Re: US - Texas: Patient tests positive for Ebola in Dallas - travel history to Liberia
Re: US - Texas: Patient tests positive for Ebola in Dallas - travel history to Liberia
Exactly my concern, not just in countries that do not currently have ebola outbreaks, but in West Africa as well. I wonder how many people are contracting ebola while waiting with other ebola patients for their test results.
I pray that none of the HCWs that were in contact with this patient were infected, but this doesn't sount a whole lot different than the Sawyer case in Lagos, in terms of symptomatic contact with HCWs prior to diagnosis.
From early stories it sounded as though Sawyer was grotesquely inadequate in conducting himself with respects to those who were trying to treat him.
With this individual, do we know if he was transported by ambulance or did he walk thru the front door. Because the CDC saying "handful of contacts" would quickly be exhausted as soon as the individual walked thru the hospital door and sat down in the waiting area. Extend this to:
- the individual who initially took information
- the nurse who took him to the room
- the first doctor on staff to examine
- the first doctor who likely discussed with other doctors
- those who were originally in disbelief and continued to consult
- family contacts (or those he was visiting)
- the first doctor he saw and then was sent home
- the transportation to and from the first visit
....
A handful is easily exhausted, even if I'm 1/2 wrong.