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.
dtolar 
From a retired Peds nurse, I thought this was a super article to help us all understand Ebola. Thanks for taking the time to share this info!
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I am also a nurse. Great article. U owe Jeff or no one your personal info. No one is forcing another to read this. Freedom of speech/press still exists in the USA. Those that want to nit pick should go suck a pickle & keep their negative opinions about this piece to themselves. At least u took your personal time to share this with others. God bless you.
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And I have spent TONS of time managing it and responding to comments. I probably spend 4-5 hours a day reading comments, checking up on where its being shared and participating in those discussions, reading articles people send me, etc. Aside from being a full time nurse and full time student
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I am very disappointed that a member of the health community would present this information in such an irresponsible way. If you have not done so, you should identify your real name and where you work.
You have presented a mixture of factual information with unreferenced statements and exaggerated scenarios. You can defend your work as just a blog post, just your perspective, not intended for peer review, and so on. The reality is you have no direct experience with Ebola, nor are you an epidemiologist or virologist (as you point out). Nevertheless, conservative websites are picking this up and spreading it around as a political tool. Some people will think that because you are a nurse, you might actually know something about Ebola research. They may infer that you speak for the medical community at large. Unfortunately, instead of being part of the solution you have become part of the problem, hindering efforts to quell misinformation about this disease. You are spreading the very same misinformation that you espouse to combat in your opening paragraph. This is a tremendous disservice to those who actually study the virus, are working so hard to contain this disease, and trying to disseminate accurate information.
I think what I find most negligent about your post is that there is no discussion of relative risk or the reproductive number (R0) for Ebola. In reality, how likely am I to get Ebola? Are there more realistic threats to worry about? Well, consider that on average, the flu kills about 36,000 people a year in the US (yes many elderly and immunocompromised), and HIV killed over 1.6 Million worldwide in 2012 alone. Still, we don’t require an HIV test to travel, nor do we ban people with runny noses from getting on a plane. Now, Ebola has a low reproductive number (typically around 1.5-2), and this is where your kids in school scenario completely diverges from reality. You see, from empirical evidence we know that one person with Ebola may, at best, infect two or three other people. It has a low R0, and this is even when the disease is present in an area that is conducive to its spread: a third world country. We, and our first world counterparts, do not live in an environment that is conducive to the spread of Ebola.
If we did, it would have come to America decades ago. People need to understand this.
Your scenario of 5 exposed kids with a 2% chance that they’ll get sick going to school (where did you get this number for Ebola?), rubbing up against 500 kids, exposing 2500, 50 infected, and 25 dead, is a complete fantasy. It takes the known infection rate for Ebola and completely stands it on its head! You just made the R0 for Ebola = 50, which is 2.5 times higher than measles, one of the most contagious diseases on the planet. To make such a misleading analogy is wholly irresponsible and frightening for most. The reality is vastly different – It’s telling that a person flew from Libera to Nigeria who was symptomatic at the time, and nobody on the flight with him contracted the disease.
If Ebola was airborne and had a high “R0” then we would likely see a very different response from the WHO and CDC. Most likely there would be very strict quarantines, and I think it is highly unlikely that anyone would be allowed out the affected country. I think one could argue that the response would be downright Draconian. Thankfully, Ebola is difficult to contract; however, many people don’t realize this. They hear “Ebola” and immediately think of movies like “Contagion” or “Outbreak.”
Well… those are just movies.
The etiology of Ebola is quite well understood, and from an infectious diseases perspective we know that it is not transmitted in the manner that is consistent with known “airborne” diseases. In your post, you accurately point out that it is not airborne, but then you systematically undermine that fact though conjecture and exaggeration. You completely fail to mention that there is still no evidence that Ebola is spread between people through the air. The closest to demonstrating airborne transmission was from pigs to macaques under ideal laboratory settings (Weingartl et al. Sci.Rep. 2012). This did not represent real-world conditions. Furthermore, coughing and sneezing are not something that is common to Ebola patients (CDC). I agree (going to your point on fomites) that if someone with ACTIVE Ebola were to sneeze directly in a person’s face and get droplets in their eyes, nose or mouth, that person might become infected. Also, what is your reference for a sneeze traveling Mach 1? That is about a 6 fold exaggeration over the reality, which is a trend you seem to repeat throughout your post.
Are there reasons to be cautions when dealing with a disease like Ebola? Of course! Can it persist outside the host for extended periods? Probably not. When considering survival of the virus outside the host, there is a difference between what happens in a laboratory versus the outside world. Under controlled conditions, in a laboratory and often under refrigeration, investigators have observed the virus surviving for many days or even weeks outside the host. (Piercy et al., J Appl Microbiol 2010). However, DNA is a labile molecule, and is susceptible to damage by heat, light, or chemical oxidants. It is highly unlikely that bare virus would survive more than a few minutes outside the host, and perhaps no more than few hours under ideal real-world conditions.
You have voiced your surprise at how many people have read your post, and I shudder to think of how many people have been needlessly frightened by what you wrote. I can only hope that some percentage of them see my reply, and choose to read about actual risk they have of contracting Ebola, instead of the highly contrived scenarios you provided.
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In regards to the analogy about the kids rubbing up against other kids, that was in regards to fomites, as I stated, which have nothing to do with R0, as that has nothing to do with contagiousness. But as you stated, it has never been here before, but now it is, so we have 300 million plus Americans who were at zero risk for Ebola, and they are now at risk, it is super tiny, bit it went from impossible, to possible. During prior outbreaks, which were MUCH smaller and much more isolated, international travel was restricted, which protected us, no such restrictions are in place this time. Just today during a white house press conference, a hot mic picked up “were so screwed” in regards to Ebola, this coming from the same people who are telling us its no big deal.
All I gave was a scenario in which contact with body fluids can unintentionally occur, its not meant to fear monger or fantasize. People seem to think that “contact with body fluids” means bathing in their blood, but it can be much smaller. Various studies have shown huge discrepancies in time the virus lives outside of the body so nothing I’ve seen is truly credible. So as I see it, better safe than sorry. One study thats been heavily passed around was done in a clinic and on surfaces contaminated with bleach, which would obviously skew the data to reflect a shorter time frame. I have not seen this particular one, but I’ve heard it referenced a lot. I have not forced anyone to read this, and I have tried very hard to answer every question and explore every opportunity. Back to the R0, yes its not highly virulent, but go tell that to the 4000 dead people in Africa. Chlamydia is something like R0.77, but I surely would not climb in bed with someone who has it.
You mentioned HIV and the Flu. But one big difference is that we have vaccines for the flu, and the death rate is much lower. If Ebola had the same infection rate as the flu, the casualties would be catastrophic. HIV may be more infective, but it pretty much requires sharing needles, or sex. I’ve cared for many HIV patients, handled wounds, blood, everything, same for Hepatitis. But I’m not infected. We have American doctors wearing multiple layers of PPE, basically hermetically sealed, and they’re getting sick. How would you explain that?
The sneezing is a hyperbole, a quite obvious one at that, its meant for comedic undertone to keep this article less than boring. I’m currently writing a 12 page academic paper over change theory in regards to the required shifts in healthcare under the Affordable Care Act. I’ll leave the droning for that.
I wrote this to appeal to the average American as an enjoyable read that they could relate to and understand. The speed of a sneeze or the exact size of the snot droplet are irrelevant to the article. For someone who is highly educated of course it seems juvenile, that’s the way I wrote it. And as far as climate goes, where I live, is very similar to tropical Africa. Lots of bats, and I mean that in a habitat sense, not natural host sense. We have lots of trees, swampy areas, heat, humidity, low wind. Lots of things to act as Vectors. Do I think there’s going to be a huge epidemic? Not at all. But I feel that the info being shoved at people on CNN and Fox is WAY far from the truth. I’m just trying to break down the vague wording the bigger agencies are using.
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This woman did a fantastic job explaining it, especially to the general population. I, myself, am in healthcare and have a more extensive knowledge base than the general population, who does not have any experience with medical terminology or overall medical knowledge. She explained it in a way that everyone could understand. If you have such qualms with what she has stated, then why don’t you find yourself one of the Ebola patients, and stand your snotty attitude self next to them – unprotected with just the usual contact precautions. If it isn’t so dangerous, than why are so many dying? Even with proper hand washing and such – these people have symptoms of the flu which is runny, snotty noses, throwing up, among other bodily fluids being expelled from the body – thus making it airborne. Between the government and people like you, downplaying something so dangerous without a cure. Our country is screwed!! Last time I checked I didn’t need to wear a hazmat suit during flu season because of the dangers it posed to my family and community. And if you feel so strongly about comparing the 2 – I’m most certain I will not hemorrhage uncontrollable until my last dying breath (or lack there of!!) I don’t know what scares me more…. the government and lack of protecting the people of this country, people like you who act as though the flu and Ebola are 1 in the same, ISIS terrorists or maybe I feel anxiety entirely when I put all 3 items together. Hey – are you working at the White House and recruiting for your terrorist attack that you are going to do against America all while trying to downplay the pandemic that is going to happen in this country if they don’t close off the damn borders!!
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I’m a male nurse 🙂
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You know good and well this blog would be MUCH more colorful with a female nurse
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Sorry about that!! Heck I like the blog even better knowing it came from a male’s perspective!! You did an awesome job!!
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Thank you 🙂
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I under stand your thoughts on the Ro and viral transmission. It isn’t the Ro it’s the mortality rate! Mortality rate is my great concern. It’s not a matter of how hard it is to catch the virus that matters so much as the percentages of cases that ultimately die. 50% international death rate is at the minimal end of the figures I have seen. I’m going to be a hell of a lot more worried about acquiring Ebola than a cold or the flu. I will happily take my chances around a snotty nosed kid with the flu than the same snotty nosed kid with Ebola at any stage. So what if the snotty nosed kid only infects 4 and not 10 or 25 of the 250 kids they come into contact at school? 2 of these kids are dead. Will parents send very sick kids to school? Will sick people go to work? Yes and they do so everyday. Ebola entry into the U.S. is a very serious matter.
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Thomas – nobody is saying Ebola is not a serious disease, but any discussion of infectious disease must include consideration of R0. It is not just about mortality rate. Let me ask you this – are you afraid of dying from Rabies? Rabies is effectively fatal in 100% of the cases (only a few people have ever survived using extraordinary measures). So why aren’t we screening people for rabies before they board planes? Well, the R0 for Rabies in America is also effectively zero (at least for humans), which means that the infection will die out rather than be able to sustain itself. Infection requires contact with infected bodily fluids (sound familiar?).
Now, we know that the R0 for Ebola is around 1.5 – 2 in countries where the healthcare systems are poorly developed, cultural practices and education are conducive to the spread of the disease. If you take Ebola out of that environment, the effective R0 becomes close to zero, which means the outbreak will die out. As for mortality rate, yes it is around 50% in those same countries with those same poorly developed health care systems, but in a country where the heath system is robust and can provide exceptional supportive care, the mortality rate is likely much lower (there just have not been enough cases cared for in the US to know what the actual number will be).
One other thing. Your statement that “I will happily take my chances around a snotty nosed kid with the flu…” is typical of many people. They do not think in terms of relative risk, or risk to populations, but only of risk to themselves. Well, I can tell you that I am healthy enough and young enough, that I have only minor concern about catching the flu this year. I also have zero concern about contracting Ebola. However, if I were older, or very young, or had a weakened immune system, I would be far more concerned about catching the flu. So far we have seen one person die from Ebola in the US, but again, we can expect about 36,000 people to die from flu. By the number then, what are the statistical realities, what is really killing people here? As I mentioned above, if the conditions in first world countries were conducive to the spread of Ebola, and if Ebola were able to be transmitted symptomatically, we would have seen enormous outbreaks in our major populations centers decades ago; that has not happened!
If you want an outbreak to be concerned about from a public health perspective, sound the alarm about measles, and encourage people not to listed to the armchair quarterbacks of the anti-vaccine world (like Jenny McCarthy). This is a serious disease, some may get pneumonia, some may suffer brain damage, and some may die.
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Thanks for the educated and intelligent reply JEFF 🙂
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You are very welcome. I realize it is not what many people want to hear, but I hope that facts can combat fear.
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Correction – I meant to say RNA in my earlier post.
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It gives folks something new to be scared of……and can forget about the things they SHOULD be afraid of still. Personally, I am more afraid of AIDS as it is still being spread at an alarming rate even though we know how to prevent it, the anti-vaccination folks who are unleashing some oldies but goodies on society which had long been eradicated like Measles/Mumps/Rubella.
I am more afraid of the flu which has already claimed at least one life in SC (that has been reported anyway)
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/health/2014/10/07/first-flu-death-season-south-carolina-reported/16879679/
While being cautious of this is smart, there are many, many more things that you should be much more afraid of.
Erika RN, BSN (since titles seem to matter here)
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I hope you don’t mind, but I am quoting your comment in my blog. Here is the link. http://chartingerror.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/an-open-letter-to-those-who-read-ebola-a-nurses-perspective/
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Thanks – I hope it helps provide a factual basis for further discussion.
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Well, I am an ordinary common person with no medical experience and I don’t see much difference between the two posts. You, also did not give any citations for your information. I do understand that she was trying to talk on MY level. As an ordinary common citizen, I feel it is totally irresponsible to allow people to travel from any country that has a major outbreak of any major disease to another country. Containment makes sense to me, a common citizen with no medical education. And yes, while I understand the chance is slim, that is only relevant if YOU are not the one who catches it. I have heard both sides of the argument presented by top notch Medical Doctors, so I will be more cautious about hygiene, especially since I live only 3 hours from Dallas.
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Im in Austin TX and an ER nurse as well as working hospice in the community. Im more afraid of the flu season coming and the kids who’s parents are not getting them vaccinated against other diseases.
Have you had your flu shot Judy? One man dead in Greenville SC already, and the season has just begun…….
Then there’s this…….
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/11/07/alarming-trend-more-people-coming-down-with-deadly-diseases-like-measles-and-mumps/
Just sayin.
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My concern is that we know the flu, we know it well, even enough to predict which strains will be most active the next year, and make vaccines. I was reading last night about how the guy who first discovered Ebola is totally baffled at this outbreak, they can’t track it or predict it. We have flu shots and people know to wash their hands, cover coughs, etc….now whether they do it or not is a different story. Being a new virus I’m concerned that the public will right it off like we did SARS, but won’t get so lucky on the outcome. Don’t even get me started on the anti-vaccine crowd….Penn and Teller said it vest in their YouTube clip.
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The who discovered Ebola is baffled how spread like it did? I doubt that. Consider poorly educated people with legacy technology who could not afford it if they had more modern medical tech. Then throw in a religious belief that makes them leery of new medicine and cling tighter to perverse ways such as having sex with a virgin (usually means raping children, boys and girls) to rid their bodies of
HIV/AIDS. NOW Google until you find actual video proof (I have seen it and its disgusting) where they teach children who are barely old enough to walk how to have sex in many different ways. *What I saw was dancing NOT actual sex. Before anyone accuses. So there is no chance of it NOT spreading like wild fire. Their world is engineered to fail.
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I mean the american researchers who are/were there. Look up Karl Johnson. The CDC is there, WHO is there, Mercy ships is there, amongst other private groups. The two doctors brought back to Atlanta were Americans. This is being fought in Africa by first world country doctors and researchers with every bit of equipment they can get their hands on.
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Delina You may be satisfied with watching a train wreck of people panicking over something they shouldn’t YET panic over. Maybe that is fun for you. Maybe resting on the work and say-so of other people instead of getting information from top medical officials is all the effort you are willing to exert for your family, your own knowledge and peace of mind and for your neighbors and their kids.
No one is asking Dustin to explain themselves for what they have already written but lets move on from that. This is not a static situation. It is ever changing and so should the conversation. Is that too much hyperbole for you? Sorry it is just the way I talk.
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Judy, I invite you to explore the links that I have at the bottom of the post. While you are correct that I did not use APA format to cite specific journal articles or websites within my blog, I intentionally posted those informational links so that the information I wrote could be verified. My hope is that people who don’t know much about bloodborne pathogens, or individuals who would like more information specific to Ebola would use those links to verify what I said, and to learn more about those topics rather than just taking my word for it. Cheers.
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someone likes to hear the sound of their own voice. I used to teach my kindergarteners the same principle in spreading virus and washing hands. The nurse is right!
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Jeff, couldn’t agree more with your post. I have yet to see one doctor comment and say “Spot on. Thanks for educating the public.” So irresponsible. I hope someone at Dustin’s school sees this, and talks to him about ethics and the responsibility that comes with being a member of the healthcare community.
Dustin, are you at The University of Texas at Tyler for graduate nursing?
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Reading through your comments Jeff I’m glad to see someone trying to inject accurate information into the discussion. As I replied to someone else earlier, writing for the Average Joe is no excuse for being inaccurate, it just means you have to lay off the techno-speak. 🙂 I do hope that some of the anti-vaccine crowd take note of both your and Dustin’s sensible points about vaccination.
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Hi Dustin, I hope you read and respond to my comment as I have been really concerned about how this infection is spread and I’m confused about a couple points you made on this. I have heard and read about the virus being spread by blood and you also stated that it stays mostly in the blood but that other fluids become contaminated because of the string of events that happen once the infection really takes hold. This makes sense, sounds reasonable. My confusion comes after reading your example of picking up the virus from a droplet in a magazine from a patient who first believed their symptoms to be the flu. Wouldn’t they not actually have virus in their mucous yet as the liver and vessels etc have not been extensively damaged in the early stages? I don’t ask to be critical of your post but from genuine interest. I think understanding how it spreads is crucial to containment. I too am in healthcare (lab) and although I don’t normally panic about epidemics I am truly afraid of what might come with this one.
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Thank you for your explanation. If I wasn’t frightened before- I am scared out of my mind now. We can’t go and mingle in crowds, movie theaters, concerts- if we are to think, someone might have come in contact with someone who maybe has the infection. This could shut down our world, the economy and kill millions of people.
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But for right now, as far as we know its contained. Until uncontrolled outbreaks start occurring there’s no need to panic
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Ignore Jeff and any one else who is discounting your information. Any one with a brain can understand this is not reference material but based on your knowledge and experience, which is a hell of s lot MORE than I could ever know. Thank you for writing this. And let the haters squirm. I for one appreciate your honesty and real approach rather than the BS we get from the media.
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Thank you, that was my point
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I am not an expert on Ebola but take exception to you classifying tuberculosis as eradicated…fyi…tuberculosis is the 1st or 2nd leading infectious cause of death worldwide each year and many of the patients who die from AIDS are coinfected with tuberculosis but still classified as AIDS deaths…I appreciate the information about Ebola and believe that most of your comments are valid…but don’t write off TB as eradicated and it will continue to be a problem as now we have drug resistant and extra drug resistant TB both with higher mortality rates that “regular” TB.
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Not to sound like an ass, but I feel like I’m beating a dead horse….did anything you just type contribute to the purpose of the article? The point being made about TB is that in America, from a nurses point of view, its not a rampant contagion. 100 years ago we had entire hospital devoted to TB that cared for hundreds of patients at a time. Now a nurse, like myself, might see it once a year. And my hospital serves over a million people. Were close to the Mexican border so we have seen the increase of immigrants bring over diseases and increasing the numbers drastically, especially TB. But we are FAR from the days of the TB wards.
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Thank you for the earlier response.
I specifically referenced the problems in the Piercy paper, and if you are going to cite findings from the paper, you should actually read it. As for the R0, Ebola is not highly virulent, much like HIV, and yes close to 4000 people have died from Ebola, and millions have died from AIDS. But what separates these from highly communicable diseases, is that the conditions in which HIV or Ebola can be spread are far more easily controlled. Also, Ebola evolved to make the host violently ill, to flood cells with viral glycoprotein to disrupt cellular membranes and cause the characteristic hemorrhaging. However, if people have protected sex, the risk of contracting HIV is greatly reduced. If people don’t come into contact with an Ebola patient, or their body fluids, their risk is essentially zero. In both cases the Ro is essentially zero. This is something I think is important for you and others reading to understand. Now of course we have vaccines for some flu, and yes the mortality rate is much lower, but the statistical reality is that we are much more likely to die from flu than from Ebola. Besides, not every person gets vaccinated, and the vaccine does not cover every strain of flu. Which strains are in the mix are based on probability, so the risk is always there.
An accurate perspective on risk is important when discussing issues of health, and that is where hyperbole becomes an issue.
Your penchant for hyperbole is fine if you are writing fiction, but you tend to play it fast and loose with the facts. “I can’t find my source” is not what professionals want to see when someone is supposedly writing from a position of authority. And yes, you can play the “aw shucks, I just want to let y’all know what a nurse thinks, even though I’m not an expert”, but you also go to great length to explain to readers why your expertise (e.g. boots on the ground perspective) should count as the same as those who actually are in the trenches. The problem, you don’t have any skin in the game. You are not an MD who is treating patients in West Africa, you are not an aid worker there. You are not the WHO or the CDC, who are fighting the constant barrage of criticism and doing everything in their power to end this outbreak. If it is your opinion that there will not be a huge epidemic, or even a small one, that needs to be stated crystal clear at the very beginning.
If you want to provide useful information to people, one aspect that needs to be addressed is why we are in Africa, and why travel is not being shut down. Our response to an outbreak needs to be appropriate to the level of the threat. If we can take significant steps to stop the spread of Ebola in Africa, while understanding that we will incur a minimal risk at home, then it is in our best interest to take those steps now. Closing off all travel to and from Africa will only make it that much more difficult for aid workers to combat this disease. Withdrawing and allowing Ebola to continue its exponential trajectory in Africa puts us a far greater risk than actively combatting this disease.
So, what is one reason it is in our best interest to stop outbreaks like this as quickly as possible? Well, aside from the obvious: the larger the outbreak the great the risk of it being spread, there is this to consider as well. Viral genomes undergo random mutations (known as antigenic drift), which is one reason why they are so successful. The larger the population of people infected with the virus and the longer those people are infected, the better the chance that one of these random mutations might result in an easily transmissible variant that actually could cause a pandemic. Fortunately, this is unlikely, but if it did happen, it would be like a wildfire suddenly becoming resistant to water because we failed to put it out when we had the chance. With this current outbreak, the major disease agencies clearly feel the benefit of us helping far outweighs the human costs and risks of doing nothing. In addition to the appalling loss of lives, there would also be very real global economic consequences of letting Africa collapse as well.
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You’re still missing my point. And the reason for this is that you’re educated on the subject. You learned nothing from my article, and you shouldn’t have because you are very educated on the subject. Probably far more than myself. But here is the point I’m trying to make….AIDS has a lot of deaths, so do a lot of other diseases. But until yesterday, since the begining of time, the death toll in the United States, related to Ebola, was 0. No one ever had to worry about it, but now its happened, its here, and people are scared because they no nothing about it…my information is on the conservative side, if Ebola lives for 1 hour outside the host, and people thinks its 4 days, well all that means is they will be THAT much more careful. If the droplets can travel 3 ft, and I said 10, which I didn’t that just means those scarce events of a 4 ft droplet will prevent at least 1 infection. If the public doesn’t give a damn about Ebola, thinking oh well just don’t eat monkeys or hug dead people, well then precautions will be ignored, a concerned population will be much more proactive towards containment. If people.had been this concerned about AIDs 100 years ago, so you think it’d be were it is today? No. Since 1981 there have been 25 million AIDS deaths….because it wasn’t controlled, and was loose in an uneducated population…don’t you think it be better to be a bit more cautious and conservative so our grandkids won’t be looking back at millions of Ebola deaths?
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Dustin, I understood your point from the very first read. Your article was well written, interesting, and presented in a very common sense style. That makes for great reading, but what is missing is the long view, and an assessment of what the actual risks are. Again, simplistic scenarios are visceral and easy to understand, but often do not represent the realty. I am a pragmatist, and I look not just for common knowledge, but for the uncommon knowledge that actually informs us about the reality of a threat. Please understand, we are in complete agreement when it comes to being cautious, but that does not extend to overreacting. Some people think that being cautious means we close our borders, that we quarantine everyone, that we restrict travel. The problem is that this will hamper our aid efforts in West Africa, and being “cautious” will have put us all a greater risk. This is the paradox that people fail to understand. If we do not stop this Virus in Africa, then all of us will be at greater risk. Infectious disease experts have been very clear on this point. However, when people read scenarios about fomites, and 50 school children becoming sick and 25 dying, you have effectively taken rational thought out of the equation. The subtleties are lost and you end up with comments like that of Douglas Ledet. He truly does not get it.
You have mentioned HIV several times as a comparison to Ebola, but that is in no way an apples to apples comparison, and as a nurse you should know exactly why. HIV is an insidious virus that can lie dormant in a host for months or even years before AIDS develops. During this time, HIV can be transmitted sexually, or through exposure to infected bodily fluids. Do you remember the panic that swept this country when this virus started to spread? Now, if HIV were like Ebola and a person was not contagious until becoming symptomatic (yes I understood your comments about possible asymptomatic transmission, but that does not represent the reality), how well do you really think HIV would be able to spread? Each virus must be considered for its specific properties: modes of transmission, incubation period, symptoms, treatments, etc. If you really want to make a closer comparison to Ebola, you should be talking about Rabies. This is a disease that is effectively 100% fatal and is transmitted through bodily secretions. There is no cure for Rabies once you have it, only prophylaxis. Yes there is treatment for it if you know you have been exposed, but knowing you have been exposed is the key, and in the vast majority of people will know when they have been exposed. So, how many people are deathly afraid of catching Rabies? Like Rabies, the vast majority of people will know if they have been exposed to Ebola. They can be quarantined and treated before they spread the disease. Also, early treatment likely makes the effective mortality rate of this disease much lower in countries with modern medical care. We are seeing evidence of that already (even with the death of Duncan).
My concern is for my grandkids too. I don’t want them to ask why we stood by and let thousands of people die in Africa when we could have stopped it in its tracks. The more people get sick in Africa, the greater the risk to us all, and that is where I am worried about my children and eventually grandchildren.
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I think the biggest reason Jeff, myself, and a couple of others take exception to what you have written is BECAUSE of the fact that you have directed it at the [medically] uneducated masses, and your information is false. Sure, those of us with a working medical knowledge are better able to note exaggeration, speculation, and misinformation. But the audience that you have aimed this toward, does not necessarily have that ability and that is the problem. We take oaths which preclude us from malfeasance, and interfering with the autonomy of others. By saying that you are justified in exaggerating the virulence of this disease because people won’t take it seriously if you just present the actual facts, effectively strips them of their autonomy. We are to advocate for others and to educate. That does not mean that we withhold information or exaggerate information because if we don’t they won’t listen to us, and do what they should. Our job is to provide correct information and then allow them to decide what to do with it. It would be wholly unethical to try and scare a patient into taking a medication by telling them they will die if they don’t take it – even if taking it is in their best interest. That is considered assault. And to administer medication, even medication that they need, to a patient that has refused it, is considered battery. Both of which are punishable by law and could result in the loss of a nurse’s license. The same principle applies here. You can’t just present false information as fact because you think it is for their own good. It’s unethical, unprofessional, and it regards people as unable to make decisions for themselves. Your seems to be, people won’t take the necessary precautions if they know how this virus really works, but maybe they will if we ramp it up a few notches and scare the mess out of them. In my opinion that contradicts the beneficence and “do no harm” principles those in the medical profession stand upon.
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You keep saying I “present it as fact” when I did not. I gave my opinion. You for example have done the exact opposite. You suggest that we should only prepare for Ebola in optimal conditions. This is like not telling patients a surgical complications because things would have to be sub optimum for that to happen. In all my years nursing, and the hundreds of blood transfusions I’ve given, I’ve never seen a reaction or a transmitted disease. Even though it would be really rare, we have to warn patients of ALL possibilities. So does this not apply to Ebola as well? To warn people of even the rarest and unlikely of circumstances, so make an informed decision?
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If you told a patient that having an appendectomy runs a very slight possibility of them eventually developing lung cancer, would you consider that to be “warning people of even the rarest and unlikely of circumstances, [to] make an informed decision” or would you call it blatant misinformation? I personally would call it the later, despite the function of the appendix in regard to the immune system. And I keep saying “presenting it as fact” because you are speaking authoritatively on a subject what most are completely uninformed about, and you, at no point, in your post state that your scenarios are exaggerated for urgency, or that your numbers are completely speculative. So you are, indeed, passing off misinformation to people who do not know any better. It’s reckless. You have got to take responsibility and realize, that whether it was your intention or not, you stood up, as a member of the medical community and began distributing information about a disease that people are desperate for information on, and who are currently looking to those in the medical community to provide. And your information is inaccurate. Not only is it inaccurate about Ebola, but it is inaccurate regarding multiple other issues in the medical field, including but not limited to: the use of PPE, the virulence of TB (which is by FAR more contagious than Ebola), etc. It’s irresponsible to continually brush off the inaccuracy of your statements. If your concern is for the general populous as you claim. That they would have the information they need to make decisions, then you need to provide the correct information rather than taking advantage of their inability to pick out false claims, incorrect statements, and gross generalizations.
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Your approach seems to be* – I left out a word the first time around
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Thanks to the “nurse” who wrote the article.
Go back to your research lab or books to the know it all who responded first.
We are not talking about research or theory pal.
We are talking about my girls, my boys, their children.
Anyone coming out of an Ebola area should be required to be quarantined for twenty one days under armed guard at their own expense. PERIOD.
I will not gamble with my children’s future, just so you can sound like a pompous ass, which I am sure you are.
Douglas Ledet
Marrero, LA
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Is this in response to me? The author? I agree with everything you’ve said, I’m trying to make sure that Ebola stays a non issue in this country….there have been other people comment who have been very pompous, but I’m just trying to put things into real world perspective.
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Great read, finally a fellow nurse that is concerned that the media is underestimating this virus! I’m glad to know there is someone writing about this who has some common sense.
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Jeff stop your nit picking. Most of us learned a lot from this article. The point is—
you do not know when you might be in contact with an Ebola patient. She pointed out things that most of the public might not think about. If there were exaggerations,
they were used to make a point. Your explanations on the other hand, were technical knowledge, not useful to most people.
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I’ve didn’t realize disseminating the facts was nit-picking. If there is something I wrote, or a concept that you didn’t understand, I am happy to explain it. My reply is technical because I am replying specifically to someone who has a technical background. If I were writing for a general audience, I would write colloquially.
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Thanks very much for this article, very informative and any that try to berate it are fools.
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I might get my ass kicked for this (figuratively speaking of course), but I find Jeff’s comments to be very helpful and informative actually. I like facts. Factual, statistical, analysis. I do agree with the author as well that an over-abundance of caution is absolutely appropriate. I am actually concerned at the “relaxed” attitude the CDC has taken when addressing the quarantining of potentially exposed people.
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Yeah, I agree whole heatedly with you, but as I’ve said before, most people.get bored with statistics and analyses. I wanted something easy to read. Also, if I had cited anything specific, due to the vast amount of differing data, I’d probably stir up even MORE debate than I already have
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Thanks Bee, I appreciate the comment and yes, statistics and research can get pretty dry.
A do agree that we should be cautious, that has never been my issue. but there is a very reactive part of our nature, and a mass mentality that is very easily panicked. That is the part that leads to overreaction and bad choices.
I honestly do not think that the CDC or WHO is downplaying the risk or misleading anyone. The problem I see is that we in America have always had a sense of elevated risk associated with this disease. Ebola, or another similar virus, make for great movies and books, but that is about the extent of what people think they know about these diseases. Please do your best to stay informed and please approach the mainstream media with caution.
Keep calm and carry on!
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I’m looking forward to all of the “potentially exposed” getting out of the incubation window without ever developing symptoms! Then, Ill be able to “keep calm and carry on!” Just this morning, they announced another possible ebola patient that had been working in Africa, but is now in OKC! I am with the majority of the other posters on this thread: we should limit travel at least temporarily!! Except maybe for aid workers, doctors, etc.. Common sense leads to me to believe that that would most definitely limit exposure!
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Bee, stopping general travel is a good idea. The CDC and liberals are presenting a straw man argument by saying that any restrictions would hamper controlling the epidemic which is of course complete non-sense.
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Well I agree that stopping ALL travel would hinder the efforts to stop the spread of the illness. Other countries’ aid and resources are a necessity to get this under control. But limiting leisurely and/or unnecessary travel is just a common sense precaution in my opinion. I understand that the “powers that be” would fear the “slippery slope” of restricting travel to certain places, but this is not some game of politics, there are lives at stake!
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When you see health care workers in space suits, being sprayed down from head to foot with bleach –and some of them still get infected with the virus–it begs the question of whether or not the Ebola virus is more contagious than they know. Even the Doctor who came to USA for treatment said that he followed to perfection the protocol of protection and he still got the virus. Interesting. Makes one also ask the question–could the virus be absorbed through the skin itself?
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“Makes one also ask the question–could the virus be absorbed through the skin itself?”. Yes, everyone has micro-cracks in the skin on your hands. Shaking hands with someone that is infected is sufficient to transfer the virus.
Is Ebola difficult to contract? You decide.
7. Can Ebola be transmitted by saliva? Yes. The Ebola Virus can be transmitted by saliva and other secretions such as stool, urine, semen, vaginal secretions, runny nose, as well as blood. When these fluids get in contact with broken skin, the eyes, or the mouth of other people, they can get the Ebola virus.
8. Can Ebola be transmitted by sweat? Yes. Any body fluids including sweat have the Ebola virus.
9. Can Ebola be transmitted by shaking hands? Yes, shaking hands with confirmed Ebola patients transmits the disease.
28. Can I care for a suspected person with Ebola at home? No, it is a crime. You will be detained and punished to the full extent of the law. Furthermore you are endangering the lives of your loved ones, your own life and those of the community, because the disease can easily spread from one person to another.
Click to access Ebola_FAQ-SierraLeone-EN.pdf
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Thank you for the well written article. Very enjoyable & informative to a person who isn’t in the healthcare field.
Ignore the critics & haters -keep up the good job. It is a million times easier to criticize someone else’s efforts, than to actually create something significant.
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Thank you for a concise and well written article.
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I am wondering if the gentleman in Dallas who succumbed to Ebola was given the same drug regimine as the doctor and nurse who were transported here and survived. If yes, did they not work due to poor timing in treating him too late? Or, was he given a different regime of drugs. Additionally, if this disease mutates I would think its entry could easily change. And, what of mosquito transmission? It’s just frightening that we know so little and yet nothing has been done to secure global travel (with the exception of taking temperatures after people land). Seems a bit late!
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Someone posted a study a few days ago that they have not had any evidence yet that mosquito’s (vectors) can transmit the virus
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Well Ebola can stay active for 3 months in seamen…the doctor who first came down with it is back in the hospital.
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He is? I cant find that information anywhere……
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That drug was experimental, and not available in large quantities, and I mean a very small amount. The process to producing it is tedious and lengthy, so faster production has not yet had time to speed up. The last available dose was given to a European man about the time Duncan was admitted.
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Thank you very much for the great article!!!!!
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(i believe douglas was referring to jeff that first replied to you as “the know it all”.) dear nurse, i appreciate your view and info. you have clearly stated you are not an expert but give your own personal perspective. to the fellow (jeff, who also did not state his qualifications or where he worked, as he accused nurse) that tries to liken this to HIV or hepatitis, the one crucial difference is that people are more likely to die incredibly sooner from ebola, it has not been here before (except in the labs in which they had to kill all 400+ monkeys because it got out of control), and people have a right to be frightened. this is not the flu. i don’t know all the mumbo jumbo about Ro and such stated by jeff but let me tell you something, this is going to be a gamechanger.
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My title is Dr. I don’t feel it is necessary to tout my bona fides because I am not interested in a pedigree war. I do feel the post by Dustin instilled more fear in people, and although I appreciate the intent, it came off a bit like yelling “fire” in a theater. That is the last thing we need right now. The experts in the field are really struggling to get people to understand this threat in context.
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I was going to do a little research about the Ebola virus, what happens to patients and the treatment available. I knew it must be serious when I saw health care workers in suits and then heard how they were treating the resent death…wrapping the body in three layers of plastic and then cremating or burying. I was most interested in what the virus does to the body when it becomes active. So thank you from a fellow nurse for a very informative blog.
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I know these may be a stupid questions, but here goes. There were pictures of two guys spraying the vomit off the sidewalk in Dallas. I haven’t heard any response from the talking heads responding to that situation. And I was wondering about the cremation. Can we assume burning the body ends the danger?
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Being in Healthcare for 18 years, I completely agree with you. This article is 100 percent spot on and my thoughts exactly.
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I spent my entire career in healthcare. I was there when there was no name for HIV, and herpes carried a stigma. I am now retired and disabled, yet even back then we had heard of this virus in Africa that pops up and kills everyone in a little tribe or area, and then disappears. Of course now with the spread of mankind it was sooner or later going to spread to a large population and escape the continent to spread elsewhere. I thank all of you that wrote and commented on this subject. Taking all your views into account I do feel more informed and understand that our government needs to take it much more seriously as well as I do too. This stream of information has helped me understand how to protect myself and my family and that is central to me. So thank you all for the info, it’s better than the news or government has been putting out there. Just an observation though, the media downplays this latest outbreak (that I live 20 miles away from) yet the government is buying hundreds of thousands of hazmat suits and many other related supplies. It scares me and makes me wonder how bad things will really get. Thank you all, even though you disagree with each other, each of you have helped people to understand something they need to learn about NOW before it’s to late for the truth from big brother.
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I too am aware that the lack of fear and national panic is a joke.
I did a report on Ebola while I was in nursing school and it has been to this date the most horrifying virus I’ve ever heard of. Never did I ever thought I would see it in my lifetime.
Sadly the nightmare has come true.
It’s only a matter of time.
We have to get control of this virus and fast.
People don’t understand how serious it is.
I’m seriously dreading the end of America, and the world.
No hospital has enough gowns and equipment to prepare for this deadly disaster.
We don’t have enough force to control the population if there ever was a mass uprising, or enough facilities for quarantining people safely.
What we need now is education, and a solid plan, and health care leaders who know what they are doing, strict protocols.
And you don’t have to have medals or degrees to know how dangerous and serious this issue is. The disaster from Africa speaks for itself. It’s all over the news, people dropping like flies every hour.
Medical staff were dressed fully in suits, and some were medical experts. And these people got infected!
It just shows how much more agressive it is, how easy it is to spread and infect.
The smart thing to do is to keep on top of things, educate yourself on Ebola and how to keep you and your family safe.
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Excellent and very well written!! I’m a peds icu rn and fear for our community.
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Hey Jeff. Are you One of those brainwashed by Obama, or stuck up his butt, the one who wants this country destroyed? All flights from & to Africa should be stopped immediately. CDC just announced that it is airborne to, by the way. I work I healthcare as well & the way this is being handled is pure idiotic.
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Paranoia will destroy ya. Limbaugh much?
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/ebolaairborne.asp
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Since Obama has camps set up all over America, wouldn’t be surprised if this was a conspiracy set in motion by him. The perfect way for him to declare martial law.
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O…..M…….G. Yup, you are the Fox News crowd being scared but the uneducated and misinformed. Carry on.
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There is a youtube clip of Jesse Ventura basically saying this same thing in his show, Conspiracy Theory. You should google it.
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Thank you for your article. It answered many of my questions. I feel better informed about this disease.
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Thank you for bringing this information into terms that the average (educated, but not medically) person can understand. I appreciate your uncited references, sarcasm, and humor. This held my attention and now I feel a little more educated on this topic. I would rather read your opinion based on experience than listen to a CNN personality jabber on something they know nothing about. Thank you!
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I love when people truly understand my writing….
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I thought you did a great job explaining it so we can understand it. You got a lot of flack from some experts, but where are their blogs explaining the situation? People here want information they can understand and you provided it. I don’t see many others doing that and that’s why there is panic . . fear of the unknown. In this case we have good reason to be afraid and now we know why.
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Exactly my point
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Its good to see an article like this one that may strike up arguments to let people understand a little bit about Ebola. I have learned more in these comments than the actual article.
Kudos to the author!
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It sounds like your suggestion is that we should shut down all flights from West Africa and not bring any ebola patients here and then we’ll be safe?
It’s a nice thought but I don’t think it’s true. As long as ebola is rampant in Africa it can get to us. Every country in the world will not cut off travel to Africa, so it will travel to other countries and then to us. We could I suppose cut off all travel and trade to the US from all countries but that would be quite bad for our economy.
So a travel ban to West Africa might feel nice and might keep us safer in the short term, but it would also destabilize the countries and make it less likely that people would be willing to do the incredibly brave act of going over there to fight the epidemic. And the only real way to keep this away from your kids in the long term is to stop the epidemic in Africa.
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Excellent synopsis, from a fellow nurse (NP). Easy to understand for the masses, readable format, not too heavy on the stats, but presenting the facts in a way that does not incite fear/panic, but increases awareness. Nicely done.
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Having a morbid fascination for contagions and parasitic infections, I have followed the outbreak in West Africa since its beginning in March, I knew things were going from bad to worse when the death toll went above 400. I knew the highest death toll until then had been somewhere around 370, so any number above that wasn’t good. I even made the comment to my family that the media needs to quite focusing on a mosquito-borne disease that just makes you feel bad and focusing on the Ebola epidemic which would eventually find it way into America. It wasn’t but a few days later when we learned two Americans were infected with it.
I have since done even more research into the disease and know that our government and the CDC aren’t taking enough precautions to stay completely on top of the situation. I know the ways that the disease is spread. For me it is only common sense to think it could be spread with some sort of mucous coming from the body, especially from the nose. While I don’t know on the ins or the outs of the medical terminology and the RO factor, I do know enough to know that this article gave common sense examples and explanations for the lay person to understand.
It is scary, yes! It is scary as hell, but the most effective way to prevent to spread is to give the common person on the streets info they can understand and informing them of all the possible scenarios. So thank you for taking the time to do so.
Tafy Sills
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Very enlightening and frightening. After reading some responses to this article, I understand the possibility of causing hysteria. However, I for one am very thankful that this author took the time to explain and describe the horrific effects of this terrible virus. Being a mother as well as a healthcare professional, it is unnerving to think of how little we know about this virus, how it is spread and exactly what we can consider to be possible symptoms. Thank you again!
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Excellent information. Thank you so much for sharing and clarifying. I trust your opinion and those offering negative replies are ignorant. Your examples while heartbreaking and gruesome per a clear view perspective that everyone needs to realize. I will be devastated if this were to happen to my children or grandchildren. I won’t want to survive.
I don’t know what the answers are to preventing this from turning into an outbreak, if it’s not already too late…For our doctor and his colleague to have survived there must be something that can be done…. I wonder if changing our bodies to more an an Akaline environment would help.
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I stopped reading as soon as she started on about DNA. If she’d paid attention in Micro, she’d known Ebola is an RNA virus. I know she said she’s not a virologist, but if she can’t even get this simple fact down from the onset, how are we possibly supposed to take anything she says seriously? Do your research! – A humble clinical laboratory scientist
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Thanks to the author for an informative and realistic look. Thumbs down to Jeff for trying to be a smart ass and adding nothing to the discussion. What I would like to point out is that we have known for years that HIV is a killer, how to prevent it and with all we know and do, it’s still out there and still killing people. If we can’t wipe it out, what makes you think there’s no concern with ebola?????
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i would say this was a good post,fuck your ro bullshit,how are doctors that are taking every precaution and wearing gear that they are supposed to still getting infected,you have to be a very naive and stupid individual not to be concerned with this not spreading,it was estimated that this will kill over a million people by the end of winter
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Jeff you are an idiot if you think we shouldn’t have a healthy fear of this most deadly virus , a healthy fear is what keeps people alive in various situations ! Knowledge is power.
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Simply stated:Ebola is an RNA virus, which means every time it copies itself, it makes one or two mutations. Many of those mutations mean nothing, but some of them might be able to change the way the virus behaves inside the human body.
Sharon
RN, BSN
Integrated Genetics employee
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That Dr. who contracted Ebola regardless of all the spacesuit coverage, I wonder if his mask was on too long and got wet from the humidity of his breath. That allows germs to come in through the airborne route.
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Thank you for your nurses perspective on Ebola. The media is concerned about it becoming a pandemic. Stating AIDS was the last pandemic. I think we should be diligent in making sure we are educated, watchful and prepared for an Ebola pandemic. It appears to me that Ebola is more painful and deadly (in a short amount of time) to those that contract it than other illnesses.
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Here is a Video from the 90’s that really puts the history of Ebola and Marburg into light. I think looking at the History of the Virus will help us to understand it more.
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Very true, what worries me the most is how many more this outbreak has infected than any prior outbreak
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Thanks for the info! I appreciate learning more about the virus. It reminds me to be more diligent in practicing good hygiene and I shall follow up with more research if I’m so inclined to find out more facts.
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With all the media hype and “experts” on EBOLA, anyone can find a scholarly article disproving what another one says. This article was purely a nurses perspective and I thought it was fantastic. Being a nurse myself in Chicago, this is frightening. Thank you for giving some perspective!
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That’s exactly why I didn’t cite anything, if I had, people would try to tear it apart even more
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fantastic article — you should be heading up the CDC because they are not prepared ! THANK YOU for this information !
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Great article. Thank you! To Jeff and anyone else who chooses to reference the “political” irresponsibility of speaking of Ebola frankly, shame on you. Jeff says Conservatives are picking upon this article for their own use. What about liberals in denial of what could happen and in denial of a very weak response from the President, WHO and the CDC? Ugh. Political correctness will certainly be responsible if this disease spreads. Only a liberal could be more concerned about political ramifications than about people being prepared.
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You have prefaced this article several times by saying, “In my opinion.” Sadly, time will tell the truth about what some of your critics are splitting hairs about. Basically you are telling us we should be concerned. You and I both know that if Ebola spread like wildfire, everyone would ask, “Why didn’t someone warn us?” In all honestly, I hope your critics who think the threat is small are correct. “In my opinion,” I just feel it would be ignorant not to take this threat seriously, and if there are precautions to take, we should take them. I thank you for taking your personal time to inform us to the best of your knowledge. That is all anyone on this earth can do.
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thank you for reading, and for being a sensible person
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Being in healthcare myself I found your article to be very informative and easy to understand. I think people need to have a healthy fear of Ebola. I know no one wants widespread panic but widespread ignorance is worse. I have a young child and live about 20-30 minutes from Dallas so I am very interested in obtaining as much knowledge as I can to be prepared. It is better to be over prepared and cautious than under. I think this article was perfect for its purpose and kept me engaged.
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