Ebola now in US

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by polak

I hope she gets Ebola.

That'll help.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by chemgear

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/29/health...html?hpt=hp_t2

A nurse who was quarantined against her will in New Jersey after treating Ebola patients in West Africa will not obey officials' instructions to seclude herself at home in Maine, she and her lawyers said on the "Today" show and to the Bangor Daily News on Wednesday.

"I don't plan on sticking to the guidelines," she said. "I remain appalled by these home quarantine policies that have been forced upon me."

"I want to be sure everyone understands what quarantine means in this case," Mayhew said. "Stating it plainly, what we are asking for is that individuals who had direct contact with Ebola patients stay in their home and avoid public contact until the 21 days for potential incubation has passed."

"The conditions that the state of Maine is now requiring Kaci to comply with are unconstitutional and illegal and there is no justification for the state of Maine to infringe on her liberty," Siegel told the Daily News.

The nurse said that she thinks it would be "reasonable," in circumstances like hers, to self-monitor for symptoms but not be quarantined.

She sounds like an ####### to be perfectly honest.

[Flames89]

Though she may likely know better than anyone when quarantine is necessary.
Restricting freedoms to appease an illogical public is a dicey matter.

[ranchlandsselling]

Very comparable to the gun nuts who argue it takes away their constitutional rights.

[chemgear]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/30/health...html?hpt=hp_t1


Thursday morning, Hickox caused an uproar when she and her boyfriend, both staying at his home in Fort Kent, headed out for a bike ride. They returned in an hour, and were met by a throng of journalists watching her every move.

[burn_this_city]

She doesn't have any symptoms and has been tested twice for it. Why does she have to stay under house arrest? The virus isn't airborne and the fears around this woman are irrational.

[Antithesis]

I have no idea how someone could qualify a person who volunteered to travel to West Africa to help treat people and contain this outbreak as being "All about me". She is following CDC-established protocols for self-monitoring and has shown no symptoms.

Encouraging the government to take a remarkably foolish stance in forcibly confining medical professionals who act as this Ms. Hickox has (oh-so-selfishly) will do far more to worsen this outbreak than allowing her to act as she has.

[wittynickname]

Gotta love America: this woman (a medical professional, who has seen firsthand the devastation that Ebola can have on people, and thus would likely do all in her power to avoid furthering the epidemic by exposing others if she felt she was at risk) is selfish and a threat by just existing despite having tested negative for the virus and being asymptomatic. People in this country want to shut down all travel from the countries most affected by this epidemic, panic all over the media, etc. Just incredible lengths to prevent the outbreak of a virus that is extremely unlikely to affect the general public in the US.

Since the Ebola outbreak began, how many people do you suppose were victims of gun violence in the US? And how many people are fighting to end that epidemic? As Stephen Colbert said, regarding this nurse:

The constitution doesn't say you have the right to endanger your neighbors...unless you have a gun

There are so many actual things in this country (and the world) that we should be concerned about, but we're freaking out about this one woman who knows enough to deal with the situation if she would become symptomatic. The last thing the US should be doing is treating these selfless people, who fly across the ocean to try to help in a place where this actually is a huge humanitarian problem, as if they're a detriment to the society around them.

[ranchlandsselling]

Originally Posted by wittynickname

Gotta love America: this woman (a medical professional, who has seen firsthand the devastation that Ebola can have on people, and thus would likely do all in her power to avoid furthering the epidemic by exposing others if she felt she was at risk) is selfish and a threat by just existing despite having tested negative for the virus and being asymptomatic. People in this country want to shut down all travel from the countries most affected by this epidemic, panic all over the media, etc. Just incredible lengths to prevent the outbreak of a virus that is extremely unlikely to affect the general public in the US.

Since the Ebola outbreak began, how many people do you suppose were victims of gun violence in the US? And how many people are fighting to end that epidemic? As Stephen Colbert said, regarding this nurse:



There are so many actual things in this country (and the world) that we should be concerned about, but we're freaking out about this one woman who knows enough to deal with the situation if she would become symptomatic. The last thing the US should be doing is treating these selfless people, who fly across the ocean to try to help in a place where this actually is a huge humanitarian problem, as if they're a detriment to the society around them.

It's a reciprocal two way street. I get a flu and I don't go to work, sleep in the basement and try not to get anyone sick until I'm better.
What's 21 days when it's potentially killing your coworker or neighbor?

Yeah it's excessive, but suck it up. That said, I didn't know she was tested a few times. Still... Surely she was near the end of the 21 days anyway and could suck up a week at home. It's not like it would kill her to do it...

[wittynickname]

Originally Posted by ranchlandsselling

It's a reciprocal two way street. I get a flu and I don't go to work, sleep in the basement and try not to get anyone sick until I'm better.
What's 21 days when it's potentially killing your coworker or neighbor?

Yeah it's excessive, but suck it up. That said, I didn't know she was tested a few times. Still... Surely she was near the end of the 21 days anyway and could suck up a week at home. It's not like it would kill her to do it...

1) The flu is far, far more contagious than is Ebola. If she's not having symptoms, she's not physically capable of infecting someone else. She's a nurse, she worked with Ebola patients, she knows the signs, she knows what to look for, if she started showing those signs, she would've taken proper steps to ensure the safety of others.
2) I'm not sure how it works in Canada--but in the US there are no guaranteed sick days. People go to work with the flu and other illnesses all the time. Illnesses that are far more easily transmitted than Ebola, and yet the US never feels the need to protect people from those by mandating sick leave for employees.

The nurse is following protocol from the CDC about self-monitoring, this call for her to quarantine herself is all about politicians trying to drum up attention and support right before an election. I don't know, but I feel like the CDC would have a slightly stronger grasp on what the process needs to be to protect against spreading Ebola, a lot more than some politician.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

I have no idea how someone could qualify a person who volunteered to travel to West Africa to help treat people and contain this outbreak as being "All about me". She is following CDC-established protocols for self-monitoring and has shown no symptoms.

Encouraging the government to take a remarkably foolish stance in forcibly confining medical professionals who act as this Ms. Hickox has (oh-so-selfishly) will do far more to worsen this outbreak than allowing her to act as she has.

What outbreak? There are 3 confirmed cases in the US.

[ranchlandsselling]

Originally Posted by wittynickname

1) The flu is far, far more contagious than is Ebola. If she's not having symptoms, she's not physically capable of infecting someone else. She's a nurse, she worked with Ebola patients, she knows the signs, she knows what to look for, if she started showing those signs, she would've taken proper steps to ensure the safety of others.
2) I'm not sure how it works in Canada--but in the US there are no guaranteed sick days. People go to work with the flu and other illnesses all the time. Illnesses that are far more easily transmitted than Ebola, and yet the US never feels the need to protect people from those by mandating sick leave for employees.

Never said anything about the flu not being contagious, or more/less contagious. The reality is this women had/has the potential to have something that's much more fatal than the flu and was asked to stay inside for 21 days. They didn't lock her up, nor arrest her. It was a simple request.

Now like I said earlier, didn't know she had been tested multiple times, so that makes it different - but I'm not sure about what testing means, can you still then get sick? The one thing that seems to be ignored is yeah great, she can check for signs, but you're fine until you're not. And if she did get sick, where's she going to be at that time? Is she drinking from the fountain in the park after her leisurely bike ride? Grocery store buying groceries, thinking to herself, I'm feeling a little bit tired all of a sudden. "do I have a temperature" because it's often pretty hard to tell. "I'm not tired and achy because I have ebola, it's because I slept like %$#$ last night and rode my bike for 3 hours...... hmmm, my stomach feels off, maybe I am getting sick, better stop licking that movie theatre door knob"

I'm kidding with half the comments, but I don't think asking someone to stay home for 21 days is the end of the world, just like I don't think her having treated people is the end of the world.

[FlamesAddiction]

A lot of this has not only to do with the disease, but with the optics. While Ebola will not likely cause an epidemic in the U.S., fear spreads quite easily and can have drastic effects.

[burn_this_city]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/judge-r...ckox-1.2080600

Judge denies state's attempt to restrict her movement.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/judge-r...ckox-1.2080600

Judge denies state's attempt to restrict her movement.

Good

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

What outbreak? There are 3 confirmed cases in the US.

Yes, that's right. My point is that infringing on this woman's rights as people are suggesting is wildly inappropriate and the very definition of a disgusting knee jerk reaction from an uneducated public.

If we start telling medical professionals - such as Ms. Hickox, other nurses, Doctors Without Borders and so on - that they will face a mandatory 21-day forced quarantine upon their return, the number of people who will be willing to go to West Africa to do that invaluable humanitarian work will decline sharply. This will, in turn, make the broader situation worse - including eventually in the US!

[nickerjones]

Originally Posted by wittynickname

2) I'm not sure how it works in Canada--but in the US there are no guaranteed sick days.People go to work with the flu and other illnesses all the time. Illnesses that are far more easily transmitted than Ebola, and yet the US never feels the need to protect people from those by mandating sick leave for employees.

I don't think you can speak for everyone here. Maybe it's just where you work. Sure in the US, vacation time was ####ty ( 1-2 weeks) but most every place where I was a full time employee at had at least 5 days of sick leave or flex time. The big difference I find living in Canada, is when I'm sick, I go to the doctor/clinic . In the States I would get sick and wait until I was deathly ill to go to the doctor. Why you ask? ... because it cost me 50-100 bucks just to go in, see a doctor, and get a prescription.

[wittynickname]

Originally Posted by nickerjones

I don't think you can speak for everyone here. Maybe it's just where you work. Sure in the US, vacation time was ####ty ( 1-2 weeks) but most every place where I was a full time employee at had at least 5 days of sick leave or flex time. The big difference I find living in Canada, is when I'm sick, I go to the doctor/clinic . In the States I would get sick and wait until I was deathly ill to go to the doctor. Why you ask? ... because it cost me 50-100 bucks just to go in, see a doctor, and get a prescription.

No, I was correct the first time. There is no legally mandated sick time in the US. Period. If your employers gave it, fantastic, that was very nice of them, but a huge number of people don't get that perk. And really, all you're doing with that second part is proving my point--these politicians want to do this with their big talk of "protecting other citizens" but they sure don't seem to care about making sure those citizens have access to health care on a regular basis.

This isn't about protecting anyone, this is about fear-mongering before an election. A scared populace is more easily manipulated than a well educated, logical one.

[Montana Moe]

Sick time in some form is mandated in certain municipalities, such as Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco.

Link to City of Portland sick time FAQ

They are exceptions to the rule, of course.

[Mr.Coffee]

I think ebola might have surpassed the Malaysian plane for most overblown news story of the year. It's actually pretty ridiculous. Yes, it's dangerous, yes a couple people have gotten sick in the United States... how many Americans have been killed by the common cold since ebola started getting reported like a ####ing month ago.

If the concern is that it's spiking in Africa...where is the outrage over malaria? Anyone seen death toll numbers there? What about AIDS?

where is the news coverage about 300 people dying in Sri Lanka in mudslides? It barely even hit the radar.

News in the United States is nearing nazi Germany era levels of censorship, propaganda and irrelevancy.

Seriously, get a new news story for the love of god.