On Sept. 19 an unidentified man left Liberia on a flight to the United States to visit relatives. After at least one connecting flight, he arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Conflicting reports have the feverish, sick man showing up at a hospital either on Wednesday, Sept. 24, or on Friday, Sept. 26. He was given antibiotics and sent home. On Sunday, Sept. 28, he was so deathly ill that an ambulance was called to transport him to the hospital. There, based on his symptoms and the fact that he had recently been in Liberia -- one of the West African nations where a new strain of Ebola Virus is ravaging the population -- he was put in isolation and a blood sample was sent to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to be tested for Ebola.
The tests came back positive. This is the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States. Read about the case here and here.
Notice in the first news story referenced above that while the CDC continually asserts that Ebola can not be transmitted through casual contact, the response in the 10,000-strong Dallas-area Liberian immigrant community is quite different. They are staying away from any large groups of people. Period. They've seen what Ebola can do, and have more respect for it than Americans (so far).
As noted in the article, the 3 healthcare personnel who were in the ambulance that transported the victim are quarantined and are being closely monitored for 21 days, to see if they develop symptoms -- although they have tested negative for the virus. The hospital has announced that one other person who came in close contact with the victim is being tested for Ebola, as well.
Here is the problem with Ebola Virus...
This is a deadly, fatal disease. Our government did nothing -- absolutely nothing -- to protect us from it. They did not restrict ships and air carriers from coming here from the infected countries. They did not quarantine people with "Liberia" or "Sierra Leone" stamped in their passport in previous weeks. They did not strengthen the Border Patrol presence on our borders. They have done nothing to stop this, and now it's here. Don't expect any help from the government now.
Take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. Stay aware of news reports about additional Ebola cases in the U.S., and if it comes to your region, stop going near large groups of people. If it comes to a city near you, stay home. Put up food and medical supplies now, as preparation for when they're needed. Don't wait until your neighbors panic and the rush is on.
The tests came back positive. This is the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States. Read about the case here and here.
Notice in the first news story referenced above that while the CDC continually asserts that Ebola can not be transmitted through casual contact, the response in the 10,000-strong Dallas-area Liberian immigrant community is quite different. They are staying away from any large groups of people. Period. They've seen what Ebola can do, and have more respect for it than Americans (so far).
As noted in the article, the 3 healthcare personnel who were in the ambulance that transported the victim are quarantined and are being closely monitored for 21 days, to see if they develop symptoms -- although they have tested negative for the virus. The hospital has announced that one other person who came in close contact with the victim is being tested for Ebola, as well.
Here is the problem with Ebola Virus...
- It isn't the flu. It kills mercilessly -- up to 90 percent of those who get it. Why does the World Health Organization (WHO) say the death rate of this current outbreak in West Africa is around 50 percent? Mainly because their figures are inaccurate. If a person sickens in a village, healthcare professionals go to the village, take a blood sample for testing, and tell the sick person to stay there until the results come back. But once the symptoms appear, the person may bleed out and die in a week. By the time the test results come back and the medical team returns to the village to retrieve the victim, he or she may already be dead. And the WHO figures do not count any death outside of a hospital or clinic. The person is counted as a confirmed illness, but not a death; hence, the higher number of illnesses compared to deaths.
- There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola; all doctors can do is keep the person's strength up until he or she rides out the illness.
- It can take up to 21 days for symptoms to appear. That means a person can contract the illness, feel fine, travel thousands of miles feeling fine, then suddenly sicken and die in a matter of days. This disease can travel.
- The initial symptoms of Ebola are: Fever, body aches, cough...the same as for the flu or any one of a number of other common illnesses. It's only when the internal organs begin to shut down and the victim begins bleeding out from every orifice that people around them realize it's something more. By then, how many people have been coughed-on, or cleaned up vomit? A spokesman for Samaritan's Purse -- a Christian aid agency that was the initial contact organization in this epidemic -- said before Congress that if a person had even a centimeter of their body exposed to a patient with Ebola, they were in danger of contracting the disease. Ebola germs can persist on surfaces, too, so if a sick person wipes his nose with his hand and then grasps a door knob, the next person that grasps that door knob can get the disease.
This is a deadly, fatal disease. Our government did nothing -- absolutely nothing -- to protect us from it. They did not restrict ships and air carriers from coming here from the infected countries. They did not quarantine people with "Liberia" or "Sierra Leone" stamped in their passport in previous weeks. They did not strengthen the Border Patrol presence on our borders. They have done nothing to stop this, and now it's here. Don't expect any help from the government now.
Take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones. Stay aware of news reports about additional Ebola cases in the U.S., and if it comes to your region, stop going near large groups of people. If it comes to a city near you, stay home. Put up food and medical supplies now, as preparation for when they're needed. Don't wait until your neighbors panic and the rush is on.