Ok, I’ve been at work all day.
But I’ve been getting pieces and bits on the newest Ebola case.
So I am a Microbiologist. I have worked in hospital labs for the past 10 years and I currently work here in NOLA. I lived in Dallas for 7 years. I worked in the big public hospital for 5-6 years then I worked for a sister hospital to Presby Dallas, and all I’m going to say is Presby Dallas has a reputation.
So when the first case came, I always figured from jump that Presby dropped the ball the first time he came to hospital. The entire team that day, including nurses, PA, MDs etc. failed arm Duncan that day and now that failure ended with his death and chickens are now coming home to roost.
The problem I had with this latest case was that the nurse knowingly travelled even after she absolutely came in contact with the Ebola patient, but now we find out that she actually called the CDC and they told her it was ok to fly??
What I now wonder if she was a buddy to the other nurse? A friend in DFW tells me the protocol at Presby is a buddy system. It should be the same as my current hospital protocol which is also a buddy system. For the laboratory purposes, this means that there is a “clean” tech and a “dirty” tech.
the buddy system is supposed to work where one helps the other when it comes to taking off PPE and also the buddy tech is supposed to be paying attention as the “dirty” tech manipulates the specimen…i.e. they are supposed to be eye balling you and making sure that u aren’t scratching, rubbing head or mopping sweat.
And as you see they are taking the latest case to Emory instead of Presby Dallas and I’m pretty sure I know why.
I honestly am beginning to think the problem is that this is all voluntary. Soon as this guy came through the 2nd time, the CDC probably should have quarantined the whole staff who was going to be working on him and just as they did the family, quarantine them right at the hospital and do not let them leave until a complete negative cycle of 21 days!
I think though that what needs to be understood is that this IS NOT considered to be an outbreak. Because so far the only people who have become infected so far are the two who were in close contact and caring for Patient 0, in this case Mr. Duncan
The thing to do now is CONTAIN the virus so that it doesn’t spread outside of the zero zone in this case Presby Dallas. Hopefully the nurse who travelled wasn’t in the contagious stage and no others become infected, but we won’t know until we know
As to who should be contained? I think they should contain any and everyone who came in contact with Mr. Duncan, particularly the care givers at Presby Dallas. If it means they don’t let them leave the hospital, so be it. The family of Mr. Duncan is still being monitored and will continue doing so. The same should be done for any staff at Presby Dallas.
The problem you have is the free-will of the people quarantined. In other words, you have a case like the MSNBC physician, Nancy Synderman, who left her quarantined cause she was tired of the food they were giving and she wanted some soup! That is a breach of protocol that should not have happened, but how to you stop someone from exercising their free rights?
Cause let’s be clear, the same ones who are outraged now, would be the same one outraged if they were told that they were being monitored and quarantined. How many among us would be happy with that, particularly if we feel fine and don’t think there is a chance that we contracted
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