Airlifting American Citizens with Ebola virus back to the US

No burying my head in the sand here. I'm always prepared due to living in hurricane country. I just don't see anything to be concerned about at this time, even with the border issues (that have always been there). Some people are acting like it us the end of the world online though. It is quite amusing to be honest.

According to WHO:  "People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus. Ebola virus was isolated from semen 61 days after onset of illness in a man who was infected in a laboratory."

I concede you may be right:  "is not airborne and is not contagious until you are symptomatic."

The gentleman who was en route from Liberia to Minnesota became symptomatic in-flight. He became symptomatic between Liberia and Nigeria, but could just as easily have become symptomatic halfway across the Atlantic. The virus is present in vomit and stool, so a person cleaning up after him, using a facility that was not properly sanitized after him, or treating him in a healthcare setting could easily be exposed. I don't think downplaying that makes sense - it is not sexually transmitted only, it is transmitted through bodily fluids. 

I don't feel at all hysterical about Ebola. I'm not worried about it. I see it as a much lower threat to my well-being than the food I will eat at the county fair with my kid this afternoon. I am especially not worried about the two known victims of Ebola who are being cared for under severe quarantine. 

But - the reality still is that it is only a flight away. Global travel is so simple. The risk exists. I am really, really grateful for the doctors and nurses and epidemiologists and others who are working so hard to combat this thing. 

Here's the thing. If Ebola has mutated enough to become the next big pandemic that takes out millions of people worldwide ... bringing infected Americans home under the supervision of the CDC is not what's going to spread it to the U.S. It will come regardless, spirited in by thousands of asymptomatic Africans and others returning from Africa, Asia, and around the world. Absolutely independent of whether we bring our people home to give them much-needed medical care.

Not.Worth.Worrying.About.
At least, not till it actually happens. Then you have my permission to panic.

And I said :  It is not outside of the realm of possibility that someone on that plane unfortunately did have this happen and has been exposed, but its really just not *that* dangerous. 

The male dr. is from FW, so we are getting an overdose of the story.
I am very sad for this happening to anyone, but especially to medical folk trying to help.

However, I am angered/appalled/horrified that anyone is knowingly bringing the virus to this continent!!
I am not receiving any comfort from the visions of the plastic isolation chamber.
The dr. who is now ill was wearing the hazmat suit etc. and still contracted the illness.
I think it is a bad decision.

Additionally, if both patients are in grave condition--why the heck are they healthy enough to be transported such a long distance.

If it were my loved one, yes, I'd want them closer--but, I am against bringing that virus to our continent and creating a problem on this side of the planet.

I think it is because bodily fluids can be transmitted by coughing, sneezing, someone talking and spit coming out of their mouths, in addition to other fluids like blood, urine, etc. I read something about that a bit ago and if I can find it again, I will come back and link it.  
Here is the Link-USA Today

Is sweat considered a bodily fluid? Skin oils?





This is what crosses my mind.

I'm an African and I can tell you this Ebola outbreak is a HUGE deal in Africa at least and is in the news daily.

As FreeCharlie says, the spread amongst non-healthcare people is in fact mostly due to family members caring for each other but even MORE so, the traditions that are practiced between death and burial. EG washing the body, embalming which involves removing body fluids, non-cremation etc. Also long incubation periods make it difficult for the uneducated and disbelieving average tribal person to understand that they got sick from someone else making is even harder to get them to follow procedures for reducing contamination. Education is a key factor in arresting the spread but it's been really hard to get it across to people who still have strong tribal beliefs.

It is scary to me that first world trained healthcare workers, wearing Hazmat suits and practicing everything we know to prevent contamination, still got sick. Makes me thing the contagious period may not be fully understood. To answer the question about how they are ill with this deathly disease but still able to travel...the disease doesn't become symptomatic right away. During stage 1 you are still able to do almost anything. You may have a fever, some diarrhea, headache, weekness, fatigue and maybe a sore throat. One might think you just have flu or a stomach bug - right? But as far as I know that's it. Stage two is when the bleeding starts. Usually lasts a couple of days but can be much longer and patients die from extreme blood loss and shock, renal and/or kidney failure. From what I've heard, Dr Brantly was still OK as of this morning - typing on his computer in quaratine and talking to his wife and kids and pretty much asymptomatic. He also gave the single dose of an experimental drug to his infected co-worker, Nancy Writebol. Again from what I've heard, she has diarrhea but is also able to travel.

If you were them, wouldn't you want to come home and get the best possible treatment? Good for them for doing the job they do, how many of us would have done the same? Now is not the time to abandon them.

I just watched the local news (Atlanta) It sounds like the hospital has a lot of precautions in place. There are only 4 people that will be working with these patients. What I did not originally think about is that the plane that is going to pick them up is a plane from Phoenix in Cartersville. That involves more people, possibly being exposed, the pilot, co-pilot and medical workers. Then there will be more people that will be responsible for transporting them to the hospital once they land. Will these workers be proactive and safe in cleaning that plane and ambulance? Will the workers be trained enough and take the same precautions that the highly trained workers at Emory will be taking? I agree, if it were someone in my family that was over there and sick, I would want them home and I think they need to be brought home. I just worry that this strain of Ebola, might somehow, through all of the different contacts, make an entrance here. Then there are all of the people that are traveling that may have been exposed, like Gia pointed out. It would be wonderful if CDC could come up with a cure to help everyone around the world that is being affected by this nasty disease.