by Jack
Ebola predictions have been way off the mark, as late as June of this year White House spokespeople were assuring us that it was highly unlikely this insidious virus would ever make its way to the US. Now we have 2 open cases in Texas and one dead.
Ebola is now running rampant through 3 Western African countries and the only reason it hasn’t spread further is because of one thing… the borders around those hot spot nations have been closed. Why we are not closing down air travel from Western Africa is inexplicable, especially after the infected Liberian man slipped in.
We know the plausible method for future transmission to the US is via air travel. So, why are we taking the chance? Why are we relying on passenger forms and thermometers to detect an infected person? Speaking of the latter. . .I’ll bet TSA is not too excited about doing the screening. How would you like to be the guy holding the thermometer when you get a fevered passenger and it turns out to be Ebola?
Obama is playing a dangerous game of politics. He’s placing our lives at risk for the sake of his open border policy, but I can’t believe this is all there is to it, there must be more! It just doesn’t make sense why he would do this when so many oppose this open border policy? A new poll from the Washington Post and ABC News shows 67 percent of people say they would support restricting entry to the United States from countries struggling with Ebola. Another 91 percent would like to see stricter screening procedures at U.S. airports in response to the disease’s spread.
The fact that two health care workers in Texas could so easily contract the virus, despite taking extraordinary precautions, should be a clue how dangerous Ebola is. But, Obama is keeping the Western Africa flights open. On the other hand, Obama was really quick when it came to closing air travel to Israel when a rocket dropped 25 miles from the Tel Aviv airport, but this threat is a 10,000 time worse and he’s doing nothing?
TERRORISM AND EBOLA: Does anyone here actually think that our arch nemesis, ISIS, has not considered using Ebola as a weapon? ISIS said they will attack us and they’ve tried and they would like nothing better than to strike a heavy blow in America. Ebola could well be the answer to their prayers. It’s such a simple weapon too! The 21 day incubation period would be just enough time for an infected terrorist to enter the USA and spread it as fast as they can.
Ebola would be the cheapest, most devastating weapon of mass destruction a terrorist could use. It’s available to them right now and we’re wide open!
Every criminal act has three elements, motive, ability and opportunity – tell me what element is lacking for ISIS or Al Qaeda if they wanted to use Ebola to attack us?
This is a real bad combination folks and I hope it doesn’t happen, but we would be smart to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. But, we’re not preparing. TSA is still checking for shoe bombs and an infected terrorist could waltz right through our airport security and who would know?
The AP reports today that 16 doctors from Doctors Without Borders have been infected and nine have already died:
Apparently the US government has decided that the proper way to make sure people infected with Ebola don’t get into the USA is to check their temperature before they enter. This stupidity is outrageous. The man in Dallas that recently died did not have any symptoms when he entered the country even though he was infected. In addition, doctors are saying that a heavy dose of Tylenol would bring the fever down enough in the early stages to get though this screening. So someone that knows they have it because they have a fever can still get on a plane headed to the USA. In fact, I suspect that many people would do just that in the hope that they would have a better chance of surviving with treatment in the US.
This administration is risking the lives of hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions in the name of political correctness and to protect their immigration agenda. This is criminal negligence.
MCS: Yes, it would appear so. Once it gets lose in America it could wreak havoc. If we think we have enough medical personnel to stop it cold, better think again. A lot of health care people, especially the nurses and CNA’s are not going to be available if we have a major outbreak. They would sooner quit than be ordered treat Ebola victims and risk death. I can’t blame them.
The nurse that helped treat the Ebola patient in Texas thought it would be okay to travel by air to Cleveland to plan her wedding. Once she started travelling she came down with a fever. She put her needs ahead of the public, she was incredibly reckless. She knew the risk, she’s had first hand experience with this disease and she exposed the public after she came down with a fever.
There are many reasons that a travel ban would be unwarranted and unhelpful.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2014/10/13/ebola-travel/
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/10/09/cdc-chief-why-dont-support-travel-ban-to-combat-ebola-outbreak/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/10/01/why-hasnt-the-u-s-closed-its-airports-to-travelers-from-ebola-ravaged-countries/
Chris, I don’t agree. If WE set the example, others will follow. We need a global ban or at least more inspections on air passengers from Western Africa. If an infected person is forced to try an circumvent airport security bans, it would delay them by days and this could give us additional time so the virus would be more visible when they finally hit a security check point. To say we find the problem of air travel to complicated and unworkable to enforce is simply not true. Case in point, halting air travel to Israel due to rockets. The news coming in just now says the nurse that boarded her flight already had a fever! Holy cow…she was expose…she had a fever and she still chose to fly?
Like the CDC explained, a travel ban would just isolate the countries already affected and make the problem worse. The disease is only contagious via bodily fluids–this is not going to become the epidemic you fear. We heard the same fearmongering with swin flue, bird flu, etc., we can get through this.
Re: #5—
“The news coming in just now says the nurse that boarded her flight already had a fever! Holy cow…she was expose…she had a fever and she still chose to fly?”
Yup, and there’s more—
“However, according to Flighttracker, the plane was used for five additional flights on Tuesday before it was removed from service. Those flights include a return flight to Cleveland, Cleveland to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL), FLL to Cleveland, Cleveland to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), and ATL to Cleveland.”
Link—
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/10/15/ebola-patient-traveled-day-before-diagnosis/
RHT… You know this is the kind of thing that could get transmission jump started real easy. This woman was a complete idiot.
Containment is the number one goal with something like this…isolation is exactly what is needed.
Having said that the equipment, medicines and manpower to isolate those affected must be brought into the countries under crisis.
A restricted travel ban is certainly warranted. Travel that isn’t absolutely vital to the goal of containment and treatment is warranted.
The slipshod way this has been addressed so far, by this administration and WHO is both unfathomable and dangerous.
The President should never have said EBOLA was unlikely to come to America. Weren’t we also told that our healthcare people were all properly trained? And what about the many differing statements about how the disease is transmitted? That was also a mistake, giving false assurances to the public and to inexperienced healthcare workers.
The suggestion that we use 4 or 5 hospitals across the country that are set up for isolation and have containment procedures in place seems wise for now. But if by some chance this thing spreads rapidly by people crossing our borders or flying in to get better treatment every possible facility should be prepared and trained.
I think it was smart to send our military to construct facilities, roads, etc. Today I heard our military will also treat patients and test blood. But the Army only confirmed testing of blood.
It’s difficult to trust a CDC that has so far been incompetent:
“CDC Is Incompetent Or Lying about Ebola Threat To United States”
CDC Director Admits to Agencies Incompetence”
“Government Incompetence and Deadly Recklessness in Ebola Threat Response”
“censures CDC, suspicious of ‘incompetence’ or a ‘cover-up'”
I’ve learned that a number of European countries are restricting flights to the affected countries. So it can be done and it should be done. By the way, that nurse that took the flight and was infected just got a private jet to special hospital that is set up to contain infectious diseases – wonder what that’s going to cost us? If she was only smart enough to have stayed home until she was safe, but she didn’t. She should be sued for damages. I have no empathy for stupid people like her.
Doncha love the way liberals leave out the qualifiers? May be one reason that common sense escapes them.
I have a feeling that nurse was a low information citizen with inadequate training.
A lot of people have died and will die because the powers that be didn’t want this to explode before the election. As seems to be the pattern they didn’t have a plan and didn’t jump on this to prepare and contain it early!
Here’s something puzzling and a bit worrisome:
I wonder what happened with the babies?
Nigeria is a good example of swift, dedicated action. It is a wealthier nation with infrastructure so the point isn’t to make an unfair comparison with other African nations. It is to show an approach that works.
“How Nigeria Contained its Ebola outbreak”:
They treated the problem with the seriousness it deserved.
Until today our President was too busy fundraising.
CBS news:
A stronger approach may convenience people a bit but isn’t that the more compassionate approach given lives are at stake?