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So There Was This Today

~ An eclectic kaleidoscope of whatever tickles my fancy, makes me think, gives me pause, grabs my heart, gives me the giggles, or in any way hits me in the feels.

So There Was This Today

Tag Archives: Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital

Dallas vs. Ebola pt. 6

20 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by 98maryanne in Government, Healthcare, Media, Politics, Texas

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

compassion, Dallas, Ebola, fear-mongering, media, State Fair of Texas, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Thomas Eric Duncan

There is much good news about Ebola and Dallas. First, some four dozen people who were in quarantine after having contact with Thomas Eric Duncan while he was ill are now through the quarantine period and have been cleared as being Ebola free. This number includes the four family members who lived with him for three or four days before he was hospitalized and were in the contaminated apartment for a couple of days after. From what I’ve read, it is a small apartment and was pretty harrowing before they were moved. And yet not one of them got sick. This should calm a lot of fears about how easy it is to catch Ebola, which is not very. Or at least it should, but listening to some of the people around here, who I thought were intelligent, well educated adults, I have some doubts about that. Sigh. Seriously people. Chill. Out.

The two nurses who were treating Mr. Duncan while he was most contagious and contracted Ebola have been moved to other hospitals with the capabilities to handle Ebola without further infecting healthcare workers. So there are no active cases of Ebola in Dallas at this time. There are 120 others being monitored, mostly those who also treated Mr. Duncan and the two nurses who are being monitored. Quarantines for that group will go as long as to November 7. I have no idea if it is a good sign that no one else has become symptomatic, but I choose to believe it is. People are not dropping like flies, even after treating someone ill with Ebola while protocols were not being followed. Again, Ebola is not that easy to catch.

The people who have been cleared, including Mr. Duncan’s family members, have zero chance of carrying the Ebola virus and need the community’s support and compassion, not fear and mistreatment. It is my hope that the Dallas community will rise to the occasion and welcome them back with open arms. I would hope that the hysterical levels of fear being seen in other communities, such as the school in Maine who put a teacher on 21 days leave (it better be paid!) because she was in Dallas at a conference 10 miles from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, or a school in Ohio closing because a student was on an airplane with one of the nurses who later became ill will not be the norm for the people who have been cleared here in Dallas. I hope we can show the country and the world how to compassionately and humanely treat people who have been through such a harrowing experience and not treat them like lepers.

November 7th is eighteen days from now. If no one else becomes ill, Dallas will be completely Ebola free. If someone else does become ill, their contacts will have a 21 day period of quarantine. But, as is becoming increasingly clear, Dallas nor the United States has an outbreak or epidemic of Ebola. Stop watching and listening to the fear-mongering news shows trying to get ratings and the fear-mongering politicians trying to score political points. Below are two links to information about Ebola from the CDC and Dallas County Health and Human Services. Despite all of the idiots out there squalling that the government is lying to you about Ebola, these ARE good sources of information.

Ebola information link one

Ebola information link two

Today is an absolutely beautiful day here in Dallas. It is sunny and 80º. In fact we’ve had beautiful weather all month. That may have played into why The State Fair of Texas brought in $41 million in tickets sales, breaking the previous record of $33 million. Hmmm. Seems like most of the people of Dallas and it’s visitors have not been taken in by the fear-mongering after all. Good on you, Dallas!

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Dallas vs. Ebola pt. 4

12 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by 98maryanne in Healthcare, Media, Texas

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

City of Dallas, Dallas, Dallas Morning News, Ebola, healthcare workers, media, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, Thomas Eric Duncan

One of the healthcare workers who had extensive contact with Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan has tested positive for the virus. She and her family have asked for privacy so her name has not been released. According to the Dallas Morning News her infection with the virus is a result of a “breach of protocol” although they are not sure of the specifics of that breach at this time. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital is now diverting all ambulances to other hospitals [ETA: except for patients exhibiting signs of Ebola] because of staffing issues. All of the staff who had contact with Mr. Duncan were self monitoring, but now that one of them has contracted the virus, they will be monitored twice daily by the CDC. The hospital states that all patients currently receiving care at the hospital will still receive excellent care.

The nurse lived alone save for a pet so there doesn’t seem to be another large group of contacts that will have to be monitored. As of now authorities are saying there is only one other person who may have had contact while she was showing symptoms. The pet is still in the apartment, but plans are being made for its care. Her apartment will also be cleaned by a hazmat team. The City of Dallas has been knocking on doors, answering questions and leaving printed materials in the neighborhood of the infected nurse.

Of course the media has swarmed the neighborhood as well. Helicopters are now buzzing overhead taking lots of footage of new roofs and backyards. I feel sorry for the people who live in the neighborhood having their weekend disrupted by news trucks, vans, photographers and reporters as well as the helicopters. Although I’m sure some will be happy to give their two cents to the cameras.

During the press conference the doctor stated that they were prepared for this eventuality and that it wasn’t a shock that there was another case. They are actively working toward finding the specific breach in protocol to make sure it doesn’t happen again. The thing to remember is that these are human beings caring for other human beings and being human they get tired or make mistakes. It is a life or death mistake in the case of Ebola, but we must have compassion for them. These are the heroes who go in and take care of the ill, even with the risks, while the rest of us go about our lives.

The people under quarantine who had contact with the late Mr. Duncan still have 10 days remaining until they can be sure they will not contract Ebola. So far none of them are symptomatic. There is now another 21 day window for the person who had contact with this nurse and if there were any other protocol breaches it is possible that other healthcare workers could become infected. This isn’t over yet, but I still have faith in the city of Dallas, the CDC and our brave and dedicated healthcare workers to prevent a larger outbreak.

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