What is your views on the Ebola nurse defying self quarantine order?

PO3 Shaun Taylor — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:59:41 -0400

Kaci Hickox took her campaign against an Ebola quarantine out for a spin on Thursday.

The Maine nurse, openly defying an order to stay home after she treated patients in West Africa, sped off on a bike ride on a sunny morning with her boyfriend, Ted Wilbur. She returned after about an hour.

“I hope that we can continue negotiations and work this out amicably,” Hickox told reporters. “There is no legal action against me, so I’m free to go on a bike ride in my hometown.”

Authorities in Maine are pursuing a court order to enforce the quarantine through Nov. 10. Hickox says she is completely healthy and free of symptoms, and that the quarantine is unnecessary and unconstitutional.

Hickox was kept in an isolation tent for three days after she returned to the United States last week. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie let her go on Monday, and she was driven to Maine, which imposed its own quarantine.

Some states have gone further than federal health officials and ordered quarantines for health workers returning from Ebola-stricken countries in Africa, even when they show no symptoms and therefore would not be contagious anyway.

Late Wednesday night, with a state trooper looking on, Hickox stepped outside the house in Fort Kent where she has been holed up. She said: “I’m not willing to stand here and let my civil rights be violated when it’s not science-based.”

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/kaci-hickox-nurse-ebola-quarantine-standoff-goes-bike-ride-n237421

Hickox left the house in Fort Kent where she has been holed up and went out for the ride with her boyfriend, Ted Wilbur.

Response by TSgt David S. made Oct 30 at 2014 12:16 PM

TSgt David S. — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 12:16:13 -0400

You would think as a health care professional that she would be knowledgeable and understanding of the reasons behind the quarantine and follow the imposed guidelines vice endangering family, friends, and others.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Oct 30 at 2014 1:46 PM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:46:04 -0400

I agree with CPT Michael Barden that her work overseas in treating Ebola patients was selfless and compassionate, however, her blatant disregard for the possibility she could be carrying the virus now is the antithesis of that selfless act.

Given her total disregard for the safety of those around her, should she be the cause of someone contracting the Ebola virus, she should be charged with Reckless Endangerment or whatever a similar charge would be in the jurisdiction she is in.

In the meantime, if she will not commit to voluntary quarantine, I would make it involuntary and put her away somewhere until it was proven that she was OK. I would also pursue whatever charges I could for her total disregard for the safety of the public.

Of course, if we had an Administration that would establish a coherent policy to deal with this significant public health issue, much of this nonsense would cease to exist.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2014 2:57 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 14:57:32 -0400

My strategic advice would have been to publicly accept the quarantine and publicly observe it simply to prove her points. That supports the public good and her own contentions. For, there is no better way to take the air out of opposing arguments. Now, her current behavior feeds arguments. Maybe we get lucky this time, but next time? What about the next person who slips by as others have? We can understand anyone's reluctance to wear a bridle and be fenced in, and a natural reluctance not to succumb to perceived hysteria. We can also understand the history of epidemics and the loss of credibility this one has due to a series of medical mistakes by doctors, nurses, and public officials. Given that record, isn't it better to be safe with ONE person than sorry for loss of Thousands? Yes, no matter how well intended, this comes across as very self-centered with reckless disregard for the welfare of others when in fact, the jury is still out about the many details of the disease. Recall the story of Typhoid Mary. This isn't about making a social statement about fearing people with AIDs, it's about a serious public health issue about a possible Plague. A Nurse of all people should support the greater good, then, criticize later from a superior position of having proved things wrong lest they look like a publicity hound. The majority of nurses are indeed caring, selfless people, but there are those who can become too self-righteous and fall under the God Complex by falling in love with their own opinions just as do many doctors and commanders. The difference here is the uncertain situation and emphasis on the greater good. As far as I am concerned, her attitude is just as paternalistic as the imposition she resists. Any Nurse unwilling to follow procedures isn't touching me or my family...how about you?

Response by PO1 Steven Woodard made Oct 30 at 2014 3:15 PM

PO1 Steven Woodard — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:15:10 -0400

it is a selfless work she did with the ebola issue. My issue with her decision to ignore others so she can start with the selfish side of her life. If you don't care about folks at home, why go to Africa and put the rest of us in harms way. Extremely selfish on her part...

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2014 3:39 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:39:33 -0400

The ironic part is that, while treating patients in West Africa, medical professionals are all about telling people who came into contact with Ebola victims to isolate themselves for the length of the EVD incubation period. It has been proven time and again during this outbreak that health care workers who treated EVD patients are the most vulnerable and thus the most risky to other people, but now that she's done doing her good deed to look good to everyone else, she's too good to take the same advice she and her coworkers dispensed.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Oct 30 at 2014 3:59 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:59:02 -0400

To go to Africa and help in that uncertainty is a heroic and selfless act. To return to your host country and blatantly disregard the laws that watch out for the safety of the masses is offensive. All of our troops going to Africa already know that they will face quarantine procedures upon returning home. Not a peep. Selfless service as always. Not the case with this one. Me first,.....320,000,000 of you are interfering with MY freedom.

Response by Pvt Bill Oneilkl made Oct 30 at 2014 3:59 PM

Pvt Bill Oneilkl — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:59:51 -0400

She should be back in the tent in Newark! idiotic! So what she doesn't have symptoms! Niether did the Doc in NYC when wandered over the city, he had no fever either. What's good enough for the military forces engaged in Ebola campaign should apply equally to anyone who volunteered to help. I'm of the opinion the whole continent of Africa be quarantined to keep the sick where they are until the disease runs it course. I'm of the opinion all should be quarantined in place

Response by CPO Leonard Jackson made Oct 30 at 2014 4:00 PM

CPO Leonard Jackson — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:00:15 -0400

It's a selfish act. She should just stay at home and be patient. Supplies can be delivered and set outside her door.
The incubation period for this plague is much longer than 21 days for those who take the time to do some research.
Remember the smallpox outbreak in Montreal in 1903. What is happening now with obola is exactly the same. There's a very good docudrama about this called "Outbreak: The Anatomy of a Plague."

Response by CPL Merle Howard made Oct 30 at 2014 4:29 PM

CPL Merle Howard — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:29:53 -0400

At first glance it appears to be a selfless task, going to Africa and helping with the Ebola outbreak, but her recent actions nullify any of that. I have no respect for her, whatever good intentions she may have had or anyone who will stand beside her in this matter. In my opinion she and anyone that supports her , should be considered Domestic Terrorists.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Oct 30 at 2014 4:38 PM

CPT Zachary Brooks — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:38:24 -0400

Sadly she could not be more like the Doctor here:

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/10/30/video-doctor-quarantined-in-california-after-return-from-liberia/

I echo PO3 Shaun Taylor , CPT Michael Barden , and COL Jean (John) F. B. .

Selfless actions, followed by a selfish act of possible endangerment at worst and fear mongering at best.

Video: Doctor quarantined in California after return from Liberia

"Even small clusters of cases could overwhelm parts of the system."

Response by SrA Marc Haynes made Oct 30 at 2014 4:45 PM

SrA Marc Haynes — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:45:37 -0400

I do think that it was a political statement for her to go on her "bike ride"

There is also the thought to me that she may know a whole lot more about Ebola than I do or many others since she was essentially in the trenches there. The CDC sure screwed up their response with the Dallas patient.

Response by SPC Ben Cedeno made Oct 30 at 2014 4:56 PM

SPC Ben Cedeno — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:56:43 -0400

I say her RN license should be revoked on failure to abide to her Hippocratic oath

Response by PO1 Walter Duncan made Oct 30 at 2014 5:39 PM

PO1 Walter Duncan — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 17:39:51 -0400

Someone at night should sneak up and put Saran Wrap on her front door and the next time she comes out. Happy Halloween!

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Oct 30 at 2014 6:45 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:45:45 -0400

If its good enough for the US military and everyone else its good enough for her, No one is stigmatizing her or anyone else that has courageously volunteered to serve in Ebola countries.

Your 15 minutes is over- bu-bye!!

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2014 6:49 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:49:23 -0400

Very selfish individual with no regard for her neighbors to put them in possible danger. She should be ashamed to call herself a caring nurse. It was a very selfless act caring for the Ebola patients in West Africa but now has been nullified by her blatant disregard for the well being of other individuals. I do pray that she does not come down with Ebola for her sake.

Response by PO2 Brian Lathe made Oct 30 at 2014 7:22 PM

PO2 Brian Lathe — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:22:55 -0400

I believe she is not putting the needs of others first. If you know you have been near people with ebola, you should follow the quarantine rules.

Response by SSG Willis Baker made Oct 30 at 2014 7:58 PM

SSG Willis Baker — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:58:40 -0400

When it comes to Ebola, there is only one true answer. The CDC should put her in quarantine for 21 days. No questions asked. If she becomes systematic then what? Are they still going to let her ride her bike all over the place? It will be more than 21 days by the time anyone has the guts to make the right decision. She should have been put in quarantine before coming back to the states, but that's just me.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2014 8:05 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:05:39 -0400

She should get her ass locked up!!! As a medical personnel you have a morale duty to not knowingly put others lives at risk... As a corpsman in the Navy we actually have a creed with a clause to that effect in there. I'm sure nurses have a code as well. Sorry but this shit pisses me off.

Response by SPC James Mcneil made Oct 30 at 2014 8:50 PM

SPC James Mcneil — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:50:51 -0400

I hope for her sake that she doesn't have or spread it.

Response by CPO Tim Dickey made Oct 30 at 2014 10:02 PM

CPO Tim Dickey — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 22:02:22 -0400

Knuckleheaded choice.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 7:46 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 07:46:29 -0400

Makes me sick... It reflects the current state of the U.S. today. Every one is more concerned with there own needs and wants then the health and welfare of the nation. The U.S. used to be a nation of; "one for all and all for one", people believed in what this nation stood for and how great it could be. Now people seem more concerned with what others are saying, doing, and getting their five minutes of fame. Most people, not all, seem to not want to take responsibility for their own actions and if the finger is pointed at them they want to act like a victim, true adults are a dying breed, people want to act like children forever.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 9:24 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 09:24:53 -0400

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/10/30/pentagon_request_shows_scant_science_supports_white_house_s_ebola_assurances?utm_content=buffer65cc0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 9:43 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 09:43:37 -0400

I think she's a whiner. As many people have pointed out, tons of army guys and gals are sitting in quarentines right now waiting the clear... its not like she was going to lose her job, or not get fed, or anything. They were going to hold her for 21 days, make sure shes not infected, then send her on her marry way.

To me thats perfectly reasonable. Its not just a public health issue, its trying to prevent a epidemic. Ebolas really nasty, and currently not treatable. She should just be sucking it up and let it blow over.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 12:34 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 12:34:56 -0400

PO3 Shaun Taylor. I believe she is trying to incite a court case to test the legality of the order. The government is unlikely to seek a court order or arrest because they don't want to admit this entire matter could be resolved with a simple FDA approved medical test . . . and the entire case would be moot in 21 days.

I believe we should test her blood, get the results inside an hour, and let her get back to work saving lives. In a sense . . . this is an act of civil disobedience that appears to pose no risk to the public . . . would be akin to civil disobedience resisting a lifetime quaranteen order for all suspected gays and lesbians at the inception of the AIDS crisis (when there was no treatment and it was fatal within weeks to months) due to both public and political hysteria. There is no good reason to interfere with this brave young woman's exercise routine. She is walking the streets with hand held weights and bicycling . . . she is not hugging and kissing everyone she meets. Warmest Regards, Sandy

Source: http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2014/10/militarys-ebola-screening-machine-just-got-approved-us-hospitals/97544/?oref=d-river

Defense One 10/272014

Patrick Tucker

Rapidly screening for Ebola at U.S. hospitals has just gotten easier thanks, in part, to military-funded research. Salt Lake City-based BioFire announced over the weekend that they had received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for hospital workers to use the Bio-Threat E array (a special kit) on the company’s polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine, the FilmArray, to screen for Ebola.

It’s basically the same machine that the U.S. military is using to fight the disease in Africa, although the tests are slightly different. On Saturday, the FDA had authorized the Ebola screening kit, the Bio-Threat E, for clinical use under the Emergency Use Authorization. The Dallas hospital that treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who became the first individual to die of Ebola in the United States, but was not authorized to use it to test patients showing symptoms of Ebola.

Health workers in more than 300 hospitals around the country, including 30 lab hospitals in the New York tri-state area, use the machine to screen for a wide variety of illnesses such as listeria, influenza and various other respiratory and intestinal sicknesses. With the right diagnostic kit in place, the FilmArray can also be used to screen for Ebola, delivering results in about an hour with higher than 90 percent certainty. Technically speaking, it may be able to do so days before an Ebola carrier develops a fever and becomes contagious, though the FDA has not authorized its use in patients that are not showing symptoms. One of the hospitals scheduled to receive the machine for that purpose is New York’s Bellevue.

Doctors and medical staff at Emory University in Atlanta were able to use it to diagnose U.S. doctor Kent Brantly and aid worker Nancy Writebol because the machine there had a research designation.

“We understand the importance of quickly diagnosing Ebola cases in the U.S. and abroad. FDA is committed to working with companies in the most expedited manner to increase the availability of authorized diagnostic tests for Ebola for emergency use during this epidemic,” an FDA spokesperson told Defense One.

BioFire, a subsidiary of BioMerieux, began the process of requesting emergency use authorization on Sept. 22 and finally got in the last necessary results and paperwork on Oct. 22, according to an FDA spokesperson.

Emergency use authorization differs from full FDA approval. The authorization is good for a year (with the potential for renewal) or until circumstances no longer justify it. It dates back to the 2004 Project BioShield Amendment in Section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and has been used numerous times since its inception.

The screening machine works by matching the ribonucleic acid in a blood, saliva or other fluid sample against an Ebola target to determine the genetic presence of Ebola. It’s one of the main screening solutions that the U.S. military is using in Africa. In March, BioFire received a $240 million contract from the Defense Department to adapt the FilmArray for use to screen for the virus (as well as other illnesses.)

The FDA’s authorization may seem like a small bureaucratic victory, but it could alter the way officials around the country deal with the Ebola scare.

The availability of more and better Ebola screeners in more hospitals will allow authorities to much more rapidly evaluate potential Ebola cases and possibly do so before symptoms like fever present themselves — in other words, possibly before the carrier is contagious or poses a threat. That means that random screening with an effective PCR machine could potentially decrease any public health threat from an individual — without being quarantined.

The Military’s Ebola Screening Machine Just Got Approved for US Hospitals

The FDA has ruled that the Ebola screening machine the military is using in Africa can now be used in U.S. hospitals. By Patrick Tucker

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made Oct 31 at 2014 1:00 PM

Maj Chris Nelson — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 13:00:40 -0400

I have ready through the comments made here and I will be the voice of dissent.

Kaci Hickox is a story centered in fear, ignorance, and politics rather than evidenced based medicine. The miscommunication between healthcare workers and the political machine was tremendous. Upon arrival and to this day she has had no signs or symptoms of an Ebola infection. Quarantining a person for no signs or symptoms of infection is not in accordance with CDC guidelines. The media has been thrashing her and calling her selfish over her assertion that she should not have to be quarantined because she has no indications of an Ebola infection.

On 24 Oct Kaci Hickox, a Nurse who had been working with Ebola patients, arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport. The forehead thermometer measured her forehead as 101 degrees. (Thermometers evaluating the skin surface are known to be inaccurate and should not used for diagnostic purposes.) Her oral temp was 98.6 degrees. At that point she was involuntarily quarantined. -- She had no signs or symptoms of Ebola.

On 25 Oct Gov Christie told reporter she is “obviously ill” basing his assessment on a flawed thermometer reading while ignoring the oral temperature reading by a physician who stated that the thermometer reading the skin was a false reading. The test for the Ebola virus response was negative. -- She had no signs or symptoms of Ebola.

On 27 Oct Christie insisted during a campaign stop he hasn’t reversed his decision on mandatory quarantines and Hickox was discharged from the hospital after not displaying symptoms for 24 hours. “If she was continuing to be ill she’d have to stay. She hadn’t had any symptoms for 24 hours and she tested negative for Ebola,” he said. “So there was no reason to keep her.” -- She had no signs or symptoms of Ebola. I’m interested on how she could “continue to be ill” when she was not ill at any point after her return to the US. Instead of admitting a miscommunication the great Gov doubled-down with this statement.

A quarantine goes beyond U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for health care workers who had not developed signs or symptoms of an Ebola infection even if they had treated Ebola patients. Federal guidelines say such workers should be monitored but not isolated, and restriction of public activities should be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Symptoms of Ebola that Kaci Hickox DID NOT HAVE include:
Fever
Severe headache
Muscle pain
Weakness
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Abdominal (stomach) pain
Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.
Diagnosing Ebola in a person who has been infected for only a few days is difficult, because the early symptoms, such as fever, are nonspecific to Ebola infection and are seen often in patients with more commonly occurring diseases, such as malaria and typhoid fever.
However, if a person has the early symptoms of Ebola and has had contact with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola, contact with objects that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola, or contact with infected animals, they should be isolated and public health professionals notified. Samples from the patient can then be collected and tested to confirm infection.

Within a few days after symptoms begin the following tests can be used:
Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing
IgM ELISA
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Virus isolation

Another way to put this in perspective would be taking a young lady to Labor and Delivery to start a Poticin Drip (drug to start labor) because she lives in a house with man/men that COULD have made her pregnant....it has not been confirmed and she has no symptoms of pregnancy, but she COULD be, so for the best of everyone we need to force this course of action.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Oct 31 at 2014 1:48 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 13:48:37 -0400

I blame a lot of this on the feds and the media.

What is the usefulness of the CDC who can't put there foot down in an effort to stem a POTENTIAL nationwide outbreak of a deadly disease? Why are they debating and leaving each state to make their own decisions on quarantines? Supposedly the CDC has all the data on Ebola and when its contagious and not but everyone is "interpreting" these things to their own benefit and the CDC is allowing it.

We keeping adding to the list of states with Ebola exposed individuals by not having a central treatment facility where people go until certified healty.

Its an election year so politicians can't make up there mind on what to do. Chris Christie quarantines this biatch and then lets her go to Maine when she threatens to sue even though he's doing things in the public's best interest by keeping her there - WTF? Maine's govenor come's across all tough until she threatens to sue again and then it's not as big a problem if she's stays where she is - WTF?

Then you have these dumb-ass reporters going right up to her with mikes and cameras - if she supposedly isn't a safe person to be around, why are you exposing yourselves to her and giving her ammo for her fight??? DUH???

POTUS - he's a lost cause in this Ebola fight. His "Czar" - WTF has he done? POTUS himself can't seem to take a stand either way - "Let's not treat our "heroes" like this or it will prevent more people from going to fight Ebola" - again WTF, did you just say its OK for the rest of America to be put at risk over someone's bo-hoo-hoo hurt feelings. What country is he the leader of???

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 1:54 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 13:54:37 -0400

As a former health professional myself, I have to say that protecting the health and safety of the public should be the primary job and focus. I don't blame her for being upset, however I must say that as a health professional, she should maintain the ideal of one. I understand inconveniences are annoying. I don't want my family, friends or anyone for that matter becoming ill because someone doesn't want to be "inconvenienced". State and local governments can take whatever measures they deem necessary to protect the citizens of their jurisdiction. She came from west Africa, which is where the outbreak is most prominant according to current events. Sure it might be a nuisance and do yourself and others a favor and have concideration for yours and their health and safety.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 3:07 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:07:48 -0400

While we have to commend her for helping those overseas I think that her actions now are very selfish. She wasn't specifically targeted as an individual, she was quarantined because she was exposed to people who had this disease. The CDC decided that as a precaution anyone coming from any of those nation would be quarantined for 21 days. It's not forever and I think there's no reason why she had to act this way. This is just her disregarding public safety and it's extremely selfish of her.
Also the fact that she was allowed to leave makes the CDC and any other organizations involved with quarantining people look very bad. It's anyone's guess what will happen now but I would happy if we saw them put their foot down on any future incidents.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 3:26 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:26:50 -0400

The only reason we are hearing so much about Ebola is because the mid-term elections are in a few days. Ebola isn't a major threat in the developed world, but politicians hope to earn points with voters through fear-mongering and paternalistic protection.

She has every right to go on a bike ride. Infected people are only contagious after showing symptoms, and if she's healthy there's no reason for her to be locked up just to make ignorant people feel better.

Response by Cpl Dennis F. made Oct 31 at 2014 4:04 PM

Cpl Dennis F. — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:04:05 -0400

I have a real problem with this and as yet have come up with no solution.

On the one hand, I believe the whole problem has been lightly and badly mishandled from day one. This is not a virus that we want to get away from us. There are possibly some real nightmares in our future to be considered if this continues

On the other hand, suspending a persons rights on the say so of what may well be just another bureaucrat, sets a dangerous precedent to that slippery slope of government abuse and theft of rights provided for by our constitution. Remember Holders (and other despots) comment "Never let the use and manipulations of any disaster go to waste"

Both scenarios are frightening and entirely possible. I wish I had the answer.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2014 4:23 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:23:06 -0400

I think she should want to take precautions to ensure public safety. She went to Sierra Leone to help stop this from spreading and then comes back to America and doesn't try and stop it from spreading here?? Oh, the irony if she does have Ebola...

Response by SSG Tim Everett made Oct 31 at 2014 5:16 PM

SSG Tim Everett — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 17:16:43 -0400

What a selfish a-hole. That's my take on this. I think hers is the most outrageous selfish hideous BS attitude - how dare she claim to be a professional medical provider of any type and then refuse to follow a simple safety protocol which puts her caretakers at risk.

But the flip side of this is: I just think that the aggregate public response should be guided by the best knowledge we have available, rather than overzealous application of the precautionary principle, which has real and significant costs of its own. And definitely rather than the motivations of politicians, who have a vested interest in making themselves look like they are Doing Something (election day is coming, that's why gas prices are down too), and other parties like they are unprepared and lackadaisical.

Response by Sgt Adam ONeal made Oct 31 at 2014 5:25 PM

Sgt Adam ONeal — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 17:25:11 -0400

It's crap she's from my State she should have done the 21 days and shut her mouth. Now she wants to sue the state of Maine for their policy. Entitled liberal.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2014 9:47 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 09:47:47 -0500

Lost in the whining about quarantines is this information previously known in briefings but only recently publicly released: Computer models and pandemic experts estimate from 2 up to 150 cases of Ebola in the US by the end of December, 2014, with perhaps "every major city seeing at least a handful of cases". Estimates for 2015 were not released (Source: RMS Modeling, Associated Press). The assumption is that most cases will be imported by medical professionals who worked in South Africa.
Lost in the sea of media attention is the fact that scientists do not know exactly how the virus kills other than the virus seems to cause multiple effects, any one of which may kill such as liver failure, kidney failure, breathing difficulties, etc. Where the virus lurks when it is not infecting humans remains partially known. While it is generally known that certain fruit bats are carriers, it is not generally remembered by lay people that the virus can be latent--benign---in bats and in a new host of mammal species. Whether it can be latent in humans is not known and will take long term studies to discover. Such studies begin with quarantines and follow ups with survivors. Also lost in the din of whining is how Ebola virus is more than one virus; thie virus involve in this year's outbreak--the worst in known history--is a new variant. A new variant indicates that the virus is mutating, gaining genetic variants as it reproduced in each human host. High rates of mutations suggest that it may morph into something better adapted to spread among humans. Thus, we currently do not have full understanding of the virus, its mutations, its latent abilities, or the main mechanism for killing humans. A few people do survive and we don't know exactly why they live. Those facts and other information not yet released support the case for at least a short period of observation, whether or not a person shows what we believe are "obvious symptoms". It's the symptoms that are not obvious or the fact that there may be no symptoms at all that is worth study.
Given those facts, future potential, and our provisional understanding of the virus, the projected infection rate in the U.S. is about one in 2 million people. Trouble is, those numbers are a guess for a two month period; we do know that if infections are not caught early enough, the rate could quickly jump to a hundred thousand in 2 million people, etc. So it seems to me if you are a health care professional willing to risk your life to save others, why would you return to your own country and potentially risk lives there? There is no country "safe" from Ebola or many other viruses. If you are in the initial wave of health care professionals willing to risk your life to save others, why would you not remain in a very safe, not intrusive, observation status so more data could be gathered to save yet more lives? In view of these facts and conditions, to declare that you as a nurse, know better than most scientists and doctors in the world so you can ride a bike with your boyfriend is not the hallmark of a selfless human being. In fact, it puts your own safety at risk from an angry public, which is one reason state trooper escorts were a good idea.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2014 12:50 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 12:50:19 -0500

Incredibly selfish and using this as a personal podium. Worst case scenario, you are still being paid. Just watch some Netflix. Her little publicity stunts and media quips are annoying.

It is incredible she won't follow health guidelines she advises her patients on. I would fire her.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2014 11:56 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 11:56:01 -0500

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/04/us-health-ebola-usa-questions-idUSKBN0IO01Q20141104

U.S. scientists say uncertainties loom about Ebola's transmission, other key facts

Even as government officials express confidence that researchers know the key facts about Ebola, many questions crucial to preventing an outbreak in the United States remain unanswered, scientists told a workshop at the National Academy's Institute of Medicine in Washington on Monday.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2014 2:48 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:48:15 -0500

Please read this if you have not:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/04/us-health-ebola-usa-questions-idUSKBN0IO01Q20141104

U.S. scientists say uncertainties loom about Ebola's transmission, other key facts

Response by SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA made Feb 2 at 2015 4:30 PM

SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 16:30:09 -0500

This is a tough one for me becasue I know how difficult it is to actually contract Ebola, even if someone does have it right next to you. It IS NOT airborne so hey cant cough or sneeze on you to make you sick, it is not transmitted by a handshake, only by mucous., so unless you get spit in your mouth or are french kissing someone who jest got back, you have zero chance of contracting it. The hype is another way to scare our society into submission and to keep us busy with another distraction...
ON THE OTHER HAND...
I would not trust my own words, that woman needs to stay home, even if she had no court order she needs to be respectful of those around her and stop being so darn self righteous...even if it does turn out that she is ok, she is still a nurse....probably should loose here certification.