrong.  Worry and concern is good.  How we manage that is another thing.

Sadly, especially in the U.S. and to a lesser extent here, there is a certain segment that is reactionary in the extreme fueled by fear and misinformation.  The media and especially personalities make it worse.  Dr. Oz (dear God) is likely the only source of information on this for some people.  when we start seeing articlres on how this might become airborne or might spread like wild fire, it certainly does cause worry.  Tea party types  and republicans like Rick Perry aren't helping. 

I heard a good explanations that there is a cost for ebola and there is also a cost for the fear of ebola.


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## Remius (20 Oct 2014)

This article again by CNN explains the hysteria behind "Fear-Bola".

Crazy actually.  Ironically CNN is partially to blame for creating the hysteria to begin with...

 http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/20/health/ebola-overreaction/index.html?hpt=hp_t1


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## Remius (20 Oct 2014)

Chief Stoker said:
			
		

> They had a trip planned to go to Mount Kilimanjaro for some time. They thought it would ok since there had been no cases in that part of Africa. Military said no.



I was  going to call BS on this given that

A) No cases reported, and 

B) Tanzania is 3000 freakin miles from the areas hit.  

The reason they were probably denied is the sectarian violence and high risk of terrorism as per the DFAIT travel advisory web page.


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## The Bread Guy (20 Oct 2014)

Meanwhile, this kind of thing isn't helping:


> Dr. Cyril Broderick, A Liberian scientist and a former professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Liberia’s College of Agriculture and Forestry says the West, particularly the U.S. is responsible for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Dr. Broderick claims the following in an exclusive article published in the Daily Observer based in Monrovia, Liberia ....


And the response of the university where the good Dr. Broderick works now?


> Delaware State University said it won’t interfere with the free speech rights of a tenured professor who wrote a wildly speculative and conspiratorial article in a Liberian newspaper in which he claimed that the U.S. government manufactured the Ebola virus and spread it in West Africa under the guise of vaccine testing.
> 
> “The university is not going to abridge his First Amendment rights to give his opinion about the issues of the day,” said Carlos Holmes, a spokesman for the school, where Cyril Broderick is an associate professor in the agriculture and natural resources department.
> 
> ...


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## Colin Parkinson (20 Oct 2014)

Crantor said:
			
		

> And I hope I am not proven wrong.  Worry and concern is good.  How we manage that is another thing.
> 
> Sadly, especially in the U.S. and to a lesser extent here, there is a certain segment that is reactionary in the extreme fueled by fear and misinformation.  The media and especially personalities make it worse.  Dr. Oz (dear God) is likely the only source of information on this for some people.  when we start seeing articlres on how this might become airborne or might spread like wild fire, it certainly does cause worry.  Tea party types  and republicans like Rick Perry aren't helping.
> 
> I heard a good explanations that there is a cost for ebola and there is also a cost for the fear of ebola.


This is an election year, showing your current party is hopeless to stop a epidemic that is ravaging another part of the globe is to good to pass up, they do the same up here as well. having CDC doing the clown college and "medical professionals" totally drop the ball feeds the worry. Americans have a culture of distrust in government, which not all that unjustified.
 You notice that Harper is using this crisis to good effect, trying to show that his government is serious about the threat helping abroad and preparing here at home. Plays well I suspect.


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## CougarKing (21 Oct 2014)

More US troops to arrive in Liberia to reinforce  those reported earlier in the Africa crisis thread:

Military.com



> *More US Troops Arriving in West Africa for Ebola Fight*
> 
> | Oct 21, 2014 | by Chris Carroll
> WASHINGTON — More U.S. troops are arriving in West Africa to help fight an Ebola outbreak that has claimed more than 4,500 lives, but the rainy season is causing a delay, the Pentagon announced Monday.
> ...


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## a_majoor (21 Oct 2014)

Nigeria apparently defeated Ebola with good old fashioned epedimiology work (thousands of man hours tracking down contacts of victims and suspected victims, for example). OTOH, Liberia looks to be falling even further behind as they have not done the work to identify and report victims and contacts of the disease. The attitudes of Westerners operating there is incomprehensible as well:

http://www.the-american-interest.com/blog/2014/10/19/ebola-out-of-control/



> *REPORT FROM LIBERIA*
> Ebola Out of Control
> A window into Liberia in the throes of the plague: Westerners boogie the night away in dance halls, sleep with local prostitutes even as authorities downplay the size of the epidemic. Families hide the truth about what’s wrong with their loved ones, fearing consequences of letting authorities and neighbors know the truth. That’s according to this terrifying account provided by the Guardian:
> 
> ...


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## a_majoor (22 Oct 2014)

And the not too surprising and troublong reason that the response in the United States is so confused is the politicisation of formerly "professional" bureaucracies like the CDC. The profile of the current CDC director is quite troubling, especially since his record prior to becoming the director should have raised alarm bells:

http://www.city-journal.org/2014/eon1020sm.html#.VEW5RvvCKrs.twitter



> *The CDC’s Dr. Talk Good*
> 
> The Obama administration got exactly what it bargained for with Tom Frieden.
> 
> ...


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## cryco (22 Oct 2014)

how about one of these great cures for Ebola? Profiting from the endless supply of stupidity out there.

http://factually.gizmodo.com/6-fake-ebola-cures-being-promoted-online-1642118276


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## The Bread Guy (27 Oct 2014)

Ah, now that I've read Iranian media, NOW I get it ....


> The Ebola outbreak is a hoax which is being perpetrated on the American people to justify imposing martial law in the United States, a political commentator in California says.
> 
> In an interview with Press TV on Sunday, Professor James Henry Fetzer said, “The situation with Ebola is very strange indeed, because there are multiple indications that it’s some kind of fraud or hoax or scam being perpetrated on the American people.”
> 
> ...


More on Fetzer here and here :Tin-Foil-Hat:


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## cupper (27 Oct 2014)

It doesn't help that the politicians are using it as an election issue in the final weeks of the midterms.

The GOP are playing the fear card, with some of the more extreme right making outright false statements.

The media is playing up every reported instance and treating it like the opening phase of a new war, or covering medical convoys carrying patients like they did with OJ in his Bronco.

Dems can't figure out how to counter the fear mongering.

Poll numbers show that this will be a major issue in the final run to Nov. 5th. ISIS / ISIL not so much. Ebola is here, Terrorists are over there.


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## Colin Parkinson (28 Oct 2014)

It will be cheaper to put people up for 21 days in a specially prepared facility and pay them than to try to track down people they were in contact with. If you go to such a place even to do good, you should realize that reducing the risk upon your return to your home, family and friends is an important part of it.


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## CougarKing (28 Oct 2014)

Speaking of the the general and some soldiers who might have been infected while serving with the contingent in West Africa:

Military.com



> *Army Isolates General and Soldiers Returning from West Africa*
> 
> Oct 27, 2014 | by Richard Sisk
> The two-star Army general and members of his staff who led the initial military efforts against Ebola in West Africa have been isolated on post as they returned to Italy, the Pentagon said Monday.
> ...


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## ModlrMike (28 Oct 2014)

Personally, I think the nurse who kicked up crap about quarantine should be slapped. She should understand the risk, and appreciate that some inconvenience on her part may be the thing that keeps other safe. If I were in her shoes I would have expected to go into quarantine.


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## a_majoor (29 Oct 2014)

Modeling of the crisis is not providing any comforting answers. Of course the disjointed and frankly confusing responses to the crisis are not helping at all:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26448-future-scenarios-show-how-easily-ebola-could-explode.html?cmpid=RSS|NSNS|2012-GLOBAL|online-news#.VFGHlr5BBIB



> *Future scenarios show how easily Ebola could explode*
> 
> 15:24 24 October 2014 by Debora MacKenzie
> For similar stories, visit the Epidemics and Pandemics Topic Guide
> ...


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## CougarKing (8 Nov 2014)

Let's hope none of these returning troops who pass through these bases are actually infected...

Military.com



> *Military Names 5 US Bases for Ebola Mission Troops*
> 
> Associated Press | Nov 07, 2014 | by Lolita C. Baldor
> WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military officer has designated five U.S. bases where American troops would be housed and isolated for 21 days upon returning from Africa after serving in the Ebola response mission, U.S. officials said Friday.
> ...


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## mariomike (8 Nov 2014)

Closer to home.

"On Monday, October 27, eight Toronto Paramedics tabled what is known as a “work refusal.” Their concerns were all related to training and equipment to be used in the treatment of patients who might be suspected of having Ebola."
http://m.citynews.ca/2014/10/29/toronto-paramedics-walk-off-job-over-lagging-ebola-preparedness/


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## medicineman (28 Nov 2014)

Interesting...maybe after all that time asking to go there with OP REPTILE, I'll get tapped.  Oh right, I'm not Reg Force anymore...


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## The Bread Guy (28 Nov 2014)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Interesting...maybe after all that time asking to go there with OP REPTILE, I'll get tapped.  Oh right, I'm not Reg Force anymore ....


Oh well, there's always the _next_ round of pestilence to look forward to, right?  ;D

Meanwhile, more on the Op name - apparently based on a Celtic goddess of healing (and hot springs).


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## a_majoor (1 Dec 2014)

More on how this is getting out of control. A mere handful of patients has created the need for contact tracing and monitoring of over a thousand Americans. This has been kept out of the news until now (as Glen Reynolds, the Instapundit suggests cynically, the "Ebola Czar" is doing his real job here)

http://sharylattkisson.com/cdc-more-than-1400-people-in-u-s-being-actively-monitored-for-ebola



> *CDC: More Than 1,400 People in U.S. Being Actively Monitored for Ebola*
> 
> The killer virus Ebola may not be front and center in the news, but it’s still in the forefront of efforts by health officials nationwide. As of today, more than 1,400 people in 44 states in the U.S. are being actively monitored by state and local health departments after returning from West Africa. The good news is that no new cases have been reported in the U.S. since Oct. 23.
> 
> ...


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## Colin Parkinson (10 Dec 2014)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Interesting...maybe after all that time asking to go there with OP REPTILE, I'll get tapped.  Oh right, I'm not Reg Force anymore...



the feds are asking for volunteers


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## medicineman (11 Dec 2014)

Watch and shoot...my CoC is aware  

MM


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## a_majoor (21 Dec 2014)

And the news keeps getting worse. The amount of resources needed to keep this in check is going to be mush larger than any nation or even group of nations has available (and what are you going to do when the health workers refuse to go to work for fear of being infected?)

http://www.capitalotc.com/the-ebola-outbreak-keeps-spreading-like-wildfire-in-west-africa/26739/



> *The Ebola Outbreak Keeps Spreading Like Wildfire In West Africa*
> By Alex Hull	/ December 21, 2014 at 14:33
> 
> The Ebola outbreak keeps spreading like wildfire in West Africa, the total number of deaths reaching 7,000, according to the World Health Organization. This new peak was disclosed by the organization on Saturday, while United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was carrying out his visit through the nations affected by Ebola in the area.
> ...


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## The Bread Guy (23 Dec 2014)

Government happy to have government workers head over to help with Ebola - on their own time, of course.


> The federal government isn’t taking its share of responsibility for the injury or death of public servants who answer its recruitment call for volunteers to help fight the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, the federal unions say.
> 
> The unions representing the health-care workers and other bureaucrats who might volunteer say the government shirked its responsibilities as employer by shifting the health and safety of its employees to the Canadian Red Cross.
> 
> ...


I wonder if anyone's bonus is affected if nobody from the public service decides to go with the Red Cross?


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## CougarKing (11 Feb 2015)

The US scaling down its anti-ebola efforts...

Military.com



> *US Withdrawing Most Troops Fighting Ebola in West Africa*
> 
> Associated Press | Feb 11, 2015 | by Josh Lederman
> WASHINGTON -- The United States is preparing to withdraw nearly all of its troops fighting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the White House said Tuesday, as the global health crisis recedes amid a sharp decline in Ebola cases.
> ...


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## mariomike (8 Jun 2016)

8 June 2016

Woman With Possible Ebola = 33 LAFD Firefighters and Paramedics, Haz Mat Team, LAPD Police Officers & helicopters.
http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/06/08/news/hazmat-team-and-33-firemen-respond-to-woman-with-ebola-in-hollywood/1380.html


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## mariomike (15 Nov 2016)

On Monday, November 14, 2016, an exercise simulating the notification, management of, and transport of, a patient under investigation for Ebola virus.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMzqOKcjXOH/

SARS "working quarantine" in 2003 flashback.


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