Ebola - What Should the Gubmint Do?

Slander is it? Luckily the Truth is always a defense to Slander allegations

We are talking about the actual travel restrictions the CDC has implemented, right? So prior to October 14 2014, please list out all of the CDC ordered travel restrictions on people entering the USA from Ebola stricken countries. I'll save you the trouble were no such restrictions....and that was the Official Position of the CDC...and by default PJ's position as well.

There were Travel Warnings. There was screening and a questionnaire that was done in Africa by African authorities, but that was not a requirement or official CDC restriction. Their official position was to do nothing to restrict travel from West Africa. So does PJ accept this as the truth or can he prove me wrong? If this is true, then the CDC did nothing to restrict travel prior to October 14 and PJ supported them and I have slandered no one.

On October 14 2014 additional screening and procedures were ordered by the CDC to take place at US Airports. This included a questionnaire and a temperature reading. Does PJ know of any additional travel restrictions ordered by the CDC on or before October 14 2014? I pointed out this enhanced screening out as the First CDC initiated Travel Restriction. Does PJ know of others? If so, please educate us. Did PJ think this was the answer to preventing the spread of Ebola in the US? Did the CDC believe that?

Finally...10/22...The CDC announced SOME real restrictions on Travel to the US from Ebola hotspots.
1. Limited to 5 the Airports that will serve Ebola Hotspots...greatly reducing the number of commercial flights.
2. Required monitoring of EVERY individual entering the US from Ebola hotpsots.
3. Quarantine of high risk travelers
4. No public transportation for high risk travelers

So just to recap....

At the time the CDC had no travel restrictions in place, people here were calling for a commercial flight ban. PJ supported the CDC...and called those who wanted much greater travel restrictions panicky and knee jerky.

Then the CDC announced US screening and people here were still calling for a commercial flight ban. And PJ called them panicky and knee jerky.

Finally the CDC limited Commercial Flights, created quarantines and required daily monitoring of all Ebola Country visitors. PJ supported the CDC. I want Ebola Country transport to be handled by Military and Medical specialists and to ban commercial flights. I still applaud the new travel restrictions as a move in the right direction...finally.

There. I slandered no one. I only assumed that PJ and the CDC really thought they had made the right calls on imposing or not imposing travel restrictions. Is that not true? So what am I making up? That PJ was in full support of the non actions of the CDC? That the CDC took no action on travel restrictions until October 15 and took no serious action until after October 22?

Please point out where I slandered you or the CDC or where I'm wrong about this.

People who live in fear and anger understandably get upset when somebody pokes fun at their fear and anger....

Yes, and you just did it again.

The CDC has never said or believed the best option to confront Ebola was to do nothing. Alan says a lack of implemented protocols before the first infections in the US is proof the CDC wanted to do nothing. Brilliant insight !

2 days after 911 the Bush Administration did not have a plan to kill Bin Laden. Using Alan's thoughtful insight into reading the minds of other people this would mean the Bush Administration's official position to fight terrorism was to do nothing. Equally brilliant!

Since the first infections in the US there has been discussion on how to proceed. The very specific point of travel bans was discussed on these boards...and in the media. Every disease control expert I saw including the CDC director said flight bans would do more harm than good. ALanLeroy said his common sense trumped the experience and understanding of the CDC director on this topic. I simply disagreed and AlanLeroy has been having a hissy fit ever since.

Its ironic since ALanLeroy says the lack of a disease control background disqualifies the new Ebola Czar from being good at his job. But not having a medical background doesn't stop Alan from pretending he understands disease control better than disease control experts.

Well lets see....if DonDiego was a health care worker interested in helping people in Liberia would he volunteer to go knowing he would not be allowed to return to the US? Food for thought, isn't it?

Boiler is fearful for the NY City doctor, who just tested positive for Ebola, and for those who've been in close proximity of this man. I'm not fearful for myself in any way. In the past two weeks I've traveled to Chicago, various Chicago suburbs, Cincinnati, Lexington, and Louisville. I've also been in various parts of my home town of Indianapolis. During these travels I've entered probably two dozen restaurants plus a handful of pubs. Never was I afraid, so lets rule that BS out.

Angry? I think not. I am astonished, however, at how slow Obama and friends are to take proactive measures to stop Ebola from entering the country. As I knew would happen, the Libs are finally "reacting" and they are now putting tougher measures in place.

Melon is apparently confused.

PJ, I've not seen any suggestion that US medical workers in Africa never be allowed to return to the United States. Please correct me if I'm incorrect, however.

I would support a policy that all American medical workers in these countries be quarantined for 21 days prior to returning to the United States.

What Boilerman said.

What part of 'There were no CDC restrictions on travel from Ebola Infected areas' prior to October 15 and no serious restrictions prior to October 21 do you not understand? That is well after we had our first Ebola case in the US. Did PJ support this weak approach or not? It's a pretty simple question. One that PJ continues to avoid.

Does PJ really think that because no one carrying the Ebola Virus had previously entered the USA that it was not possible to predict that with no restrictions on travel that it was bound to happen? The 911 analogy was so flawed it's pitiful. Yeah...let's just allow anyone from an area with an out of control epidemic to hop on a commercial flight and see the USA. Brilliant strategy.

PJ is the one continually having a 'Hissy Fit' and accuses me of things like 'Slander' and panic and knee jerk reactions.... because I keep pointing out how the CDC has botched this from the start and how they have now changed their approach and actually implemented some travel restrictions. They should have known better. They're paid to know better. In regards to travel restrictions they have been reactive and not proactive.

PJ has also completely ignored the fact that I have suggested an immediate superior replacement to the commercial flights he thinks are so important so any of his arguments that a commercial flight ban will prevent medical personnel and supplies from going to Africa are simply hogwash. See that would actually require some level of independent thinking. But in the final analysis, none of these arguments are actually PJ's. He merely parrots what he thinks the experts say...whether or not it actually applies to my suggestion...whether or not it makes any sense whatsoever.

That's why he accuses me of slander when I simply state the truth and assume he actually supported the actions of his experts. That's why he never recognizes that there are better ways to transport people and supplies to the area and he is not able to comment on that...because his experts haven't commented on it.

And I'm glad that PJ recognizes that I have a similar medical background to our current Ebola Czar. That alone should qualify me (in his thinking) to comment on our poor response to this problem and suggest alternatives that reduce risk while improving the flow of people and supplies to the hard hit areas of Africa.

OK then...heightened screening and monitoring does not constitute a flight ban, does it? The former allows people to travel to and from....the latter does not. Hence the word "ban" in the latter. Kindof a massive difference between the two approaches, no?

People are calling for a ban on COMMERCIAL flights, not military/relief flights which can be controlled & quarantine procedures can be put in place. PJ is having a problem differentiating between the 2