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Ebola: outbreak, Canadian/other response (merged)

Armymedic

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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.
 
It's already gutting a very fragile medical system there, so even if this one gets contained, the next one won't.
 
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).
 
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.
 
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".....
 
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.
 
I think that it is nearly a certainty that there will be cases in North America and Europe, probably before the end of October.


 
Just a thought, is there not some way we could introduce this virus to ISIS?
 
I am a firm believer that a Fire Mission Division with 10 rounds Fire for Effect repeated as necessary can cure most evils.
 
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.

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Patient at the Ottawa Hospital being tested for Ebola

CTV Ottawa
Published Monday, October 13, 2014 12:35PM EDT
Last Updated Monday, October 13, 2014 12:47PM EDT

A patient with Ebola-like symptoms at the Ottawa Hospital’s General Campus is being tested for Ebola.

Ottawa Public Health says the patient, whose age and gender is not being revealed, recently visited a West African country affected by Ebola.

The patient arrived at the hospital on Sunday, and has been placed in isolation until the source of his illness is clear.

Public Health says the patient is “doing well.” Specimens from the patient are being sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg for testing. Results are expected later on Monday.

“All necessary precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of other patients, visitors and hospital staff,” Dr. Jonathan Angel, Infectious Disease Specialist at The Ottawa Hospital, said in a press release.

“Strict infection prevention and control measures in Ontario hospitals means the risk of Ebola to other patients and health care workers is minimal.”

Ebola can only be spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.

“It is not an airborne infection and cannot be spread through casual contact,” said Dr. Isra Levy, Medical Officer of Health.

To date, there have not been any documented cases of Ebola in Canada.

Public Health says the patient is being monitored and is in isolation as a precaution, and will be kept in isolation until test results are back.

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

Health officials in Ontario were awaiting test results Monday for two patients showing Ebola-like symptoms — one in Ottawa and another in Belleville.

While health officials downplayed any risk to the public, both patients remained in isolation as a precautionary measure.

National public health officials said Monday they are also aware of a case of a patient in isolation in an Edmonton hospital with Ebola-like symptoms.

The Ottawa patient — whose sex and age are being withheld by the hospital due to privacy considerations — was in isolation at The Ottawa Hospital’s General campus. Blood samples have been sent to National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg for testing. Results are expected later Monday.

The patient was put into isolation immediately upon arrival Sunday at the hospital, a spokeswoman for the facility said.

The patient would have had to show some signs of the disease — such as a cough or fever — and passed what the hospital calls a geography test showing they travelled through the regions in West Africa that have been affected by the Ebola outbreak. The patient was doing well and was under observation, the hospital said, adding there were no concerns for anyone visiting to the hospital Monday.

“All necessary precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of other patients, visitors and hospital staff,” Dr. Jonathan Angel, an infectious disease specialist at the hospital, said in a statement. “Strict infection prevention and control measures in Ontario hospitals means the risk of Ebola to other patients and health care workers is minimal.”

In Belleville, Ont., a man was in isolation at Belleville General Hospital after showing symptoms of the disease. The man had just returned from Africa, having a brief stopover in Sierra Leone where he didn’t leave the airport, and walked into the hospital’s emergency room early Monday morning.

Within four minutes of entering the hospital, the man was in isolation. Blood samples were sent to Winnipeg for testing, just as in the case in Ottawa, with results expected Tuesday or Wednesday.

Until the results are in, the man will stay in isolation.

Public health officials in that region said it was unlikely that the patient will test positive for Ebola and the risk to anyone else was “non-existent.”

“Given his symptoms and that he was not exposed to any ill people during a very short stopover in West Africa, it is extremely unlikely that he would test positive for Ebola. We expect he has any number of diseases common when people travel,” Dr. Dick Zoutman, chief of staff at Quinte Health Care and a noted infection control expert, said in a statement.

In August, a three-year-old girl in Gatineau tested negative for Ebola after showing symptoms upon returning from a visit to Sierra Leone.

More on LINK.

Even if these two are cleared of having Ebola, the threat still remains.
 
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.
 
I'm more worried about the 80 little johnny jhaids that have apparently come back to Canada than I am about ebola.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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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