Ebola, A Nurse’s Perspective

Posted on by dtolar Posted in HealthTagged , ,

So a few months ago the country was enthralled with the idea of a few patients, infected with the Ebola virus, coming to the United States. Up until this point, we had been safe from Ebola due to the fact that bats can’t fly over the Atlantic. Some people were completely indifferent, while others had seen Outbreak one too many times. Most were a healthy mix, somewhere in between, but what bothered me the most was both the lack of education and the poor information that was spreading more virulently than the virus could ever hope to.

First, I want to stress that I am a nurse, not a virologist, and hopefully throughout my post you will see that I am not pretending to be one. I have a Bachelor’s in Nursing and am currently a graduate student. I have worked extensively with Infectious Disease Specialists. I have been exposed to almost every infectious disease known to the modern world. I have taken courses in Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Advanced Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and an assortment of others. However, I am not and will not pretend to be an expert, just an experienced professional. When it comes to an epidemic of any sort, my first focus is on the patient, protecting and healing them, my second focus is on protecting the community. I don’t care about which strain does what, or what we can do with in lab. As a nurse, I concern myself with the current patient and future possible patients. I feel the first thing we should examine is Ebola itself. It is foreign to the US, both literally and figuratively. What it does to people and how it harmonizes with nature are both things that most westerners have little concept of. It is a virus, not a bacteria. This means that it is not its own organism. It is actually much smaller and basic than you can imagine. It is nothing more than a few pieces of DNA/RNA and some proteins. No cell wall, no cytoplasm, no metabolic functions. This is both their advantage and their downfall. Viruses require a host. For this example I will use the HIV virus. HIV gets into the human body and invades the host’s white blood cells, T4 cells to be exact but I won’t get that involved. The proteins help get the virus into the cell and those few small sequences of DNA/RNA write themselves into the host DNA/RNA. Now instead of the white blood cell attacking invaders, it is nothing more than an HIV factory. All of its metabolic functions are redirected at producing more of the virus, which pours out of the white blood cell like a sieve until eventually the host cell dies. This is why HIV infected patients have poor immune systems. The virus re-writes the DNA of the host cells. This is not something we can stop. New viruses are pouring out of the white blood cells at a rate of millions a day. We cannot filter them out. We cannot “kill” a little chunk of DNA and we don’t know enough about the human genome to correct the DNA sequences. This is why a lot of viral infections like HIV, Herpes, and Hepatitis are life long infections. HIV invades the white blood cells, Herpes invade the nerve roots, and Hepatitis invades the liver.

Now that we have a better grasp of viruses, we will focus on Ebola a bit more. In tropical Africa, Ebola naturally lives in bats. It is nice to the bats and doesn’t cause them many issues. It is rumored that there are many viruses humans carry our entire lives and have no idea because they show zero symptoms. Therefore, they have never been studied. If this sounds crazy, just remember that it was in recent years the we discovered there was a virus behind cervical cancer. A virus that men can carry and spread without ever knowing they have it. Where the problem arises is that in tropical Africa, people like to eat bats. Sometimes they get infected with Ebola and it spreads. This process is called Zoonosis and can be true of bacteria or viruses. Racoons carry Rabies, Armadillos carry Leprosy, Birds carry the Flu, Bats carry Ebola.

When I said Westerners don’t really understand Ebola, the primary aspect that I am talking about is the patient. We don’t ever see what Ebola does. Our media is too censored, we hear how many died, and see people in haz-mat suits. Speaking of suits, we’ve all seen the pictures. Rubber gloves are adequate for AIDS and hepatitis, a simple mask (N95) stops Tuberculosis, but this requires space suits, just keep that in mind when you think its no big deal. So here is what happens when you catch Ebola, I figure you’re getting bored with reading right about now, so I’ll spice it up. First the virus gets into your system, I’ll elaborate on that later. Then, it hangs out for a few days, even up to 21, growing, multiplying at a rate of millions a day, and guess what, you’re infectious. Now at this point it would pretty much require a straight blood to blood interaction so the only real threat here is for IV drug users who share needles. Just like with the flu or hand foot and mouth disease, you can be spreading it to others before you show a symptom*(apparently not many see the *, so please read the elaboration at the bottom). Remember, nurse mind set, protect the community. At first it’s not bad, little nausea, some sweating, diarrhea, much like a stomach bug. But then the virus really starts to build up in your liver and adrenal glands, after it has saturated your blood cells, the lining of your vessel, your skin, and bones. Hepatocellular necrosis occurs, which is fancy term for your liver starts to decompose.Your liver is what regulates blood clotting. This causes your blood either clot up and turn to jelly in your veins, stay liquid and bleed profusely, or a combo of both. The adrenal glands then do the same, causing your blood pressure to drop. This requires lots of IV fluids to keep your circulating volume up. At the same time inflammatory cytokines are released which causes vascular leakage. Cells don’t do a good job of holding things together so it all becomes a bloody goop. Anywhere in your body that blood vessels are shallow, like your nose, ears, gums, throat, GI tract, urethra, vagina, rectum, all start oozing fluids and bleeding because the tissues that normally keep it contained are disintegrating. So now you bleed from every orifice, including your eyeballs. Every time someone or something touches you, your tissue gets damaged which further the cycle, so a shot in the arm can turn into a massive blood blister. Those who survive are left with massive scarring. Since the adrenals cannot keep your blood pressure up, and you are losing blood and fluids, we have to put IV fluids in to keep you out of hypovolemic shock. This in turn reduces your blood concentration, lowering your oxygen carrying capacity, which causes your heart to race. So you lay in bed, oozing fluids from everywhere, all while feeling like you just ran a marathon, with bloody diarrhea, oh and did I mention pain? Lots and lots of pain, but you can’t have any pain medicine because your liver and kidneys have failed. This why it pains me when I see this outbreak ONLY has a 50% death rate, when in Africa it is up to 90%…ONLY 50%. That is literally worse than cancer, and people are blowing it off. Imagine if cancer was infectious, and you lived in a country with zero cancer, and someone thought it would be a good idea to fly a few people in. I think there would be a different attitude.

The biggest part of the discussion is how Ebola is spread. I will say two things on the topic, no, it is not airborne, and yes, basic hygiene plays a HUGE factor. But while on the topic of whether it is or is not airborne, the definition of an airborne contagion is one that can freely float in the air, survive lengths of time, and infect someone else. VERY few things fit in this category, most have been eradicated, Small Pox, Tuberculosis, Measles. Things that are also NOT airborne, are the flu and the cold. For the flu, you have to come into direct contact with the patients body fluids. How then, do you explain why people catch it and have no idea how. Well for one, people can spread it before they show symptoms, just like Ebola, and one other HUGE factor…droplets….let that word really sink in. The virus may not be airborne, but the droplets are. I’m going to digress for a second and get back to HIV and Hepatitis, while I let droplets dwell in your mind. Everyone knows that HIV and Hepatitis are spread by blood contact, and sexual fluids, I don’t mean a drop of blood on the skin, or even a mucous membrane, it has to get INSIDE of you. This is why only gloves are required. HIV and Hepatitis are not found in urine, stool (Some forms of hepatitis are, but you have to eat the stool to get infected) saliva, sweat, tears, or mucous. This is where some viruses are different. The flu gets into your mucous and other secretions, Ebola tends to stay in the blood, but remember, every one of your bodily fluids are full of blood now. So a person with the flu sneezes, and now millions of little droplets (remember those guys?) shoot out of their nose at nearly mach 1, all across the room, same for a cough, all it takes is a little microscopic droplet to land in your eye, nose, mouth, or the unlikely scenario of an open wound, and you’ve now been infected, because you came in CONTACT with their bodily fluids. I see the word contact thrown around a lot, but most people think of mass amounts of contact with blood, but what they don’t realize is that contact also includes microscopic mucous and saliva droplets, each one chock full of Ebola. Bacteria can survive for long periods of time without a host because they are their own organism. They can feed on just about anything and be happy. Viruses lifespan without a host is much shorter. Their goal is to infect, replicate, and spread, if they cant replicate, they die. Measles only lives 2 hours. But Ebola, depending on what data you look at, can survive for several days.

So with all this information, lets have some role play, so that you can see exactly what this means, to a nurse, in the real world. Imagine it as a cheesy PSA or lifetime movie. You go to see your doctor because its that time of year, you need some blood drawn and refills of your blood pressure med. You sit patiently in the waiting room, thumbing a magazine while your 2-year-old plays with her toys. Like all two year olds, she touches everything, and everything goes in her mouth, toys, pens, her own fingers. She is a 22 lb drool factory and you love her to pieces. You see the doctor, get your goodies, and go home. A week later your angel starts vomiting blood and within 3 days she dies because her heart raced so fast it finally gave up while trying to maintain a blood pressure. Her eyes are blood red and demonic, her skin falls off in sheets. What you don’t know is that 3 days before your visit, someone thought they had the flu. It is October you see and they sneezed while thumbing through that very same magazine you thumbed through. The same thumb you grabbed her pacifier out of your purse with in the waiting room. The people caring for Ebola patients wear space suits, and burn the bodies, yet it still spreads. Here in America, we have much better protocols, and much better hygiene. So if it spreads, it will be contained much better. Still, it spreads prior to symptoms and survives will outside the body, just like the flu. Despite vaccines and good hand washing, thousands still get the flu every year. But while the flu kills 1-2% of its victims, Ebola kills 50% on a good day, and spreads the same way. So please, do not write it off as hype. It is a real thing and it is here.

The case in Dallas has been confirmed. The patient had contact with five children and adolescents prior to admission. Those five kids attend four of the largest schools in Dallas. One sneeze and we could already have thousands of people, who don’t know it yet, infected.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment.

Symptoms* I have had a lot of comments in regards to this. I picked my words carefully, but I never imagined getting thousands of views an hour, or my article getting picked apart, but I will try to elaborate now. I said spread, the virus, I did not say you were contagious. What I meant by this, was the summation of two concepts. To fully explain everything I could write a book, but this is meant to be short and sweet. The first concept is that of a fomite. We have established that the virus can survive for an unspecified amount of time outside the host, and we have established that sneezing/coughing is a perfectly logical method of transmission. So if patient A is infectious/contagious, they sneeze on patient B, but then patient B goes home and picks up their sisters 1 6 month old, who rubs his face, and licks all over your shoulder, he could very well have just orally consumed large quantities of the virus, therefore become patient C. Patient B never got sick, the virus never entered their system, yet they are responsible for spreading the virus to someone else. This is why the 5 exposed kids are so important, there may only be a 2% chance or whatever that they’ll get sick, but if they went to school, and each rubbed up against  500 kids in the hallways, you now have 2500 exposed kids, 50 of which will statistically become infected, 25 of which will probably die. No I do not have a source for the 2%, that is just an EXAMPLE number used to represent the relatively low likelihood of contracting the virus if exposed, granted the R0 factor of R2 is correct. Remember, heal the patient, PROTECT the community. The second concept of this is defining “symptom”. Lets assume it means anything other than your baseline condition. That means the first signs of being contagious, are also the more mild symptoms, sneezy, achy, nausea, flu-like symptoms. So who is going to wake up, feel a little under the weather, and think, crap, I have Ebola, better get quarantined, no, THAT’S how you start fear mongering and mass panic. Again, flu season is upon us, the initial stages of Ebola are like the flu, and its human nature to be in denial, so many people, if infected, would hope its just the flu and wait it out, they are not showing symptoms indicative of Ebola, but they ARE symptomatic of something, and therefore, by the CDC definition, would be contagious. Its also normal procedure for people to be symptomatic BEFORE seeking medical care, so technically, everyone will be contagious, BEFORE knowing they have Ebola. But like I said before, I omitted this lengthy explanation because I didn’t feel it was necessary for the point of the article.

ADDENDUM: Sadly, I feel the need to point out that the title of this blog is “Ebola, A Nurse’s Perspective”, not “A Nurse’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse”, or “How to Become an Ebola Expert in 15 minutes”.  It could just as well be “Hamburgers, A Chef’s Perspective” and no one would be hounding me over grammar, a misplaced comma, or wanting citations as to why I say it should be on the grill 5 minutes per side of 7 minutes per side. The point is those things are irrelevant to the goal of the article, this is MY perspective (a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.) I don’t have to prove anything, the point of my article is to take what the uneducated (in a medical sense) journalists say, what the talking heads on TV say, and then let you know what the people say who are on the front lines. That’s like discrediting your grandads account of what happened when he stormed Normandy beach, because its not what your history teacher told you. Have I experienced Ebola first hand? Nope, have I experienced a WHOLE lot of other things that the majority of the population has not? You bet your ass I have, and I felt the need to take the time to hopefully help other people out a little. So please keep that in mind, I’m not perfect, but my experiences are my experiences, and I wanted to share them with you, to let you inside the head of a nurse for a minute.

2,089 thoughts on “Ebola, A Nurse’s Perspective”

  1. TP's avatar
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    TP says:

    I have a Question in regard to animals … I know this comes from Bats originally, but what about dogs and cats can they be carriers and transmit this to humans? I only ask because they killed the dog of the first person that had it here in Dallas and the the nurse that has it now she also has a dog. Thank you for the information you gave by the way was very informative and appreciated.

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  2. Darrin's avatar
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    Darrin says:

    I just wanted to say, good for you, honestly. I’m a nursing student, my mother is a nurse and my father is a microbiologist, I’ve quite the perspective on it myself. You hit the nail on the head and couldn’t be more correct. The media has done nothing more than intoxicate the minds of the medically illiterate and proven little to no help with the true issue behind this Ebola scare. It is a very serious matter but it should be dealt with in your exact perspective, rather than to cause mass hysteria by simple means of medically uneducated news personnel.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. lorituck1953's avatar
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    lorituck1953 says:

    I have shared your blog on facebook and twitter and I hope others are doing the same. Every infected person flying from an Ebola stricken country has potentially infected everyone on the plane. So even though the person makes it through airport security and possibly even to their home in the US before getting so sick as to seek medical help, even though they may die, it’s only the beginning . Everyone on that plane should be quarantined for up to 3 weeks before being allowed back in the main stream of society and life. Each person should be tracked down and everyone they’ve come into contact with should either be held in quarantine or put on house arrest until the incubation period passes. I know it may sound overly strict and limiting to some but better that then to have a repeat of Africa here in the US. Thank you for writing your thoughts and feelings on this subject and from your professional point of view, and for standing up and defending yourself the way you have. I have much respect for you. Keep on with honesty in sharing it is greatly appreciated.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. nursetari's avatar
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    nursetari says:

    I am an ER nurse in a level 1 trauma center, so I am on the “frontline” as it were. Time and time again people come in with vague symptoms, and only later do we find out that it’s meningitis, or TB, or many other contagious diseases that we have been unknowingly exposed to. I am completely and utterly aghast at the government’s handling of this problem and the whole nonchalant attitude that comes with it. Maybe they would feel differently if they walked in my shoes.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Becky Vandever's avatar
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    Becky Vandever says:

    THANK YOU for taking the time to write this article and translating into layman’s terms. I was reading the article for content and found it very informative form the view point of a non medical professional. I want to know the truth about the Ebola virus. I have already figured out the talking heads and the government don’t have a clue about how the virus is spreading. I haven’t looked at the grammar and I won’t because I don’t expect perfect grammar on the computer. Thanks again for your honest opinion.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. sheb's avatar
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    sheb says:

    Thank you for writing this. I am not medically educated, but I do have a great deal of common sense. I knew there was more to this than the media was reporting. Media either over exaggerates everything or is very nonchalant. This is serious and we need to know the facts. We do not need mass hysteria, but we need to know. Thank you!!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Janet Wood's avatar
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    Janet Wood says:

    I appreciate your sense of care and certainly your writing ability. Looking forward to hearing from you on any updates. Yes, you should consider writing a book. Thank you D!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Sheila higgins's avatar
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    Sheila higgins says:

    One of the best article I have ever read. Even though I am a RN, you have given me the exact amount of information that I needed. Thanks for taking the time to share.

    Liked by 2 people

  15. Linda's avatar
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    Linda says:

    Thank you for taking the time to help those of us that want the truth, nothing sugar coated, all be it, scary and frighteningly real! The more we know, the more we can do to help prevent disease from spreading, including those of us who are in no way trained in the medical field.
    I appreciate your writing this article and I am grateful my daughter, a nurse has taken the time to post this for everyone that wants to know the truth; otherwise, I may have never seen this. Thank you Kelly!
    I intend to repost this in hopes of keeping it going so everyone, nonprofessional and lays can read this and become honestly informed.
    Also, in response to a gentleman named Darrin who posted his thoughts, he said this; “The media has done nothing more than intoxicate the minds of the medically illiterate.” I couldn’t agree more. They are only educated in writing and getting to the press by deadline. Thier only interest are the facts. Media, puppets on a larger scale, telling the “news” as thier networks allow and with limited information, or sources, even holding back certain truths often causing more panic then if they had told the entire truth. They are often responsible for misguided information, which is not any good to any of us.
    So, thank you once more, for sharing your perspective. I feel now, somewhat educated on this disease and a whole lot more informed. I’m better equipped to do my part, as little as it may be, to avoid contamination and the spread of this and all other infectious and deadly strains. God speed!

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Patty Bozarth's avatar
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    Patty Bozarth says:

    I, too am a nurse and have been concerned since the first patient arrived in the United States. Being a caregiver, my first allegiance is to my patient but we must set up facilities elsewhere to treat the incoming ill. Did we learn nothing from the HIV?AIDS fiasco? That, too was hidden from the public. Oh, and if you watch Good Morning America, Dr. Richard Besser AND his crew were in the middle of the ebola epidemic and I hardly believe him when he repeatedly stated he “takes his temperature twice a day”..my ass. You can bet he took it a hundred times a day! Irresponsible journalism if you ask me. Thanks for your input and “opinion”..very worthwhile and educational.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. Tecla Schillage's avatar
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    Tecla Schillage says:

    Very informative article. Thank you so much for posting. People need to pay attention to what you are saying not spelling punctuation or cited proof.people really need to pay attention stop taking the talking heads as gospel and starting thinking for themselves.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Catherine's avatar
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    Catherine says:

    Very good post but since you are, as you repeatedly told us, a nurse…you really should know that smallpox is the ONLY disease that has ever been completely eradicated.

    Like

  19. drizzt4you's avatar
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    drizzt4you says:

    Thank you for writing this article. It is VERY informative and gives the ley person a lot of very insightful information about this disease. I think that every single U.S. citizen should read this and become educated on this topic. You opened my eyes on a lot of rumors about this disease and I thank you for that. Please don’t let the negative remarks about this article bother you. You have done the people who read this site’s information a Great service.
    Thank You Again.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Shay's avatar
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    Shay says:

    Thanks for sharing! Loved the perspective of a nurse… I feel like as a nurse our opinions are not validates enough when it comes to these matters. Also LOVED your addendum… You rock nursey friend!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Marcia moss's avatar
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    Marcia moss says:

    You have said it all and just today I was thinking that it might be prudent to try and avoid contact with people which is nearly impossible, so masks and lots of hand sanitizer with extensive clothes laundering. Who really knows what a layman can do other than what I’ve mentioned. Thank you for the info. Time to remain calm and cautious

    Liked by 1 person

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  25. RN Jedi's avatar
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    RN Jedi says:

    I’ve been saying this all along. Here we go, seems the media and the CDC have down played this whole ordeal, when back with the initial outbreaks of hemorrhagic fevers and viruses they have said this exact same thing, but they seem to want to retract what they’ve said in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s regarding this virus or at least what I was taught in Microbiology, Epidemiology, A&P, and an independent study in Infectious Diseases in college. This concerns me because the media is not fully telling the truth. Your faith in our health care system is greater than mine only because I have seen the short-cuts nurses and other health care workers take in facilities and homes.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Rick S.'s avatar
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    Rick S. says:

    another small reminder, I am a licensed paramedic for over 35 years, we too are at the front line. we are constantly transporting patients to the ER for evaluation for flu like symptoms or other complaints that may mimic flu like symptoms, so for my first responders out there, beware and take as many precautions to limit your exposure, do not assume and God Bless You for Your continuous service, you are truly silent heroes to me and the community.

    Liked by 2 people

  28. cecimom's avatar
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    cecimom says:

    Thank you for taking the time to stick your neck out and write about Ebola. As an RN I worked in an environment where I was exposed to HIV Hep B Hep C CMV and a host of other nasty viruses. I had gown gloves face mask shoe booties etc. Even with all of this it scared the begeezus out of me everytime I took care of a patient with these diagnoses. I was a dialysis nurse and I know I don’t need to explain to you the amount of blood exposure there is in this field. Moreover the dangers involved in aerosolation of blood during the moment a shunt starts to erupt like a volcano and you have to jump into the “firing range” to apply pressure. Dodging droplets would be like dodging a bullet from a fully armed battalion of soldiers aiming at you using fully loaded machine guns. Ebola needs to be honestly protrayed by the CDC regarding droplet transmission. You cannot parade Ebola workers in space suits and then say, “you cannot get it through the air”. PLEASE KEEP UPDATING. Once again thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. the Wicked Bitch's avatar
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    the Wicked Bitch says:

    i am concerned since i saw that the guy in dallas received dialysis. i KNOW the expensive machine that was used to take his blood out of his body and run it on a little joy ride and put it back in was not replaced. i am terrified they have used that machine and infected other dialysis patients and like someone else said, that is also a very bloody procedure every single time you go down to get hooked up. its a blood procedure. do they know enough about this disease to be positive it was cleaned from instrumentation used on the infected person?

    Like

  35. EvaMarie's avatar
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    EvaMarie says:

    I am a senior in college majoring in biology with a concentration in health. I had a question refering to the the transmission of the virus. I understand how it can be transmitted by fromites or by droplets, however in your example you stated the course os spread as a carrier (mom). If ebola likes warm temperatures such as body temperature, or warmer like in Africa isn’t possible to stop the virus at the point source by various mechanisms that are known to remove bacteria or viruses? This would be in a case where there is no broken physical barrier.

    Like

  38. EvaMarie's avatar
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    EvaMarie says:

    I know I misspelled some words so I apologize. Also THANK YOU, I had a friend share this, and nothing is more annoying to me then reading idiotic statements about this.

    Liked by 1 person

  39. Lucas Rigo, LMT's avatar
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    Lucas Rigo, LMT says:

    Thank you for a very informative post and informing a licensed massage therapist on what goes on with Ebola.

    Hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!

    Like

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  41. gena's avatar
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    gena says:

    MAN! All I have to say to you is:
    ROCK THE FUCK ON, GIRL.
    I HAVE NO DOUBT saying NURSE-to-NURSE:
    YOU are just BAD-ASS.

    ….like a boss 😉

    Like

  42. mc's avatar
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    mc says:

    You neglected to address the fact that all diseases reach threshold – and how threshold is related to Ebola. Every ID professional worth a grain of salt also understands this – you are propagating fear without actually discussing the basic fundamentals of disease process – shame on you.

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    1. dtolar's avatar
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      dtolar says:

      The difference between you and, is that when I see a poorly educated topic, I try to educate rather than bash the other people trying…with your comment, what have you contributed? I gave you the opportunity to have your comment seen by thousands, and you used that opportunity to cut down someone trying to help.

      Like

  45. Shelly's avatar
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    Shelly says:

    As supporting evidence to your written opinion, I think a video of the human bodily effects of Ebola Zaire needs to be viewed by every American. It is not a picnic! It IS worse than cancer and, on top of that, highly contagious. IF every American truly knew what this virus did to the human body, I can guarantee every American would demand that all flights from W. Africa be halted before entering the U.S.!! British Airways and Air France have halted their flights. Let the CDC develop either the antiviral ZMapp or a new Ebola Vaccine in mass quantities, ship it to Africa, stop the outbreak and THEN consider travelers from the affected W. African regions entering our country. Ebloa is very serious business and especially serious business for the health care workers in our country!

    Liked by 1 person

  47. dmariecrossley's avatar
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    dmariecrossley says:

    I am a nurse with 32 years of experience. I would like to make a few common sense observations…..first, the outbreak in Africa has been going on since March 2014 with 8914 confirmed cases (including the fatalities). So in 6 months, in the poorest, most medical underserved areas a disease that shows infection within 2-21 days with the average being 8 days to becoming symptomatic, it has taken 6 months to infect 9,000 people. Common sense says that if it was truly that infectious far more people would have become infected. Is it infectious, absolutely, but I do believe that people are not as infectious prior to becoming symptomatic. The nurse admitted to the Dallas hospital was symptomatic with a fever but had a very low ebola virus count in her first blood sample drawn. Secondly, none of the people who were in close contact with the patient from Africa who died, have become symptomatic. None of the hospital staff who took care of him on his first visit to the ER or the staff in the ambulance who took care of him when he was actually admitted have started showing symptoms to date either.
    Second, no one OUTSIDE of the United States who has developed ebola has ever received care to the level where they were placed on a ventilator and/or dialysis. The patient from Africa who was taken care of in Dallas, was placed on both a ventilator and dialysis. He also had 50+ healthcare workers involved in his care. As he got sicker and sicker he was shedding more and more virus, therefore was exponentially more infectious to the staff taking care of him.
    Third, when healthcare workers are taking care of patients with Ebola in foreign countries, the first priority is protecting the community, then taking care of the patients who are ill.
    Last….and this is a guess…I am guessing that medical people over seas are using reusable supplies. Heavy gloves that are decontaminated and reused. They do not have the resources to have disposable supplies. All of these things need to be taken into consideration.
    I absolutely agree that anyone flying into the US from the countries with Ebola should be in a mandatory 21 day quarantine.
    Just my observations.

    Like

  48. Aunt Kiki's avatar
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    Aunt Kiki says:

    Thank you very much for the info…even as a little medical assistant, I didn’t understand like I do now!
    Oh, and one more thing…tell MC and these other opinionated jackass’ to screw off, they are the ones that should be ashamed! Simply for being an ass with a big mouth!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. mc's avatar
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      mc says:

      oh I am sorry you feel the way that you do – but you really need to understand the hype – for example look at the SARS scare – the entire Asian world was wearing masks – yet not one case in the US – the flu, drunk drivers and heart disease kill more people daily than a disease that is in another country another continent with poorly regulated sanitation and medical care – wake up –

      Liked by 1 person

    2. mc's avatar
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      mc says:

      Oh and by the way maybe you should take your little uneducated medical assistant knowledge back to school and do some research before you call educated professionals opinionated

      Like

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