Officials Declare Dallas Ebola-Free

[uppityperson]

Source: nbc

North Texas officially became Ebola-free as of Friday evening, capping off 38 days of monitoring for symptoms initially touched off when the nation's first patient was diagnosed in Dallas with the potentially deadly virus. The last person being monitored for symptoms of the virus was cleared Friday night, Dallas officials said. That person handled medical waste.

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The following message was distributed Friday to all staff and employees of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas:

"Today, the monitoring period for those who participated in the care of our patients with Ebola Virus Disease ends. All of our caregivers and other employees related to the events of the last six weeks, along with their friends and loved ones in the community, are formally cleared of risk.
We are grateful that two caregivers who shared the fight against this insidious virus are healthy. These two courageous nurses, and so many others, put the needs of a patient first and valiantly worked to save the life of a man who faced, and ultimately lost, his battle with this disease. Today we remember and honor him, and his family remains in our hearts and prayers.
We emerge from this experience both humbled and empowered with a new strength of purpose. We are committed to using what we have learned to advance our mission and vision in the communities we are privileged to serve. We will continue to share our learnings with the healthcare community nationwide, and we hope our experience will also help those in the global community who are working so hard to beat this terrible disease in West Africa.
Finally, we are thankful for our community, whose support continues to fortify us as it has for nearly 50 years. The confidence placed in us even as we face challenges is heartening, and we pledge to reaffirm that trust as we move forward."

Read more: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/health/Officials-Hours-From-Declaring-Dallas-Ebola-Free-281898811.html

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Meanwhile, in W Africa....

A Look at the Worst-Ever Ebola Epidemic by Numbers

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/worst-ebola-epidemic-numbers-26753186

According to an update Friday from the World Health Organization, there have been 13,268 Ebola cases and 4,960 deaths since the first child died of the virus in December — but those figures include all probable, suspected and confirmed cases and are subject to change as more information becomes available. The numbers fluctuate as more data becomes available, and as probable and suspected cases are either discarded or confirmed.

Experts warn the actual number of cases and deaths are likely far higher than what's been reported, because people may be reluctant to seek care and officials are too overwhelmed with control efforts to record every single case. The vast majority of patients are in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Cases and deaths are typically only recorded days after people become symptomatic or die, which complicates a real-time understanding of Ebola.

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According to WHO, 4,707 beds are needed across West Africa in Ebola treatment clinics; at the moment, just 22 percent of the necessary number are operational. The agency estimates a further 2,685 beds are needed for basic Ebola clinics where minimal treatment is provided and people are mostly isolated while waiting for test results. At the moment, just 4 percent of beds in these community clinics are available.

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WHO reports that 549 health workers have been infected with Ebola, of whom 311 have died. Since Ebola is spread via contact with the bodily fluids of a patient, health workers are at high risk of catching the disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that no skin be showing in a health worker treating Ebola patients......

[greatlaurel]

1. The Ebola crisis is at an end conveniently after the election.

All the people screaming about how the CDC screwed up everything have been proven wrong. Have any of them posted their apologies to the CDC experts yet?

Thanks for the post. Very interesting.

[branford]

2. The Ebola crises is hardly at and end.

There are numerous individuals in many major cities like New York still under observation, and aid workers and others at risk are still returning from the region.

The authorities expect more cases, and have requested both hospitals and the press to be more "judicious" in their reporting to reduce the public panic. For instance, there are very few reports or updates about the current status of Dr. Spencer in NYC.

Lastly, even if protocols now appear effective, it does not mean that the CDC's initial response was not worthy of criticism. If it was initially so good, the changes after Dallas would not have been required.

Under you logic, if more cases appear, should we expect apologies from the CDC experts?

[bananas]

3. It's not over, 1 to 130 new cases expected this year, next year it might spread unchecked

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016105855

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/11/ebola_in_america_scientists_tr.html

Ebola in America: Scientists try to predict number of US cases
By Associated Press
on November 01, 2014 at 6:46 PM, updated November 01, 2014 at 6:57 PM

STANFORD, Calif. -- Top medical experts studying the spread of Ebola say the public should expect more cases to emerge in the United States by year's end as infected people arrive here from West Africa, including American doctors and nurses returning from the hot zone and people fleeing from the deadly disease.

<snip>

This week, several top infectious disease experts ran simulations for The Associated Press that predicted as few as one or two additional infections by the end of 2014 to a worst-case scenario of 130.

<snip>

The foreseeable future extends only for the next few months. After that, projections depend entirely on what happens in West Africa. One scenario is that the surge in assistance to the region brings the epidemic under control and cases peter out in the U.S. A second scenario involves Ebola spreading unchecked across international borders.

<snip>

[bananas]

4. Obama wants 50 treatment centers and $6B in emergency funding

Posted Wednesday in LBN: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=937523

Obama Seeks $6 Billion for Ebola Fight

and post #18 in that thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=937899

HHS would get more than $4 billion, including $1.8 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to set up 50 Ebola treatment centers in the U.S. and buy personal protective equipment, monitor travelers from West Africa and to send experts to help in affected countries.

[Sundome]

7. Give him every dime.

[bananas]

5. Nurses go on strike Nov. 12 and 13

http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/entry/rn-ebola-strike-national-day-of-action-for-ebola-safety-standards/

"One centerpiece of the actions will be a two-day strike by 18,000 RNs and nurse practitioners at 66 Kaiser Permanente hospitals and clinics who have been pressing the HMO giant for weeks to put in place proper safety protocols and training with optimal personal protective equipment. Kaiser has repeatedly dismissed the nurses’ concerns. In California alone, strikes, pickets and other actions will involve at least 50,000 RNs."

[Sundome]

6. they've got to keep it right. that guy came where there were 8k infections.

There are about to be 16,000 in Africa and three weeks after that 32,000.

[uppityperson]

8. Do you mean the "ebola crisis" within the USA? Indeed, who cares about W Africa now?

[karynnj]

9. Sadly, even on DU last weekend, there were plenty who bought into the hysteria

Even then, there was exactly ONE person still being treated and he was upgraded. As to any of his potential contacts, we were past the most likely period (it was 11 days) and NO ONE had been identified as having symptoms. As to the nurse Kaci Hichox - she is now at day 19 (because various accounts said Nov 10 was day 21), and she is not reported to have gotten ill. It is very likely that these threads result in no additional cases.

We now have the procedures OBAMA put in place that should identify people at risk coming in. It seems from the experience with the Dallas nurses, the DR, the nurse, and the other people treated, that the idea that the science is correct that until you have a fever you are not contagious. Taken together, this may suggest that while there will be cases - from exposure in Africa - but the ebola nonsense sprouted by Republicans for political gains is just that - nonsense.

Other than maybe influencing some close races, it is very possible that it negatively impacted the decisions of some to go to Africa and help. As ending the epidemic there is the key to not having to worry about it elsewhere, this could have made the world less safe.

[realFedUp]

10. Wouldn't go to a stadium at this point....

All that bodily contact.....

[uppityperson]

12. If you avoid vomiting people and puddles of diarrhea, you should be safe.

[blkmusclmachine]

11. Election driven.

Of course.