All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Pandemic Primping and Posing – The Ebola Version

Crises, especially health related crises bring out the best and the worst of we humans. Back, last December reports started to come out about a new Ebola outbreak and areas where it had never appeared before. There was coverage by people who research disease outbreaks and look for answers to causes and for prevention but little coverage by the standard global press and all the second level media who feed off of them. Then three Americans contracted Ebola and everything changed. US media jumped to attention and EU press followed since 30-50% of what it reports as news is US news.

As that coverage ramped up both politicians, wannabe politicians, and drug companies, as well as academic researchers took notice that perhaps they could advance their stature, status, and profit by “doing” something about Ebola and quick. Thus the news feeding frenzy began, followed by pimping and primping for profits and votes.

The public is left to wonder is this a real threat, who is telling the truth, and should I be afraid for myself or family?

Notice the pattern? It is the same for “action” pattern followed for hurricanes, cyclones, earthquakes, floods, bird flu, and new terrorist groups.

This morning there were 124 stories waiting in my reader at 8 AM. Here is a smattering of them that illustrate how people and organizations try to gain an edge or defend their edge in the face of the latest big thing.

Samsung joins fight against Ebola – The Star Online
Ebola — South KoreaDOING ITS BIT: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is joining the fight against Ebola by donating 3,000 Galaxy S3 Neo smartphones to be used in the United Nation’s Humanitarian Connectivity Project.

Quarantined Ebola patients threaten to break out of isolation for lack of food in … – CP24 Toronto’s Breaking News
Ebola — LiberiaMONROVIA, Liberia — Dozens of people quarantined for Ebola monitoring in western Liberia are threatening to break out of an isolation because they have no food, the West African nation’s state radio reported Thursday.

Texas firm releases rapid Ebola tests – Outbreak News Today
Ebola — Texas, United StatesSan Antonio, Texas-based Biotech Company Alpha Diagnostic Int’l (ADI) has developed and released several convenient, rapid, and sensitive ELISA test kits for the detection of major Ebola viral protein antibodies (Glycoprotein, GP; Nucleoprotein, NP,

Trial flu, Ebola drug shows promise against norovirus – Medical News Today
Influenza, Ebola, Norovirus — United StatesSpeeding up mutation is emerging as a potential new way to treat virus infection. Now, a new study shows that favipiravir – a trial drug currently being tested against Ebola and influenza – successfully treated norovirus in mice using that method.

Starving Liberians: We’ll Break Ebola Quarantine – Newser
Ebola — Liberia( ) – Dozens of people quarantined for Ebola monitoring in western Liberia are threatening to break out of isolation because they have no food, the West African nation’s state radio reported today. Forty-three people were put in quarantine after four

NBC’s Nancy Snyderman told to ‘take some time off’ after scandal about her … – Daily Mail
Ebola — LiberiaThe 62-year-old medical correspondent was ordered to avoid all human contact for 21 days as doctors treated her cameraman Ashoka Mukpo after he contracted the deadly virus in Liberia. Despite this, Dr Snyderman and her … in to grab the order, according to TMZ. After three weeks, the doctor and her team’s quarantine is over, but, instead of returning to the nation’s screens,

PH to implement 42-day quarantine vs Ebola spread – ABS CBN News
Ebola — PhilippinesThe President has directed all concerned agencies to undertake preparations needed to implement this concept.” The group of internists earlier urged the government to review quarantine procedures amid the threat of the Ebola virus. PCP suggested 21 days

Duke prepared for Ebola outbreak, doctors say – Duke Chronicle
Ebola — Liberia“Duke is in a good position in terms of local resources, local expertise and in-hospital management capacity,” Dr. Cameron Wolfe said of the possibility of an bola outbreak. Should a local case appear, Duke would be a fortuitous place to encounter the virus

Panama bars travelers from three Ebola-hit African countries – Reuters Africa
Ebola — PanamaPANAMA CITY (Reuters) – Panama has banned entry of travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the three West African nations worst hit by the Ebola virus, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The ban applies to anyone traveling from the three ;…

California Department of Public Health Establishes Ebola Hotline – Imperial Valley News
Ebola — California, United StatesSacramento, California – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has established an Ebola hotline call center to respond to public inquiries related to Ebola it was announced today by Dr. Ron Chapman, CDPH director and state health officer.

Alphas Turns Over 96-Bed Ebola Treatment Unit to Gov’t – AllAfrica.com
Ebola — Virginia, United StatesResponding to the growing demand for more space to accommodate Ebola patients, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority have turned over a 96-bed Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) to the Government through the Ministry of Health and

Dallas nurse’s dog doesn’t have Ebola – Delhi Daily News
Ebola — Texas, United StatesBentley, the dog of Ebola-infected nurse, Nina Pham, has tested negative for the deadly virus. The dog was quarantined after Pham was diagnosed with Ebola earlier this month. Dallas City Hall said in a statement that the dog was tested Monday and it will remain in quarantine for 21 days and will be tested again for the deadly viral disease which has claimed over 4,000 lives in West Africa.

Airport workers protest amid Ebola fears – KOMO News
Ebola — Washington State, United StatesSEATAC, Wash. — More than a dozen airline cabin cleaners, along with members of the non-profit group Working Washington, protested in the terminal of Sea-Tac Airport Wednesday over what they say are un-safe working conditions onboard airlines.

Connecticut Launches Ebola Information Website – CTNow
Ebola — Connecticut, United StatesFollowing news that nine Connecticut residents have, as a precautionary measure, been quarantined and monitored for possible exposure to Ebola, the state of Connecticut is launching an informational website

As Ebola fears spread, states take emergency response into their own hands
Fox News
Not satisfied with the federal response, several states are taking the Ebola crisis into their own hands – tapping emergency funds in their budgets, launching treatment units and holding public hearings to stanch the spread of misinformation about the …
Dallas hospital will no longer treat EbolaThe Hill
Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s Response To Ebola Under ScrutinyHuffington Post
Richardson Ebola Center Ready To GoCBS Local
Breitbart News -International Business Times -Texas Tribune
all 235 news articles »

A netizen is killed in Tamaulipas – Reporters Without Borders

{I have to wonder – is the President of Mexico in with the criminals or does he just not care?}

Netizen María del Rosario Fuentes Rubio was kidnapped by armed men on 15 October in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas. A picture of her dead body appeared on her Twitter account the next day.

Netizen María del Rosario Fuentes Rubio was kidnapped by armed men on 15 October in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas. A picture of her dead body appeared on her Twitter account the next day.

Fuentes Rubio was kidnapped as she left the Tierra Santa clinic in Reynosa, where she worked as a doctor.

The photo of her body that appeared on Twitter was followed by a series of messages, including “Shut down your accounts, do not risk your families’ lives as I have done. I ask your forgiveness.”

For several months, Fuentes Rubio, under the pseudonym “Felina,” had been contributing via the Twitter account @Miut3 to the Valor por Tamaulipas citizen information service. It focuses on violence and organized crime activities in the state. Fuentes Rubio’s family left the country on 16 October, after filing a formal complaint.

via A netizen is killed in Tamaulipas – Reporters Without Borders.

Good Samaritans Hold Driver Who Hit Elderly Man Then Tried To Flee: Gothamist

Witnesses say that Stafford first got out to check on the elderly man: “I saw the driver get out of the car and go to pick up the man, who had to be in his 80s,” witness Lili Skorpanic, who works nearby, told the Post. “He was wearing this gray business suit, so I figured he was a gentlemen, a professional, who would know what to do. But he just panicked and ran off.”

He allegedly tried to flee the scene in his 2005 BMW, but three other motorists gave chase and were able to stop and hold him. “It’s like the whole neighborhood got together and followed him,” Skorpanic told them.

The elderly man, whose name hasn’t been released, was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in stable condition. Stafford has now been charged with leaving the scene of an accident, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle for the crash. He has at least two prior arrests, including one for drunk driving.

via Good Samaritans Hold Driver Who Hit Elderly Man Then Tried To Flee: Gothamist.

How Can a Three Year Old Represent Himself in Court? – Immigration Impact : Immigration Impact

Each week, in immigration courts across the United States, hundreds of children, some as young as just a few months old, come before immigration judges and are called upon to defend themselves against deportation. Among them is Arturo,* a three year old who arrived at the United States border in April 2014 because family members feared for his life in El Salvador. Although he is only a toddler, the government has put him (named in our lawsuit as “A.E.G.E.”) into deportation proceedings on his own. He has no attorney to help him explain to the court why he should not be deported.

via How Can a Three Year Old Represent Himself in Court? – Immigration Impact : Immigration Impact.

One Canadian soldier killed as shots ring out in nation’s capital – LA Times

Canadian soldier was killed and the nation’s Parliament was on lockdown Wednesday after gunfire rang out in downtown Ottawa.

A hospital said it had received three victims, two of whom were in stable condition.

Details were sketchy, but police said several shooters were believed to be involved.

At least one gunman opened fire on a soldier who was standing guard at the National War Memorial, then headed in the direction of the nearby Parliament building, witnesses told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

CAPTION

Gunfire inside Canadian parliament building

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CBS News Special Report: Shooting at Canada’s Parliament

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Parliament MP describes shooting in Ottawa

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Soldier shot near Canadian parliament building

The soldier was given emergency aid at the scene and put in an ambulance. Police later confirmed that a member of the Canadian forces had died of his injuries.

Moments later, shots were fired inside Parliament, according to journalists and lawmakers inside the building who saw a body lying motionless on the floor that they presumed to be a suspect. Some reported that the sergeant-at-arms of the House of Commons had shot the assailant.

via One Canadian soldier killed as shots ring out in nation’s capital – LA Times.

WHO: TB one of world′s deadliest infectious diseases | News | DW.DE | 22.10.2014

WHO: TB one of world′s deadliest infectious diseases | News | DW.DE | 22.10.2014.

1.5 million deaths a year – yet we follow the media lead and run for cover from ebola hype. Ebola and and should be stopped but taking years to stop new types of TB is insane!

“The death toll from this disease is unacceptably high,” the report read. “A staggering number of lives are being lost to a curable disease.”
Last year, there were 9 million new reported cases of tuberculosis, with 1.5 million of those being fatal.
The number of cases, however, continues to decrease: “TB is slowly declining each year and it is estimated that 37 million lives were saved between 2000 and 2013 through effective diagnosis and treatment.”
The trend indicated that one of the Millennium Development Goals – established by a UN panel in 2000 – to reverse TB infection rates could be achieved by the deadline.
“The 2015 Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing TB incidence has been achieved globally, in all six WHO regions and in most of the 22 high TB-burden countries,” the report stated.
Multidrug-resistant TB alarming
Multidrug-resistant TB remains alarming – high cost prevented many people from getting proper diagnoses and treatment.
“There are severe epidemics in some regions, particularly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia,” the report read, adding that for people infected with this strain, rates for successful treatment were “surprisingly low.”
Grania Brigden, a TB expert with the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, said, as reported by the Reuters news agency, that the “alarming spread of drug-resistant TB from person to person in the former Soviet Union is of critical concern, along with the growth in MDR-TB and XDR-TB cases,” she said, referring to multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of the disease.
“Access to proper treatment is drastically low: Only 1 in 5 people with multidrug-resistant TB receives treatment; the rest are left to die, increasing the risk to their families and communities and fueling the epidemic,” she said in a statement.

 

allAfrica.com: Liberia: MSF Wants Vigilance At Liberia’s Borders – Ebola Cases Drop in Lofa

However, the MSF Foya Project Coordinator told President Sirleaf that when the French medial charity arrived in Lofa in August, there were more than 125 patients, but cases have stabilized and at a low level. For the past several weeks, the ETU in Foya where all Ebola cases from surrounding districts are transferred for treatment has had an average of “more or less than ten patients”, Mr. Louis said.

In the last 26 days, he reported that they did not have any confirmed case in Foya, Vahun and Kolahun districts, respectively, while attributing the success in Lofa to efficient and effective coordination among all actors involved in combating the outbreak; efficient, regular assistance with ambulances for Foya District and surrounding districts; and the establishment of the ETU for three districts in addition to effective health promotion.

“But the frontline of this response has been the health workers and national staff. And while we’re seeing result at the moment, we must praise that in the continuation of this response will be only efficient, will be possible if staff are fairly and adequately compensated in the timely manner,” he suggested.

via allAfrica.com: Liberia: MSF Wants Vigilance At Liberia’s Borders – Ebola Cases Drop in Lofa.

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Poor Sanitation – 150,000 Children Die Annually in Nigeria – -Unicef

And world media and conspiracy nuts going on and on about controllable Ebola as if the end of world was coming!

UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Chief in Nigeria, Mr. Kanaan Nadar, disclosed this on the occasion of the 2014 global hand washing day celebration in Abuja.

UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Chief in Nigeria, Mr. Kanaan Nadar, disclosed this on the occasion of the 2014 global hand washing day celebration in Abuja.

UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Chief in Nigeria, Mr. Kanaan Nadar, disclosed this on the occasion of the 2014 global hand washing day celebration in Abuja.

Nadar called on parents to make their children see the need to always wash their hands and maintain safe hygiene at all times as this would reduce deaths caused by diarrhea by almost 50 per cent.

Nadar, said: “In Nigeria every year, we have about 150,000 children that die largely due to diarrhea mostly associated with unsafe water sanitation and hygiene.

via allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Poor Sanitation – 150,000 Children Die Annually in Nigeria – -Unicef.