USA First Ebola Case Is In Texas

9/30

               This is shocking news the first Ebola case is in the USA and is
               in a Texas Hospital....Read On.... CNN


                                           http://www.cnn.com/
                        

                                                      Joe

He was in Africa.  The world is wasting time, human capital and financial resources murdering people in wars and that same energy needs to be put toward eliminating diseases that strike innocent people.

9/30

                  DK..

                          We can't handle both ? We have one group that wants to 
                  murder everyone and now a disease that's running rampant..I 
                  don't get it if you read there's a disease in a country that's running
                  rampant would you go there? Not me ....I don't know the solution..

                                                        Cheers..Joe

Thank God there are selfless people who risk their lives for the betterment of humanity.  So many go unsung as they go about their selfless work every day.

10/2

                    I just read the Gov. of Texas is furious why the hospital let this 
               guy go and now since he's a citizen I think of Liberia they want to
               prosecute him for leaving the country with the disease....His whole
               family is under quaratine .....Time will tell..

                                                       Joe...

From what I hear on NPR, there were no symptoms until four days after arrival in this country. That's why eliminating the disease is more important than stopping people - stopping people in the modern world just cannot be done.

The world had a chance to stop it early on.  But it was in some God-forsaken African village that no one but the missionaries cared about. 

When the people of the world realize in one fell swoop that we are our brother's keeper wherever we reside, life will be better for everyone instead of crisis management.

It was the same with HIV.  Initially, it was only those others - the Africans, the promiscuous, the homosexuals - some people believed it was God's punishment for their actions.  All ignorance and lack of respect for the humanity in any person wherever they are on this earth.

Disease today is a product of lack of health care, lack of sanitary conditions, lack of water and living in crowded and unsanitary conditions.  Eliminate those elements and eliminate disease.

Imagine.  The cold virus can veritably be stopped by people washing their hands.  Seems simple.  How about no access to water?  Changes the situation.  Makes it impossible to stop.

10/2

                          I vote for DK to be head of Health Svcs in the USA, it's
    true about washing ones hands, many people don't realize you touch thousands
    of things a day and thousands of people touch those things, so people hello
    wake up and wash your hands....Oh and do use good soap !!!

                                                           Cheers..Joe

Good insights, DK.  Dealing with the cause is the best course of action.  That applies to healthcare as well as world conflicts.  Treatment does not eliminate the problem.  Spreading awareness is about the only thing we can do and hope that it will apply pressure for appropriate action.

I just watched an old movie with Angelina Jolie that made it clear how difficult - hopeless - it is to help people in the impoverished and war torn countries.

Eradicating the disease in Africa is crucial. But it is not the only thing that needs to be done. Misinformation is being spread on the evening news as to how "difficult" it is to transmit the virus. Information provided by the CDC belies that assertion. The virus is spread by all bodily fluids, including sweat, and can live for hours on surfaces when sweat drier. An infected person touches a doorknob, table top, handhold on a subway, handrail, etc. with a sweaty hand, and a healthy person touches the same surface two hours later and then touches his/her mouth or eyes--transmission complete (likewise if the healthy person has a paper cut on his/her hand and touches an infected surface).

Commentators are calling those of us who are concerned alarmists or "scare mongers." Really? Let me see, do I believe the CDC or Alan Combs? Boy, that's a hard one.

We need to help West African nations eradicate the disease; no doubt about that. But we also need to take rational steps to protect ourselves to prevent the pandemic taking root here. Two steps are crucial. First, take every reasonable precaution to prevent infected persons from traveling here. That may require a temporary ban on travel from West Africa. Second, secure our southern border through which numerous communicable diseases are carried daily and spread to all corners of the U.S. aided and abetted by our government. Tuberculosis is making a comeback, as are other diseases previously thought to be eradicated. Legal immigrants have to go through thorough health screenings and vaccinations before gaining entry. There is no screening of any kind for those "surrendering" to ICE after illegally crossing the border. We don't even make the effort to turn them around if they're children, be they infected with typhus, anthrax (of the natural variety transmitted by infected cows, horses, etc.), bubonic plague, Ebola, and any number of other deadly and highly contagious diseases, to say nothing of hardened criminals and gang members recruiting from the "easy pickings" of warehoused children in temporary detention centers.

I have said this before but it bears repeating. It is only a matter of time before terrorists send purposely infected people (innocent victims or terrorists themselves) here, if they are not already doing so. Our "open border" by [a probably Unconstitutional] presidential order is the perfect place to perpetuate such an attack knowing that the children will be spread far and wide to infect others.

We cannot close ourselves off from the world. Neither can we stick our heads in the sand while thinking happy thoughts and hope for the best. We can have an honest debate on preserving the public health or we can die of political correctness--the most dangerous pandemic that afflicts us today, bar none.

Travel is by train, by ship, by air, by automobile, on foot....The world is not in sections.  People from countries with infectious diseases travel to many countries to work.  Their families follow.  The workers on ships are from every nation in the world.  So are airline attendants.

While I accept the rational reasoning of my esteemed colleague,Victor, I do not believe that closing borders will protect us from anything.

What will protect us is our own personal hygiene, an increased number of free clinics for sick people to get help, increased personnel and increased vigilance to be certain persons entering this country are not obviously carrying disease (note that the incubation period for most infectious diseases gives plenty of time for people to travel without symptoms) and get medical help if they are.

I do not believe it is just the people coming to this country from South America that are bringing all the problems. So far as I know, the virus is not in S. America; it's in Africa.  People have been migrating here from poor countries for generations and the rest of us have not died yet.

Clear messages need to be delivered to the public by CDC officials only with clear instructions about personal hygiene.  Ever been in a unisex bathroom?  Most men never wash their hands.  A high percentage of women and children do not wash their hands either.  And if they do, they open the door from the bathroom touching where the non-washed touched.

People go into public sneezing and coughing and to work.  Employers need to ascertain that their workers receive medical paid leave to encourage sick people to stay home.  I left a restaurant because the waiter was obviously ill.  What about the dishwashers and salad makers unseen?

I am not taking a cruise this year because I know the workers are international.  They can't even get off ship in U.S. ports.  My mom will be here and I don't want to risk passing anything on to her that I picked up on a vacation.  

Any good U.S. citizen traveling outside this country and using any transportation to return is at risk to bring back disease.  Therefore, if stopping travel is the answer, the entire nation needs to be on quarantine and not leave the country to return either.

Perhaps people traveling on public transportation need to do as people in Asia and wear the proper, disease filtering masks (all masks are not equal).

Perhaps public transportation could return to actually cleaning airplanes and other public vehicles (how about taxi transportation - they are often from other countries and have families coming from other countries).  Airplanes today are filthy - the air that circulates and the rest of the cabins from seats to lavatories.

Now I'm ranting a bit...it's just more complicated than simple answers.

And people need to work on their own personal health, nutrition and exercise to have a strong immune system.

I lived in S. Korea for five years and was never ill.  That was in the 70's when it was an undeveloped country.  I had excellent health, a vigilant cook and maid, and I was generally careful.  I think it was my immune system that was strong from international travel and exposure that kept me well.

Nothing is a one solution fits all in a complex disease scenario.  I do not want to add one more excuse for closing borders to needed workers and another reason to blame President Obama.  He did not cause the virus and will not cure it.

I agree entirely, Victor.  When one thinks about the common cold or flu and how easy that is to infect others, one needs to take extra precaution.  Trying to downplay the threat is a mistake.   As for terrorists using virus as a weapon, I believe that and it was the subject of my book.  The Virus weapon is more serious and just as deadly as mechanical weapons.  One does not spread a mechanical device, but a virus is more serious.  Until an antidote is found with a new virus, it can cause the death of millions.

DK, I think we posted at the same time and I didn't have a chance to read your post.  What you say makes good sense.  Health awareness - hygiene is the best method of prevention.  Employees involved in transportation as well as customs people and border guards are at risk and can spread disease.  Just by touching a surface, touched by and infected person can transmit the disease. 
Anyone with a viral infection should remain at home.  Public education on this matter should be taken seriously.

Just want to add one more thing.  I was observing today while at the hospital that the nurses wear gloves when handling patients.  There are disinfectant dispensers throughout the hospital for use by personnel and guests.  As one enters the hospital, one is asked to use the device to prevent bringing disease into the hospital and to use it again when leaving the hospital.  Prevention of disease is emphasized.
This is a good idea for offices.  Those still working may want to make that suggestion to their employer.

10/3

                        I agree with Victor the borders have to be closed ! My Dr. had me get several
            different shots and I said Why ? I thought those diseases were eradicated 40-50 yrs
            ago and he sais oh no, their coming back even stronger because people aren't checked
            when they come into this country, I agree at one time they checked people, now 
            forget it the Govt. is so screwed up !

                                                                Joe

DK,

I understand and sympathize with your point of view. Preventing travel from West Africa is not the only solution, but it certainly would help prevent the spread of the disease. Washing our hands and additional foreign aid are not going to solve the problem. A pandemic is not the same as the common cold or flu: it is by definition deadly.

Although my knowledge of geography is not perfect, I Know the difference between West Africa and South America. The porous border to our South is unlikely to be a source of Ebola contamination at present as DK notes--I noted other diseases that are, in fact, brought in from South and Central America where they are still a problem. What I said is that our current immigration policy towards "children" can be exploited by terrorists as a source of bringing in people purposely infected with Ebola (e.g., flown in to Mexico or points South and then driven to our border to be redistributed around the country ).  President Obama is absolutely responsible for unilaterally imposing through executive order the essence of the Dream Act that he could not get through Congress without any safety measures in place to screen children for health issues or criminal backgrounds. That has placed us at risk of exposure to antibiotic resistant diseases such as the ones I mentioned. Of course that was not his intent, but it is nevertheless an unintended consequence of his misuse of the executive pen. (Only Congress, by the way, is empowered to regulate immigration laws under Article I Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The president has no authority to regulate in this area and, if Congress pursues the matter in the courts, that will almost certainly be the ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court--though nothing can be predicted with certainty.)

Infected people do travel by planes, buses and automobiles in addition to airplanes. The point is NONE of them should gain entry without a visa or while holding a  passport from a country that is the source of a pandemic. Certainly some of our progressive partners in Europe agree. Good intentions and noble instincts will get Americans killed. Protecting Americans--and the Constitution--is what our president (and I) have sworn to do. Protecting the rest of the world's privilege (not right) to travel here is a distinctly secondary responsibility.

10/3

                       Victor.......

                                     BRAVO !........................

                                             Cheers.............Joe..................

I have a serious problem with the idea of closing the borders.

I am reminded of the old EA Poe short story, "The Masque of the Red Death."  I also think of the development within this country of "gated communities."  They both serve a similar purpose:  The growing insistence on the part of those to "have" to isolate themselves from the "have nots," rejecting any sense of responsibility for compassion and concern for these members of their own community.

In that short story, for any of you who might have forgotten (It was required reading in most US high schools, so you probably were exposed (pun intended) ), Prince Prospero decided to avoid a plague that was devastating his country by taking his friends and the members of his court to an isolated palace, lock the doors and gates, and spend their time in a endless round of parties.  It didn't work.  The plague, known as "the Red Death," found its way in anyway...

Quote :

And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all

(EA Poe)

It is a beautifully written parable describing what happens when feeling and concern for those in desparate need are ignored, and any responsibility for those less fortunate human beings is denied, and the reponse is to isolate themselves and pretend the outside world does not exist.

From the b****y old English teacher

The answer to this problem lies with involvement rather than withdrawal, and of going into Africa with as much help as we can muster to help them to control and hopefully stop the virus at its source.

10/4
                 Sorry this country isn't doing enough to protect it's citizens and as far as
                 Africa goes they have to educate their people, their are people who are
                 living in another century ...It's their govt.'s fault or they don't want their
                 people to be educated....And I don't need a lesson I'm not sitting in a class
                 room, I do read, Hello !!

                                                            Cheers...Joe...

That attitude makes you a part of the problem, Joe.

Just sayin'

For one thing, the point of the story is that isolation doesn't work.  Closing the borders against a disease is just not possible.  There are too many flaws in any attempt.

Any time there is a problem, the best solution will be to go to the source and eradicate it there, before it spreads.

We are one Earth, especially now.  We cannot afford to insist on observing and accepting old divisions, whether they are the lines that separate one country from another, the religious practices they observe, or the racial and/or cultural differences between groups.

We really are a single unit.

I've been away for a few days, trying to cope with this condition I've managed to develop, that has parts of my own body attacking other parts. I am very conscious, on a personal level, of the difficulty of coping with such a situation.

Another consideration: What countries are better equipped to handle infectuous diseases than those, like the US, who have highly developed medical systems. We have far better resources for coping with the disease, so can we deny those resources to others?

10/4

                         Ann..

                                I'm sorry you don't feel well, I know the feeling been there many times
 and wished Iwas 30 again ! What this country can do and have all the European countries do
 is give the medicine those countries in AFrica to help their people but make sure their not
 keeping it to re-sell, also they should create a vaccine..Ann I do agree with a lot you say I
 love pulling your chain...Just like when we back countries who have dictators give them millions
 of dollars their our friends , BULL ! And when they get toppled guess what oh my God we didn't
 know that? Yeah right it's known as what we want out of it so we always back the wrong ones,
 I've known that for decades...This time what I just said I'm not pulling your chain..Feel better..

                                                          Love Joe