A
health care worker who treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person in the U.S. diagnosed with
Ebola who later died, has preliminarily tested positive for the deadly virus, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement today.
The health care worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has been isolated since reporting a low-grade fever Friday, the department said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will conduct further testing to confirm the diagnosis.
"We knew a second case could be a reality, and we've been preparing for this possibility," Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services said in the statement. "We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread."
MedChica
562 Posts
LOL. @Brendan1.
America isnt a white country. If ebola got out of hand, rest assured that my black butt would be hemorraghing, feverish and delirious...alongside you. LOL
I initially assumed it was bioterrorism. 1. Dude comes to Texas with it's huge poor immigrant pop. The state sends hlthcare workers to the borders for a reason. 2. The media drew special attn to the fact that hed been around kids. Kids are vectors.
I doubt...the guy came over here for reasons provided by the media. Doubt it.
...but im a psych nurse. Of course, Im going to second guess human motives. Thats what happens when you're up close and personal with the more negative aspects of human nature.
But, anyway, I questioned the nurse as well when id heard about it. I dont see the problem with that. Youd want to know if human error was a factor. Thats not throwing the nurse under the bus.
Blaming the nurse because patient zero got discharged with antibiotics...is. Yet, the media and that hospital were on mute once it came to be known that the nurse was likely one of the few who did their job. She probably told the provider and he blew her off. "Im the ... doctah!"
Some of these MDs are barriers to the care of their own pts.
PPE? Well...I try to place instructions beside the pts sink so that our aides know how to remove PPE the right way. Yeah - we were all taught but people do forget. Including me.
Facilities not being properly prepared? Yeah. At one of my PRNs, we were creating makeshift masks with briefs to enter a room. Ran out.
Most of my aides were afraid to go in and my resident wasnt being fed, I was told. One of the aides informed me. She actually went in the room without anything on her face to try to feed the woman! It wasnt my pt so I cant everything about her but i do know that she wasnt droplet precaution. Still, we were required to wear masks. So, i taped two sets of briefs together and we went in the room together.
...and im still not "scared" of Ebola. Fear is not a useful emotion. *shrug*
You shldnt be cowering in a corner; nurses shld be out raising hell about this matter (give us PPE, give us better instruction) since it will be us and our CNAs who are going to be on the front lines if this thing.