After the shock of finding ebola in Texas, people are concerned their hospitals aren't ready for dealing with pandemics.

Rightly so, in my opinion.

SEATTLE -- The confirmed Ebola case in Texas has many asking whether our local hospitals would be ready if a similar situation happened in Seattle or Western Washington. KING 5 took that question to the man who would lead King County's response to such a threat.

Dr. Jeff Duchin is the Chief of Communicable Disease for Seattle and King County Public Health.

He says he wasn't surprised to hear about the Ebola case in Dallas. He also wouldn't be surprised if a similar situation happened here.

"The number of cases in West Africa is increasing every day," he said. "So yes, I think the chances are low, but I think, it would not be surprising if we had a case of Ebola virus in Seattle."

That's why he's been working with local hospitals, to make sure they're ready if and when that happens.

"The key is asking the right questions, identifying patients early, getting them isolated," he said. "We're asking and expecting all of our hospitals to be prepared to both identify and appropriately manage patients who have Ebola virus infection.

Duchin says the process starts with asking patients whether they've traveled out of the country in the last 21 days, specifically to an area where the Ebola outbreak is taking place.

He understands why the confirmed case in Dallas is concerning to a lot of people, but echoed the CDC's sentiment that the risk of an outbreak in the U.S. is almost non-existent due to our strong healthcare infrastructure.

He also wants to remind people in King County that a person with the Ebola virus has to actually be ill to spread the virus to others.

"It's not an easy infection to catch," he said. "You have to have close contact with blood or body fluids from an infected patient."

The number of cases in West Africa are currently doubling every three weeks. By year's end, it's expected more than a million people in Africa will be infected.

If it happens in Seattle or King County, Duchin says public health is ready.

"I think the risk is low, but we have to be prepared for it," he said.


What say you?

I will be surprised if there are not more Ebola cases in the states....

And yes I live in Texas and still expect more cases here unless they cover it up...

I read the topic where close to one hundred people have been in contact and being watched for the symptoms.

If I lived near Dallas and could get away, I'd pick up my family and go.

I'd hate to have to watch my grandchildren be eaten alive by this plague.

I have been following this story and seeing pictures of the dead that were found a couple weeks post-mortem. The virus had eaten all the flesh, leaving the entire muscular system exposed.

Where will they house the overflow?

they will house the overflow.. in the morgue... where else...

Where will they quarantine, 10's to millions of people they prove to be infected?
Just allow them to roam the streets?

This was part of the article.


The number of cases in West Africa are currently doubling every three weeks. By year's end, it's expected more than a million people in Africa will be infected.

Is there some sort of illusion that can't happen in the rest of the world?

Remember Katrina?

No matter what the mainstream media propaganda is.... we're not equipped for a pandemic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaINT2mj27Q

Of.. course they will be allowed to roam the streets... why not... by that point.. anyone with half a brain are money... will have already left the city... there is a number.. when reached... that your government. is only obligated.. to give the illusion..
.. of having control.... thus allowing them.. to maintain some order...
. well they leave out the back door..
.. pack your bags folks..

Alaska is a much better option. At least you have a chance of surviving with lots of room to hide, food to eat, and shelter in the time of a storm.

I too live in Texas, less than 5 miles from the Presby Hospital.

I have a question maybe someone can answer.

Who or what organization paid this man's airfare to come to the US?

I think that we have the right to know who is paying for these peoples airfair. Don't you?

I saw an interview.
A Dr. coming back was filmed aboard the airplane.
He talked to several Africans. All of them say they HOPE they haven't been infected. They fly back and forth on pleasure and business.

They have to fill out a security questionnaire before they are allowed to board.

No telling how many infected are coming in every day, who they are, where they will change planes or where they are destined.

This little example of available flights is from Cheap Flights.


USA departure airports for flights to Nigeria

New York (NYC)
Houston (HOU)
Atlanta (ATL)
Dallas (DAL)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Chicago (CHI)
Baltimore (BAL)
St Louis (STL)
Philadelphia (PHL)
Minneapolis (MES)
Boston (BOS)
Washington (WAS)
Detroit (DTT)
Columbus (CMH)
Indianapolis (IND)

Cleveland (CLE)
Denver (DEN)
Kansas City (MKC)
Las Vegas (LAS)
Miami (MIA)
Nashville (BNA)
New Orleans (MSY)
Newark (NWRK)
Orlando (ORL)
Phoenix (PHX)
Raleigh (RAG)
San Diego (SAN)
San Francisco (SFO)
Seattle (SEA)
Tampa (TPA)

Who knows, how many arrivals come in from all of infected Africa.

CDC Chief: Banning Flights from Ebola-Ridden African Nations Will Cause More Americans to Get Ebola

Melissa Melton

October 3rd, 2014
Someone please PLEASE explain to me how this makes sense at all. Please.

Now, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, the guy who couldnt even go two minutes without contradicting himself on CNN about how Ebola is transmitted, is now saying that if we restrict air flights from the Ebola-stricken African nations, it will backfire and cause Americans to somehow be exposed to the disease more here.

What? Am I missing something here?


edit detail... your hard earned tax dollars at work!!!

Looks like he took 'fuzzy math' lessons from Nancy pelosi.

eh, new user posting controversial thread?


IMHO

They LET Duncan in to "test new treatment". Good guinea pig. American's won't do it.

Stocks are up on ebola vaccines!

Not sure what the odds are of surviving ebola.
But, I'm familiar with the odds of surviving an attack by a hungry, or p*ssed off grizzly bear.

Timothy Treadwell, for gits and shiggles...

Alaska wilderness?
Welcome to the foodchain.

How will they know if it's the vaccine or his own immune system? If he dies anyway, how will they know if they gave it to him too late? How many children did the children he infect come into contact with?
Do those kids go to school or daycare? Do they take public transportation? Are they quarantined or, still just being watched?

On fellow made a good point. If there is a severe outbreak, many jobs will open up after the cleanup is done. Unemployment numbers could drop to the lowest numbers in US history.

Win-win for DC politics.

WHO and CDC won't cut loose on much information on it.

I'll have to add insurance salesman to my resume.

Yup. All economical at this point, isn't it? Who stands to gain in the loss of life? Fkn ben franklin invented insurance. Didn't you know that?

How will they know if it's the vaccine or his own immune system? ahhhhh, a simple blood test. Antibodies are antibodies. Doesn't matter when given as long as yer alive and kickin. Ask a hematologist. Nobody's gettin my Rh- universal blood for testing. heh.

also, nobody gets out alive. You come into this world with nothing, and you will leave the same.

like I said

can't keep a

straight face

ya'll are killin me...

smiles

and laughter

excellent question? hmmm