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US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola - free of the virus

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

News Releases
Ebola Update, Oct. 15, 9:44 p.m. CDT
10/15/2014

Statement from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas

With a second one of our health care workers now infected with the Ebola virus despite following recommended protection procedures, Texas Health Dallas is offering a room to any of our impacted employees who would like to stay here to avoid even the remote possibility of any potential exposure to family, friends and the broader public.

We are doing this for our employees? peace of mind and comfort.

This is not a medical recommendation. We will make available to our employees who treated Mr. Duncan a room in a separate part of the hospital throughout their monitoring period.

We want to remind potentially affected employees that they are not contagious unless and until they demonstrate any symptoms, yet we understand this is a frightening situation for them and their families. We will be coordinating this effort with the county monitors who are already regularly checking on their temperatures for any sign of infection.

The hospital will contact directly those being monitored to make arrangements. We also ask our potentially affected employees to be the good citizens that we know they are by avoiding using public transportation or engaging in any activities that could potentially put others at risk.

http://texashealth.org/news-alert.cfm?id=1629&action=detail&ref=1897
 
Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Solon closes two schools Thursday as Ebola precaution

WKYC Staff, WKYC 8:36 a.m. EDT October 16, 2014
...

SOLON, Ohio -- Solon Middle School and Parkside Elementary School are closed Thursday as a precaution.

An e-mail sent to parents by the school district said they learned a Solon Middle School staff member may have traveled aboard the same airplane, though not the same flight, as the Dallas nurse diagnosed with Ebola.
...
http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/cuyahoga-county/2014/10/16/solon-school-closings/17340989/
 
Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Frontier Airlines puts crew from flight with Ebola patient on paid leave

Frontier Chief Executive David Siegel sent an email to employees saying two pilots and four flight attendants were put on leave "out of an abundance of caution as the safety and security of our employees is our number one priority."

In addition, the email says the plane used to transport Amber Joy Vinson will remain out of service as it receives a fourth cleaning in Denver.

"These extraordinary actions went beyond CDC recommendations," the email states. "These steps were taken out of concern for the safety of our customers and employees. Steps such as removing the aircraft from service, removing aircraft seat covers and carpet and replacing environmental filters as well as placing the crew on paid leave were not requested nor mandated by the CDC."
 
Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

CDC Tracking Fliers On Ebola Nurse Amber Vinson's First Flight

Federal health officials will begin tracking passengers who were on the plane Ebola-infected nurse Amber Vinson took from Dallas to Ohio on Oct. 10 ? a date when she supposedly did not have symptoms and was not contagious. "We can't rule out that she might have had the start of her illness on Friday," Dr. Chris Braden of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at a Thursday afternoon briefing, citing new information developed by investigators tracing all of Vinson's contacts. "This new information is saying we need to go back now to the flight she took on Friday the 10th and include them in our investigation of contacts."
...
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/eb...bola-nurse-amber-vinsons-first-flight-n227691
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

CDC: Nurse with Ebola said she felt funny while in Ohio

Search expands for contacts in Ohio Ebola investigation

UPDATED 5:08 PM EDT Oct 17, 2014

Dr. Chris Braden, leading a CDC team in Ohio, said information from the woman and people she visited suggests she didn't have typical symptoms of Ebola when she flew to Cleveland on Oct. 10 and visited family in Akron last weekend. But he reiterated that health officials can't rule out the possibility that her illness began last Saturday, or possibly earlier.

"There's some indications that she wasn't feeling well when she was here," but those signs weren't pronounced, he said.

Officials are monitoring the health of 16 people in northeast Ohio who had contact with the nurse, 29-year-old Amber Vinson, and none has been ill. They were urged to stay home and have been cooperative, health officials said.

Twelve are in Summit County, and four are in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland.

Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/search-exp...io-ebola-investigation/29188680#ixzz3GRKphSbW
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Ebola nurse Amber Vinson's family told Ohio pastor protective gear at hospital left her exposed

She returned to Dallas on Oct. 13 aboard a plane with more than 130 other people. The CDC allowed her to fly. That night, Vinson called her mother.

?Mommy, my temperature is going up and I?m jaundiced,? Vinson told her, according to what the family told Glenn. ?I?m going to call the hospital now.?

That's so sad. Hard to read as a parent. She must be so frightened. :(
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

2nd nurse with Ebola may have had worse case during flights

Last Updated Oct 18, 2014 10:03 AM EDT

DENVER - The president of Frontier Airlines says a nurse who was on flights between Dallas and Cleveland and who later tested positive for Ebola may have been at a more advanced stage of the illness than previously thought.
...
The airline put the pilots and flight attendants on leave for 21 days...
...
Biffle says passengers on Vinson's flight from Dallas to Cleveland on Oct. 10 and her return flight to Dallas on Monday have been notified.
...
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2nd-nurse-afflicted-with-ebola-may-have-had-worse-case/
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Dozens in Ohio Monitored for Possible Exposure to Nurse With Ebola

By MITCH SMITHOCT. 18, 2014
...
Mr. Plusquellic called for the federal government to send more specially trained health care workers to Ohio in case anyone who contacted Ms. Vinson began experiencing symptoms of Ebola. He also suggested having a plane on standby in both Akron and Cleveland to carry any patient with Ebola symptoms to a hospital with the necessary facilities to treating the disease.
...
Ohio officials said Saturday that they had identified 29 people who might have come into contact with Ms. Vinson during her visit to the state. They said one person, whom they did not identify, is under a ?strict quarantine,? but in good health.

Public health leaders also said they were in touch with 87 airline passengers in Ohio who flew with the nurse between Texas and Cleveland before she tested positive for Ebola. All were healthy as of Saturday morning, they said.

Just 16 Ohio residents were being monitored a day earlier....

Full text:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/19/u...ssible-exposure-to-nurse-with-ebola.html?_r=0
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

TSA agent who performed patted down Vinson put on leave. Over 800 passenger contacted.


The TSA says an officer who patted down Vinson on October 13 in Cleveland has been placed on paid administrative leave "out of an abundance of caution."



http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/18/health/us-ebola/index.html?c=&page=0
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Amber Vinson's family released a statement:

The past several days have been the most trying our family has collectively ever faced. We remain intensely prayerful and optimistic about Amber's condition and of the treatment she is currently receiving. Our prayers and thoughts also go out to Amber's colleague, Nina Pham, and the Dallas and Ohio communities impacted by this tragedy.

Amber is the shining light of our family and truly an exceptionally good and caring young woman. She is a loving daughter, granddaughter, sister, friend, and soon-to-be wife. Furthermore, Amber is a deeply committed nurse driven by a fundamental passion for helping others. Although the majority of the correspondences we have received since her diagnosis have been positive, we are troubled by some of the negative public comments and media coverage that mischaracterize Amber and her actions. To be clear, in no way was Amber careless prior to or after her exposure to Mr. Thomas Eric Duncan. She has not and would not knowingly expose herself or anyone else.

Before traveling, Amber, working through her Texas Health Resources Presbyterian Hospital assistant manager, contacted the CDC and was fully cleared for travel. On Sunday, while in Ohio, Amber received word that Ms. Pham, a colleague she worked closely with during treatment of Mr. Duncan, had been diagnosed with Ebola. Amber was contacted by the Dallas County Health Department and told that the agency had begun conducting outreach to all of the nurses who had direct contact with Mr. Duncan for status updates on their health. She reported that she was fine and provided her temperature reading at that time. By phone, county officials read Amber a letter that contained information about symptoms to observe and report should they develop. She was also told to continue self-monitoring and was asked to report these results twice daily to the agency. During this conversation, Amber, unsettled by the news of Ms. Phan, asked if arrangements could be made for her to fly her back to Dallas on Sunday as a precaution. Amber was particularly concerned considering that Ms. Pham, being a capable nurse who followed the same Dallas county mandates, had become infected. Officials assured Amber that her concerns were unfounded because her temperatures were within the appropriate measures and asymptomatic in all other areas. Amber then asked if, after returning to Dallas, she would be allowed to reside at the hospital until the end of her 21-day monitoring period. She was told that this was the first request of its kind, but that the agency would consider the option. Once again, Amber was assured that she should not be alarmed and prompted to continue self-monitoring. The Dallas County Health Department informed her that, upon her return to Dallas, someone from their agency would record at least one of her readings, in person, daily.

The following day, Amber prepared for her return to Dallas, and following the request of the Dallas County Health Department, reported her temperature before boarding her flight – three different times. Her initial flight was delayed and two subsequent delayed flights prompted Amber to report her temperature, as instructed, each time she anticipated departure. In all three instances, she was cleared to return to Texas.

One day after returning to Dallas, on the morning of Tuesday, October 14th, Amber first reported a temperature of 100.3 degrees to the Dallas County Department of Health. Immediately after, Amber proactively admitted herself to Texas Health Resources Presbyterian Hospital, and has been quarantined since.

Suggestions that she ignored any of the physician and government-provided protocols recommended to her are patently untrue and hurtful. In the interest of Amber and our family, we have retained esteemed attorney Billy Martin to provide us with legal counsel during this unfortunate and troubling time. We also ask that the media respect our privacy. All media inquires should be directed to Steven Jumper.

We thank everyone for their prayers and support.
 
Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

The whole "not infectious until you show symptoms thing" doesn't really present a firm line, particularly when a) the symptoms are variable, and b) the thresholds of the symptoms are set somewhat arbitrarily and inflexibly. Just using temperature and setting a particular number as the threshold is going to miss some early cases.

The strategy has to be affected by the statistical character of this problem. Ebola is a low-risk high-consequence disease, as opposed to the common cold which is high-risk low-consequence for most people. It's a "black swan." We have to treat it accordingly.
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Clearly the nurse was doing everything in her power to assure that she was following all appropriate precautions.

The real problem here IMHO appears to be the standards used to determine when to isolate (and how much) and when to just monitor.

No previous outbreak of Ebola has gone thru more than 5 generations which means our experience has been extremely limited. In addition, emerging diseases usually undergo multiple significant changes when adapting to a new species.

IMHO, most public officials and medical people (with the notable exception of Michael Osterholm) are placing totally unwarranted confidence in what should appropriately be considered HIGHLY tentative guidelines, in this case what specific temperature to use as the cutoff for concluding that isolated and travel restriction is indicated.

IMHO travel restrictions should not be temperature dependent at all: all contacts should have travel limitations: no mass transit travel whatsoever for anyone with close contact to a known Ebola case, whether symptomatic or not, IMHO. This may seem extreme and costly but IMHO it would be FAR less costly to go this route NOW than pay a much higher price for the "less costly" (in the short term only!) looser restrictions applied in much higher numbers because of the greater spread due to looser restricitions.

A cutoff of almost two full degrees (Fahrenheit) above normal (98.6) seems far too high, IMHO. A problem is that normal temperatures vary greatly (my usual is below 97.0 Farenheit and I've never had 99.0 or above without having some infection (or severe heat exposure). IMHO the cutoff should have some reference to what temperature is normal for each individual patient. The problem is that medicine (highly inappropriately) usually pays no attention to individual variations.

To err on the side of safety, patient records should be checked to see what temperature is normal for each patient and the cutoff for each patient should be at no more than 0.5 degree above that point. (that would get them over the limit in some normal circumstances but we should err on the side of caution)

Frankly we are little more than guessing when we say that Ebola is not infectious presymptomatically. That's almost certainly not true in all cases. The real (unspoken) question is whether the number is low enough to disregard (i.e.: to not significantly impair the effort to get the ROI below 1)

What they're really doing is playing the numbers: the idea is that because of variations you cannot be certain in any event so you try to set cutoffs that cover most cases and those that escape the net just have to be managed in the next "wave". The idea is that the ROI does not have to be brought to zero, just a reasonable level below one, to stop an epidemic.

BUT THE KEY POINT is that, in the final analysis, it costs far less to use very stringent and thorough measures early on (and thereby keep the total numbers far lower) than to delude yourself you are saving money by using more "economic" measures that result in a much higher number of cases eventually and therefor much higher costs, despite that the average cost per case may be much lower.

IMHO they are relying far too much on the experience of all past outbreaks being readily contained. THERE ARE TWO CRITICAL POINTS THEY ARE FAILING TO CONSIDER THERE:

1) the new conditions of severe economic deprivation leading to grossly inadequate resources to mange the problem as well as was done in the past

2) and ESPECIALLY that it is far easier to manage an outbreak when the numbers are low and vastly more difficult when the numbers are higher (which means that past experience is DOUBLY inapplicable to the current situation)
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Mother of Nurse Who Contracted Ebola Details Weakened Daughter's Struggle

The mother of a nurse who contracted Ebola while treating a patient at a Texas hospital says her daughter is focused on recovery, but remains weak since being diagnosed with the deadly virus last week.

?She is doing OK, just trying to get stronger,? Debra Berry said of her daughter, Amber Vinson, to ABC News. ?We talk to her when she?s not trying to sleep or avoid phone calls.?

?I can?t put it into words really, how it feels to have the knowledge that she?s sick and I can?t get to her,? she said.
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Has Vinson received a transfusion from Brantly? I haven't noticed any reports in the press about it, one way or the other. (he did donate to Pham, Sacra and Mukpo).
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Amber Vinson?s family says she is Ebola-free, but Emory and CDC officials have yet to confirm statement

By Robert Wilonsky
5:14 pm on October 22, 2014 |

A statement released Wednesday evening by the family Amber Vinson, one of two Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas nurses diagnosed with Ebola, says she appears to be free of the disease. That was news to a spokesperson for Emory University Hospital, to which Vinson was transferred one week ago.
...
When reached by The Dallas Morning News Wednesday evening, Emory spokesperson Janet Christenbury said she was ?not aware of that at all.? She said she would provide an update as soon possible.

Jason McDonald, spokesperson for the CDC, says he is ?not aware of any test results.? He hopes to have an update tomorrow.

?Healthcare provider will determine by diagnostic whether a patient is free of Ebola virus,? he says via email. ?We have criteria we ask medical staff to meet but the determination is made by medical care provider.?
...
http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/...officials-have-yet-to-confirm-statement.html/
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Emory Healthcare update: Ebola virus disease patient Amber Vinson 'making good progress'

Oct. 24, 2014

Emory Healthcare released a statement today updating the status of patient Amber Vinson, who is being treated for Ebola virus disease.

"Emory University Hospital physicians, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are pleased to report that Amber Vinson is making good progress in her treatment for Ebola virus infection. Tests no longer detect virus in her blood. She remains within Emory's Serious Communicable Diseases Unit for continued supportive care. We do not have a discharge date at this time," the statement says.

Vinson arrived at Emory University Hospital on Wednesday, Oct. 15, after being transported by air ambulance from Dallas, Texas. She is the second of two health care workers infected while caring for a patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. The CDC and Texas Health Resources specifically requested that Vinson be transferred to Emory Healthcare.

Vinson is being treated in the same isolation unit at Emory University Hospital in which three patients have already been treated. The first two patients were discharged in late August; the third patient was discharged Oct. 19.

http://news.emory.edu/stories/2014/10/ehc_ebola_amber_vinson_update/campus.html
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola

UPDATE: October 28, 2014

Emory University Hospital physicians, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are pleased to report that the Ebola patient from Dallas that arrived on Oct. 15, Amber Vinson, will be discharged today and is free of the virus.

Emory University Hospital will hold a news conference today at 1 p.m., where Bruce Ribner, MD, medical director of Emory?s Serious Communicable Disease Unit, will discuss the discharge of Amber Vinson from the hospital and answer media questions. Amber Vinson will also be present and will make a statement, but will not take questions.

http://advancingyourhealth.org/highlights/2014/10/15/emory-ebola-patient-transfer-from-dallas/
 
Re: US-Texas: Ms. Vinson - Second Texas health worker 'tests positive' for Ebola - free of the virus

Ebola-Surviving Nurse Blames Cleanup Crew for Destroying Her Engagement Ring

Nov 7, 2014, 11:25 AM ET
By GILLIAN MOHNEY

Amber Vinson, 29, told CNN her engagement ring and wedding binder used to plan her nuptials were destroyed by cleanup crews after she was infected.
...
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said he believes there was no medical reason to destroy the ring because it could be easily disinfected.

?All you have to do is drop it in a little bleach or any household disinfectant?Any household cleanser; that would destroy the Ebola virus,? Schaffner told ABC News today, adding that destroying the ring went ?way overboard.?
...
Vinson's ring wasn't the only casualty during the cleanup. Frontier Airlines had to pull out carpet and seats from the plane on which Vinson traveled from Cleveland to Dallas after airline officials learned Vinson was infected.
...
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ebola-...-crew-destroying-engagement/story?id=26758050
 
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