Ebola - What Should the Gubmint Do?

If those two folks that said they'd be in voluntary quarantine had kept true to their words, we might be able to trust others that venture off to Africa to fight Ebola. Instead, they headed out for soup or went bowling.

These soldiers are just building facilities. They aren't even in contact with Ebola victims....the Government Quarantines them for 21 days. Others have come in direct contact with Ebola victims...OR are non essential business travelers or tourists or Ebola refugees. The Government sends them on their way with a thermometer. It's almost like one hand doesn't know what the other is doing.

Wonder how the US treated folks coming into the country with infectious diseases?

linky

Maybe we put them all in a hospital for 21 days?

I'm trying to figure out why PJ thinks people serving in our military are not volunteers. As someone who was draft-eligible in the early 1970's, I can say military service didn't used to be completely voluntary, but it has been completely voluntary since the government ended the draft.

...and a nurse who was in direct contact with people infected with ebola threatens to sue a governor for enacting a precautionary quarantine to prevent her from possibly spreading the disease to her family and friends, and the public in general? Over being housed in "inhumane conditions"? WTF? Was she staying at a Marriot while she was in West Africa?

Bob, I served in the Air Force and I wasn't drafted..

PJ, we Volunteered all of us who served since roughly the mid 1970's. We volunteered, those who served in both Gulf Wars. We volunteered, those who went to Kosovo, Hati, and Somalia.

Does PJ, get the picture?

Huh? We can assume Soldiers aren't in contact with Ebola victims...but we cant assume the same of business travelers? And since when is your policy limited to people in contact with Ebola victims? I thought it was for everyone coming over from West Africa. I just cant even begin to understand what you are saying here.

No, chef, I don't get the picture. Not one bit. Tell me about the time where you told your commanding officers what base or part of the world you would be serving in....instead of the other way around. I'd love to hear that story.

We're not talking about 'MY" policy. We're talking about The Federal Government's apparently Confused Policy. PJ claimed that Quarantines are too risky because they discourage medical volunteers.

1. If the only reason we aren't quarantining these high risk people is that it will discourage medical volunteers, then why don't we quarantine the non essential travelers...The ones who travel unrelated to the medical effort (and shouldn't be traveling here until we get a handle on it there anyway)...Contradiction #1...Feds claim we won't quarantine because it will impact medical volunteerism...but we don't quarantine those who aren't involved in the medical effort either so that can't really be the reason.

2. The US Army has instituted a Quarantine for their travelers even though they have not had direct contact with Ebola Victims. Contradiction #2....Feds claim even the highest risk travelers don't need to be quarantined, yet they quarantine lower risk soldiers who had no contact with Ebola victims. If the policy is good enough for our men in uniform then it's good enough for a medical aid worker or Joe from Liberia National Bank.

Either Quarantine is necessary or it isn't. That shouldn't depend on whether you're a soldier, a banker or a doctor. Now one question...for anyone who knows. What is the predictive capability of the Ebola Test? Can it accurately detect pre-symptomatic Ebola or do you have to be at a point where you're showing symptoms for it to detect Ebola? If it accurately detects Ebola at any stage then we don't need a long quarantine...just long enough for test results...

I'm beginning to think that we may not be able win this battle if we are completely depending on volunteer healthcare workers buying a ticket from Dulles to Monrovia anyway. It may be necessary to use more capabilities of the Military including the Medical Corps and also to directly hire and pay qualified individuals to supplement pre-existing teams.

I'm a little surprised our Ebola Czar isn't over there evaluating the effort rather than our UN ambassador. Who is in charge over there? Is it the World Health Organization? W.H.O.'s in charge over there?

I did just see a non-scientific survey from the Today show that claimed 94% of the respondents supported a quarantine. It's pretty rare for that big a percent of Americans to agree on anything.

I hope the State of NJ has to pay this lady a million or more for each they confine her against her will. She doesn't have a fever and has tested negative for the virus. The Constitution takes sort of a grim view on imprisonment of citizens without a trial.

It would be one thing to confine someone to a hospital floor with heating, air, running water tv and modern communications it is quite another to confine someone against their will in primitive conditions like this lady is being held.

When one contracts Ebola, is it less painful and dangerous when transmitted by Army personal or by medical volunteers?