Second worker tests positive in US

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/second-texas-health-care-worker-tests-positive-ebola-n226161

I got your back, 7Laws.

http://cnn.com/2014/10/15/health/texas-ebola-outbreak/index.html?c=homepage-t

Second Ebola diagnosis in Texas
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(CNN) - A second health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan has tested positive for Ebola, health officials said Wednesday -- casting further doubt on the hospital's ability to handle Ebola and protect employees.

The worker reported a fever Tuesday and was immediately isolated, health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said.

The preliminary Ebola test was done late Tuesday at the state public health laboratory in Austin, and the results came back around midnight. A second test will be conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

"Health officials have interviewed the latest patient to quickly identify any contacts or potential exposures, and those people will be monitored," the health department said.

But the pool of contacts could be small, since Ebola can only be transmitted when an infected person shows symptoms. Less than a day passed between the onset of the worker's symptoms and isolation at the hospital.

Official: Duncan should have been moved

An official close to the situation says that in hindsight, Duncan should have been transferred immediately to either Emory University Hospital in Atlanta or Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Those hospitals are among only four in the country that have biocontainment units and have been preparing for years to treat a highly infectious disease like Ebola.

"If we knew then what we know now about this hospital's ability to safely care for these patients, then we would have transferred him to Emory or Nebraska," the official told CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

"I think there are hospitals that are more than ready, but I think there are some that are not."

The second time

The latest infection marks the second-ever transmission of Ebola in the United States. Both stemmed from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

Late last week, nurse Tina Pham tested positive for Ebola. She also took care of Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. Duncan died last week.

On Tuesday, Pham said she was doing well.

"I am blessed by the support of family and friends, and am blessed to be cared for by the best team of doctors and nurses in the world," she said.

Troubling allegations

Also Tuesday, National Nurses United made troubling allegations about the hospital, claiming "guidelines were constantly changing" and "there were no protocols" about how to deal with the deadly virus."

"The protocols that should have been in place in Dallas were not in place, and that those protocols are not in place anywhere in the United States as far as we can tell," NNU Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro said. "We're deeply alarmed."

Nurses were told to wrap their necks with medical tape when equipment left their necks exposed; they felt unsupported and unprepared, and they received no hands-on training, union co-president Deborah Burger said.

A Texas Health Presbyterian spokesman did not respond to the specific allegations, but said patient and employee safety is the hospital's top priority.

Global epidemic

While the Texas hospital deals with its third Ebola patient, the situation in West Africa is getting increasingly dire.

More than 4,000 people have died from Ebola this year in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

And it could be up to 10,000 new Ebola cases per week in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone by the end of this year as the outbreak spreads, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.

U.S. President Barack Obama says he'll reach out directly to heads of state to encourage other countries to do more to fight back.

"There are a number of countries that have capacity that have not yet stepped up," he said. "Those that have stepped up, all of us, are going to have to do more."

The fact that they are admitting they should have transferred Duncan to a different hospital is very telling. We have been told all along any hospital can deal with this virus. What a bunch of hooey! I wonder if the "officials" are going to put the blame on this individual as well?

Ro2........?

Someone posted this in the comments section of a news report on this developing situation.

"Interesting, I just received this note via email from Denton County, TX, County North of Dallas."

THIS IS JUST AN EXERCISE!

Medical Reserve Corps- Denton County

You will NOT be required to deploy for this exercise. If contacted, you may be asked for your availability for the exercise deployment period.  The state would like to know if they called right now what we as Denton County Could Provide. 

I saw a report on the news that the nurses union also said that the nurses, that treated Duncan, were allowed to treat other patients.  Does the CDC realize they are dealing with a deadly virus?  

I'll see if I can find an article to paste here.

People are losing confidence in the CDC. Now the head of CDC said we should have sent a team or moved Duncan when it started. Now we have a second worker and still not sure about his family???

There are only 4 hospitals in the US that can handle Ebola. One in Missoula MT   ST. Pats, Emory in Atlanta the other two I am not sure of one back east and one mid west.

This is not going well folks. Even the stock market is worried!

Has anyone questioned why this news was released in the middle of the night in the US? Very strange.