Tag Archives: ebola

ebola, pandemic

Two Sierra Leone Ebola doctors die in one day – Al Arabiya News

Two doctors have died on the same day after contracting Ebola in Sierra Leone, the government said on Saturday, bringing to nine the number of medics killed by the virus.

They are among hundreds of healthcare workers to die treating patients infected in the deadly outbreak, which appears to be stabilizing in Guinea and Liberia but is still spreading at an alarming rate in Sierra Leone.

via Two Sierra Leone Ebola doctors die in one day – Al Arabiya News.

Fail!

Why are Australia and Canada following North Korea’s lead on Ebola? – The Washington Post

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Many of these countries are also banning entry for their own citizens who have visited the epicenter recently.

Below is a list of those countries, in alphabetical order. As you read through it, think to yourself: Which countries stand out?

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Belize

Cameroon

Canada

Cape Verde

Chad

Colombia

Equatorial Guinea

Gambia

Guyana

Haiti

Jamaica

Kenya

Mauritius

Namibia

North Korea

Panama

Rwanda

Seychelles

South Africa

South Sudan

St Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

St Maarten

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Suriname

The Dominican Republic

Trinidad and Tobago

via Why are Australia and Canada following North Korea’s lead on Ebola? – The Washington Post.

ebola, pandemic

Sierra Leone loses fifth doctor to Ebola | News | DW.DE | 03.11.2014

Sierra Leone’s chief medical officer Brima Kargbo said Dr. George had checked himself into “the Chinese hospital at Jui outside Freetown,” but died of the virus on Monday.

He said the late Dr. George, who was medical superintendent at Kambia Hospital in northern Sierra Leone, might have contracted the virus from a patient he treated for another illness. He had not directly treated Ebola patients.

via Sierra Leone loses fifth doctor to Ebola | News | DW.DE | 03.11.2014.

All show-no go - spin, Fail!

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 »

ebola

News – Epidemiological update: outbreak of Ebola…

Situation in West Africa

Since December 2013 and as of 5 October 2014, 8 032 cases of EVD, including 3 865 deaths, have been reported by WHO (Figure 1) [10].

The distribution of EVD cases by affected countries is as follows and is presented in figure 1:

Guinea: 1 298 cases and 768 deaths as of 5 October 2014;

Liberia: 3 924 cases and 2 210 deaths as of 4 October 2014;

Sierra Leone: 2 789 cases and 879 deaths as of 5 October 2014;

Nigeria: 20 cases and 8 deaths, with last confirmed case in Lagos on 5 September 2014 (30 days as of 5 October 2014) and in Rivers State on first September 2014 (34 days as of 5 October);

Senegal: 1 case, no deaths, confirmed on 28 August 2014 (38 days as of 5 October). All contacts have completed 21 days of follow-up.

via News – Epidemiological update: outbreak of Ebola….

ebola, pandemic

Global response to Ebola marked by lack of coordination and leadership, experts say – The Washington Post

Global response to Ebola marked by lack of coordination and leadership, experts say – The Washington Post.

An accurate account finally. Problem is that the World Health Organization is expected to lead in this area, dropped the ball big time, I think, by being too sensitive to the behind the scenes expressed need by leaders of the nations impacted to downplay the problem, so income from trade and tourism would not be effected. Then August happened – game changed.

ebola, human rights, pandemic

Nigerian Doctor Who Attended To Liberian Man Comes Down With Ebola Virus In Lagos | Sahara Reporters

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has just confirmed that one of the doctors who attended to Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian, who recently died of Ebola in Nigeria, is now sick with the disease.

Chukwu said two other people placed under quarantine were showing signs of the disease, although it is too early to say if their symptoms relates to Ebola.

Sawyer was Nigeria’s first case of Ebola death two weeks ago, and since his demise there have been widespread fears  that some of the more than 70 people he had contact with also develop the virus.

via Nigerian Doctor Who Attended To Liberian Man Comes Down With Ebola Virus In Lagos | Sahara Reporters.

healthcare, pandemic, planetkillers

NIH to launch early Ebola vaccine trial in September

Promising but here’s the catch: “If someone has full-blown Ebola hemorrhagic virus, there is no drug on the planet that is going to protect them. But in the monkey model, we do have drugs where, if you have an early stage of infection and an early stage of illness, some of them are pretty successful.”

via NIH to launch early Ebola vaccine trial in September.

pandemic

Update on Ebola Evacuees! Ebola cases rise to 1,323; 2 African doctors die | CIDRAP

People being evacuated will follow CDC advice and protocols – good! Two US-based relief organizations announced yesterday that they were evacuating all nonessential personnel from Liberia because of the surge of EVD cases in the region. In a statement yesterday, SIM, based in Charlotte, N.C., said it and Samaritan’s Purse were taking the step as a precaution and were in the process of setting up the evacuation details.

SIM said no EVD symptoms are present in any of the evacuees, who are being monitored based on protocols recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other global health groups.

Two medical missionaries from the relief groups recently contracted EVD infections during joint operations in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital. They are Kent Brantly, MD, medical director for the Samaritan’s Purse care center, and Nancy Writebol, who has been working as a hygienist decontaminating medical staff entering and leaving a hospital isolation ward.

In a related development, the Peace Corps announced today that it is temporarily removing its volunteers from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, due to the increasing spread of EVD. In a statement it said it will closely monitor developments with experts from the CDC and the US State Department. Currently the agency has 340 volunteers working in the three countries.

“All Peace Corps programs have emergency action plans specific to that country in place, and staff and volunteers are trained and prepared to respond in situations like this one,” the group said

via Ebola cases rise to 1,323; 2 African doctors die | CIDRAP.

environment, Fail!, healthcare, pandemic

Fear as ebola ‘out of control’ in parts of west Africa | World | The Guardian

Described by virologists as a “molecular shark”, ebola is believed to be hosted by the fruit bat, a delicacy in Guinea and Liberia. The current strain is at least the fifth mutation since its discovery in 1976. Diagnosis is often complicated by the fact symptoms mirror those of malaria, common in the region, including fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. Victims sometimes have horrific internal and external bleeding and most die of shock or multiple organ failure, although chances of survival increase dramatically if adequate treatment is received early on. No cure exists for ebola but confirmed cases are first quarantined before undergoing intensive rehydration therapy. Due to its high contagion rate, medical workers should wear head-to-toe biohazard suits even when dealing with dead patients.

via Fear and ignorance as ebola ‘out of control’ in parts of west Africa | World | The Guardian.