The Essential Kit Every Air Traveler Needs To Have --- NOW

After two nurses as Texas Health Presbyterian  Hospital in Big D have now been infected with Ebola - as tests show- and nurses from that hospital have reportedly  told a National Nurses Union no protocols were place, the protective wear was "generic" and further,  the patient (Thomas Eric Duncan) was left in a public access area for hours - it is time for people  (at least airline passengers) to take their safety into their own hands. It is clear to this observer that your standard hospitals aren't ready, and worse we can't even be sure of airline flights now, as the most recent RN infected-  Amber Joy Vinson - was actually told she could get on a plane to Cleveland by the CDC, despite having attended to Duncan) and having a fever of 99.5F. (As MSNBC's Chris Hayes' observed last night, he's having a harder and harder time defending the CDC to his friends, as well as opponents, given their spate of lapses.)

Ok, the fever was below the threshold (100.4 F) the CDC had set, BUT the RN had cared for him. As CDC Honcho Thomas Frieden noted, under no circumstances should she have been flying any commercial airline flights. The immediate return flight to Dallas - when she actually had manifest symptoms - put 132 fellow passengers at risk - not to mention the hundred on the five additional flights made from Cleveland to Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, etc. before finally being "deep cleaned" by CDC standards back in Cleveland.

So what's an airline passenger to do? Take a clean up kit along when you board a plane, that's what! We have found that since we have been doing this regularly this year (on 3 flights en route to Barbados and 3 back to COS, then 3 flights en route to Switzerland and 3 back) we have not become ill - for the first time in years.

What is this kit? It includes a box of vinyl (non-latex) gloves - like surgical gloves, and a box of Chlorox wipes. As we find our way to our seats the first thing done is to don gloves, then remove the wipes and wipe down all seat surfaces, arm rests, tray tables (especially)  the whole works. Yes, some people will look at you as if you're a hypochondriac - or maybe from Mars - but I warrant not so much now after we know Ebola traveled with Ms. Vinson to Cleveland and back.  Now, I will bet they're thinking: "Hmmmm....why didn't we think of this sooner!" (Especially now that Frieden has admitted the virus can survive on surfaces - even when the spittle or barf has dried - for up to 7 hours, oh and they have now upped the fatality rate to 70% from 50%)

By the way, we leave all the magazines and the safety instruction plastic cards in the seat pockets alone, They are now known to contain the highest percentage of virus (and one drop of Ebola blood had 10 billion virus particles compared to 1 million for HIV) and are difficult to clean. If you want magazines, bring your own  - and look at the attendant when she delivers the safety spiel - forget about the card. (In any case, any experienced air traveler should already know where the exits are, etc. and how to handle an oxygen mask, use the seat bottom for life preserver, etc.)

The deal here is to make to use the same cleaning protocol on each leg, and if a guy in the next aisle howls with laughter and mocks the extraordinary precautions, just chirp: "Well, at least we won't get Ebola!"   

All this is now what we must do because it's evident our Neolib gov't has no plans at all to halt flights fro the hot zone. We keep being told that doing that "this will not stop the spread of the disease"  - but I feel it's more a case that "doing it will cause the stock market to crash" as we almost saw yesterday (400+ point drop during the day - from airline stocks diving)

And, clearly, the greatest fear of Neoliberals is not 50 people a day getting Ebola in the U.S. but the DOW crashing by 500 pts, because of bans on unnecessary air travel from the region.

Oh, there are also memes circulating, as I beheld in today's Denver Post, that "human rights" may clash with health security if travel bans are mandated. Excuse me? Traveling cross-continent  or trans-Atlantic by plane is NOT a right. It is a privilege. Having clean water and decent health care should be rights, but not traveling wherever the hell you want - because you think you need a vacation or whatever.

It's no wonder we're in somewhat of a mess when people can't distinguish true rights from privileges. But that has been the tenor the past 25 or 30 years as Neoliberalism has eviscerated the memetic landscape - so why be surprised?

All those who plan air travel anytime soon, especially for the holidays, would be well-advised to take along the wipe kit suggested. And, btw, it's good not just for Ebola but for the new Enterovirus-68 and the flu too!

The Harsh Truth: Too Many U.S. Hospitals Unprepared to Deal With Ebola

Most U.S. Hospitals lack positive pressure suits, or don't know how best to use them especially in disposing of fluid waste.

Contrary to the PR piffle we’ve been fed the past two weeks, it now is clear U.S. hospitals have not been prepared to deal with the emergence of Ebola in the U.S. In fact, had it not been for the incident in Dallas with Thomas Eric Duncan, we’d likely never have learned how pathetically unprepared our hospitals are. All this after the brainiacs at the CDC have been assuring us that ‘oh yes, we are prepared to meet any challenge’.

Let me make it clear that I’ve always detested PR, or public relations. I believe it cripples a country and makes it believe it’s pursuing truth and objective reality when in fact it is encouraging rampant delusion. But the lack of reality and appreciation of it is exactly what can bring a nation down because it obscures the search for real solutions to its problems. The primary fear then is not so much ISIS, or even Ebola, but the uniform incapacity to accept and deal with reality! After all, it was author Chris Hedges in his ‘Empire of Illusion’ who observed that a nation that does not deal with reality will end up in the dustbin of history for all intents.

Let’s take the case of the codswallop we’ve been fed by the CDC about U.S. hospital preparedness for an Ebola outbreak. First, I never bought into this bunkum. Probably because I 've been well aware how far behind the curve most American hospitals and medical centers are,  especially in terms of medical mistakes – basic ones! Look no further than the recent death of Joan Rivers, which as Dr. Mehmet Oz reported on one of his recent shows (Sept. 19th), was due to carelessness and lack of accountability during a basic outpatient procedure called an endoscopy.

This is a procedure I also had some four years ago. It entails introducing an endoscope down the patient’s throat to examine it for any evidence of lesions or cancerous growths. In my case none were found but in Rivers’ case a small tumor was observed on the vocal cords.  At that point Rivers’ own physician – a non-specialist who had no business even being there -  proceeded to take a biopsy and created a critical situation..

As Oz noted, the problem with this was twofold: 1) Rivers signed NO consent form to allow a biopsy to be done at the same time, and 2) when a biopsy is performed on the vocal cords a breathing tube  must have already been inserted into the airway before the procedure because – if not- the excision will cause the cords to swell up and block the throat – preventing air from getting in. This is exactly what happened with Rivers but few people are aware of it.  Thus, the idiot dr. that performed this on the fly, and despite no consent form,  caused Rivers’ passageway to be blocked and an inability to breathe. She went into a coma even as they tried desperate measures to revive her but it was already too late.

It is geniuses like this on whom we are supposed to rely in the case of an Ebola outbreak  - when the most direct and serious solution would be to prevent all non-essential passengers from traveling to the U.S. from the Ebola-affected regions. But oh no, our Neoliberal government, the State Dept. and CDC doesn’t want to send any negative signals out regarding free trade and free travel!  Denver Post Op-Ed columnist Michael S. Woodson wrote yesterday (Perspective, p. 1D, 'U.S. Has Left Itself Open to Ebola Outbreak'):

 

"A plethora of journalists and the government have emphasized the fact that Ebola is not as contagious as flu viruses to mute justifiable outrage at their policy for leaving such a wide preventable loophole."

 

What loophole?  Allowing non-essential passenger travel from the West African Ebola outbreak zone  to the U.S. "inviting the uncontrolled exposure of Americans to the Ebola virus." As he also emphasized, Ebola has already been classified by the CDC "as a Class A, bio-terrorism agent". Some have even speculated that ISIS might use Ebola infected pawns to spread the virus - but as Woodson notes:

 

"A natural versus weaponized Ebola is a distinction without much difference".

 

In other words,  we ought to treat all those leaving  the hot zone for whatever reason (including 'holiday')  as possible carriers of the virus.  That means shutting down all non-essential air traffic from the West African hot zone - lest we make the U.S. another hot zone. In Woodson's words:

"All non-essential, untraced passenger travel from the Ebola outbreak zone should be banned. All essential relief travel must be screened, and livable, isolated  staging areas set up by the CDC and Department of Homeland Security to observe U.S. entrants until after the incubation period for the Ebola virus has passed."

Clearly, Woodson - like me - doesn't trust the medical infrastructure to do the job to keep us safe. And why the hell should we?

As reported in Saturday’s Denver Post (p.1A, p. 8A) after the Duncan Dallas episode, a CDC official affirmed that “many hospitals remain confused about how they are supposed to react when a suspected patient shows up.”

Seriously?  I thought they all had it covered given the info has been circulating, according to the CDC, since June. I thought from what the assorted CDC honchos have been yapping about on the morning and evening news we were all safe since every hospital in the land knew exactly how to screen for the disease and had the wherewithal – including isolation wards – ready. Turns out it was all bull shit.

The Post piece went on (p. 8A):

“The agency sent additional guidance to health care facilities this week, as it has numerous times in recent months, on everything from training personnel to spotting the symptoms of Ebola to using protective gear.”

The article goes on to state that Emory University Hospital (which treated the two American medical volunteers)  has already provided advice to dozens of hospitals, “many of which are struggling with a lack of awareness about safety protocols and fear among workers who feel ill –prepared.”

Oh really? Well, then imagine what the public must feel as all the truth comes out in bits and pieces that our illustrious medical- industrial establishment wasn’t really prepared after all. We are continually told there is no reason to panic and we must not panic, and yet these people have given us no reason not to. They have literally played the fool!

The Post confirmed that the usual PR is still afoot as it noted:

“At the White House on Friday, federal officials sought to reassure the public that the nation’s health care system was well equipped to treat the virus and stop it from spreading.”

 

But pardon me if I don’t buy it. The Dallas case shows this is a PR myth, promoted for expedience so the gov’t can continue to cover its hide while it allows unlimited plane traffic from the affected areas – to appease the airline industry and Neoliberal market capitalists. 

You think these capitalist money grubbers really care about you or your family's welfare? Think again!  They are all about business and profits and that is ALL they care about! They don't want to kill the golden goose never mind that goose may be a Trojan horse for Ebola. Woodson also cites (p. 6D) a White House Fact Sheet that admits more concern for disrupting West African trade than for U.S. health security. He quotes it reading as follows:

 

"The State Department also has encouraged airlines operating in the region to maintain or reinstate service while ensuring appropriate precautions.  CDC is assisting with exit screening and communications efforts in West Africa to prevent sick passengers from boarding planes. It has also issued interim guidance about Ebola virus infection for airline flight crews, cleaning personnel and cargo personnel."

 

In other words, go all out to keep those planes flying - take all conceivable precautions -  but halting them isn't on the table.  Woodson goes on NOTE:

 

"The White House and State Department  argue that flight bans hurt international efforts  to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. However, they fail to distinguish between controlled, essential travel for relief and stability operations versus non-essential travel to the United States."

 

He has a point.

 

Further, the admission by numerous hospitals that they aren’t prepared and they’ve had to pick the brains of those at Emory (and now likely Texas Presbyterian too) isn’t designed to instill confidence.  That the feds can remotely make the specious claim the “nation’s health care system is well equipped” to deal with Ebola is ludicrous and they must think we’re stupid or not paying attention. Maybe they believe we’re more entranced by “Survivor” or “Amazing Race” among other diversions, like shopping for the latest tech gizmo.

According to Craig deAtley, administrator of the D.C. Emergency Healthcare Coalition, the Dallas case is now prompting health care institutions across the nation to look at their individual abilities to respond.

“Facilities might not realize, for example, how much practical planning goes into training and staffing personnel, configuring isolation rooms, and determining what to do with dirty bedsheets and other waste”,  according to deAtley.

Well the fact that “dozens” of hospitals have had to call up Emory for guidance shows there’s  no “might not” about it – they really don’t know what to do! Ok, let me rephrase that: they didn’t know what to do before they called, and there may be hundreds more that haven’t found out yet. (Maybe they will phone in for guidance after another infected Liberian arrives - say in Tampa - and this time with full blown symptoms. And btw, the case yesterday of a sick Liberian arriving at Newark Airport  - but found not to have Ebola - ought to be another shot over our bow to take action!)

Oh and here’s the real butt kicker (ibid.):

“CDC officials acknowledged that widespread hospital awareness didn’t kick in until the Dallas case.”

Right, so we have had to wait until a possible full scale outbreak before our great medical establishment and health care system had all its ducks in a row. Criminy!  And  we're supposed to believe it's now "kicked in"? I doubt it.

More comforting words from Abigail Tumpey, a CDC spokeswoman:

“We let our guard down a little bit”

Yuh think?

Keep watching as this saga unfolds, and mind whether action is finally taken to halt all non-essential flights from the hot zone if an outbreak begins in Big D!  If nothing happens, you will know the Neoliberal state places its own welfare over yours!
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10/7  Footnote: Supporting my contentions, on CBS this morning is the news of a Sept. 24 Nurse's protest in Las Vegas, with the RNs marching to show their fear that their hospitals are not ready for Ebola. Also, of more than 1500 nurses that responded to an online survey nearly 80 percent said that their "hospital has not communicated to them any policy regarding admission of patients infected by Ebola."   Another Nurse from San Francisco interviewed by John Blackman affirmed her hospital had none of the positive pressure suits she herself had seen on TV.

Then a clip of CDC Honcho Thomas Friedan was shown claiming he wanted health workers to be "scared". He wants them to have a healthy respect for the consequences of any lapse". Fine, Maestro, but then make sure the hospitals are all provided with the wherewithal needed, and until then stop the PR.

Ebola Arrives in Dallas: Why The U.S. Needs To Get Serious About It

The news that a patient at a Dallas hospital tested positive for Ebola ought to alarm people enough, but the further news that he'd been carrying the disease around with him for 7 days before becoming symptomatic enough to show up at a hospital ought to scare people even more. And also, that most of this time he spent with his family members (he'd apparently just arrived in Dallas from Liberia and had shown no signs or symptoms on the plane - or so we've been told.).

The CDC said the patient had come to Texas "to visit family" and they confirmed Ebola after tests had already been conducted by a state lab.

Dr. Richard Besser, ABC Medical Consultant, asked last night about the incident said:  "It is very concerning".

Well, it ought to be!

Here's the thing: If lawmakers and Texas governor Rick Perry are so occupied with ISIS terrorists crossing the Mexican border why aren't they similarly exercised about the bio-terror of Ebola entering into the country aboard planes from Liberia? Or entering from ANY of the affected nations: Guinea, Sierra Leone as well as Liberia?  One would have thought that by now, with the cases in those nations increasing geometrically,  all flights originating from the Ebola -affected nations would have been halted - as other countries have done.  But no, it's business as usual in the US of A..

This isn't good enough! And I don't buy the soft soaping and PR that we have  "a great infrastructure to deal with an outbreak" as spouted by Zachary Thompson (Director of Dallas County Health and Human Services), and quoted in an AP report. 

The fact is, as reported on last night's ABC News segment,  when the patient (now identified as Thomas Eric Duncan)  first showed up at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, an RN completely blew it by not passing on the critical info that the man had come from West Africa. Because of this breakdown the hospital wasn't able to properly diagnose Duncan, so they released him back onto Dallas' streets.  It wasn't until Duncan's  2nd try three days later that Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital finally got it right and admitted to the isolation ward. But no one knows how many people came into contact with this U.S. "patient zero"  in the hiatus between hospital stops.

Gen. Anthony Zinni, appearing on the Bill Maher Real Time show, was blunt in giving his assessment of the comparative dangers of ISIS and Ebola. He properly and correctly noted that the latter is a real "existential threat" but not ISIS - which is a regional threat. This is similar to how I already put it in terms of comparing ISIS to global warming. Again, the latter is the existential threat, not ISIS. ISIS is Halloween scary with their black masks, beheadings of journalists and screeching radical Islamic piffle - but not at the level of Ebola or climate change.

What should be done then? The U.S. forthwith needs to take off the kid gloves and treat all entrants from the Ebola -affected nations as possible bio-threats and potential  bearers of Ebola. This means shutting off ALL flights from the three affected nations until such time the outbreak is brought under control. Not to do so is, to me, little different from allowing ISIS -infected American radicals back into the country to wreak havoc. It is, in other words, common sense.

The fact that one Dallas hospital completely missed this patient's disease, and last week another doctor returning from Liberia expressed concern at arriving in Miami and not being screened, shows we are living in a fool's paradise and the luck may soon run out.

The appearance of the Ebola positive patient in Big D is a shot over our bow. It is now time to get serious and throw the hammer down, No more incoming flights from those nations until the outbreak subsides. We cannot put our trust and faith in the medical infrastructure alone!