"Houston we have a problem" This just got very real

[Esme12]

And so it begins....

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."

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/texas-health-care-worker-tests-positive-ebola/story?id=26135108

[kalevra, BSN, RN]

just got told by a coworker that works perdiem at another hospital in my city. they have a rule out case of ebola.

not gonna lie, im kinda scared

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

From what the nurses at he hospital are now coming forward and revealing the hospital and CDC mismanaged horribly.

It is the CDC responsibility. They should have been in that hospital from the second they knew overseeing things and they do have that authority.

It almost seems as though they just never thought it would come here at all.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

From what the nurses at he hospital are now coming forward and revealing the hospital and CDC mismanaged horribly.

It is the CDC responsibility.

It almost seems as though they just never thought it would come here at all.

My 2 cents is that the CDC checked in with THDallas, was assured: "We got this!" so they continued to be available. What the CDC needs to learn is that they must : "Trust, but verify".

Scary thing is, the hospital is pretty well regarded, if they can screw this up this bad, I can only imagine how much worse it would have been at some other local hospitals with poor reputations.

[chadrn65]

From what the nurses at he hospital are now coming forward and revealing the hospital and CDC mismanaged horribly.

It is the CDC responsibility. They should have been in that hospital from the second they knew overseeing things and they do have that authority.

It almost seems as though they just never thought it would come here at all.

Was just watching CNN Live and oh my, there are allegations that some of the nurses did not even have booties to wear and some of their flimsy gowns were knee length. Just deplorable if this is accurate.

[VB_NURSE74]

Lab specimens were not sealed either according to CNN. I bet that at least one of the four hospital workers that the CDC are " intensively assessing" (which I'm guessing means they are waiting on results of their ebola blood test) works in the lab.

[Thimbalina]

The 2nd nurse had 'extensive contact with Duncan'. She flew with a low grade fever and should not have traveled. I don't care what you think of me personally, I think she behaved with disregard for others imo. Supposedly the monitoring that went on was 'self monitoring'. I feel justified in my anger. She behaved in a dangerous manner.

'The CDC is intensively assessing 4 health workers.' according to CNN.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Lab specimens were not sealed either according to CNN. I bet that at least one of the four hospitals that the CDC are " closely watching" (which I'm guessing means they are waiting on results of their ebola blood test) works in the lab.

If anything, something had to happen to reveal how poorly hospitals are managed and how they treat nurses; in the midst of all things, how nursing can band together and reveal to the public how corporized (my word) hospitals have been and how they care about the bottom line will be their downfall.

I knew it was going to happen, but I surely didn't suspect that it would come from an infectious disease.

The CDC is not like the Feds or National Guard; they cannot come and commandeer a private company, so no, I don't blame them entirely; however, the hospital said they had it under control, when obviously they didn't, and when corporate is refusing to approve proper PPE or even allow the CDC in, then the ire should be on how MANY hospitals are run.

This is a HUGE opportunity for nurses to step up and speak out in how facilities are run and allow the public to scrutinize how hospitals are run roughshod over how the front lines-especially NURSES are treated and ignored, and not supported...it has been prepared to happen, unfortunately it had to happen this way.

[duskyjewel]

The 2nd nurse had 'extensive contact with Duncan'. She flew with a low grade fever and should not have traveled. I don't care what you think of me personally, I think she behaved with disregard for others imo. Supposedly the monitoring that went on was 'self monitoring'. I feel justified in my anger. She behaved in a dangerous manner.

'The CDC is intensively assessing 4 health workers.' according to CNN.

She knew she had a fever and flew anyway?! She's as bad as that doctor from New Jersey then. How disgusting that she would risk whole planefuls of people, and now she may have carried it to Cleveland.

[RNSue]

Just watched the speech from Ohio. I've read every comment on this thread and others and did not know until now that the 70-some healthcare providers who were known to be exposed to Duncan were still going about their lives as usual.

So I gather they are still working and taking care of patients? The news pundits who are so outraged that fellow fliers were possibly exposed when Amber Vinson flew to Ohio with a low grade fever are just going to pass out when they find out the other 70-some are still WORKING...with PATIENTS!

This is not going to be contained until the CDC, hospitals who put $ before common sense, and the PTB get their heads out their asses and crack down!!!

The CDC should have been in Dallas within 2 hours of that positive lab report. According to the CDC article from 12/10/2013 that I read somewhere on an allnurses ebola thread there was a regional ebola resource place set up in Houston. What were THEY doing?

Moving forward, we nurses need to stand together and speak up for WHAT WE KNOW.

This is far worse than a lack of response to hurricane damage. This is going to be a NIGHTMARE.

I hope that some news reporter is reading THIS post and picks up the ball.

[merilynRN]

This below, is exactly what bothered me so much when they were calling it a "breach in protocol" when there WAS NO PROTOCOL before the diagnosis, when there should have been preemptive protocol based on Duncan's travel history, exposure history and clinical symptoms. I don't know if the CDC was involved yet before the positive results came in, but the hospital's medical personnel should have been so much more preemptive and proactive that this was indeed ebola they were dealing with. I wonder how many others were involved in direct care during Sept 28 - 30.

Second Ebola nurse traveled on plane with low-grade fever

Frieden called the first days of Duncan's diagnosis and isolation at the hospital the highest risk moments. He pinpointed those days between October 28 through October 30.

"These two health care workers both worked on those days and both had extensive contact with the patient when the patient had extensive production of bodily fluids because of vomiting and diarrhea," he said.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

All I know is, the two facilities where they took the physicians who came down with it had no instances of infection among healthcare workers. They had what some here would consider "overkill", such as negative pressure rooms. I'd rather overreact than underreact with this. And I've never been much of the paranoid type, but I don't trust the CDC. I don't trust the head of the CDC and I certainly don't trust most hospital administration.

You cannot tell me these paper isolation gowns( or the cloth ones for that matter) are fine. Ditto for most of the face shields. Many are not form fitting around the eyes. The N95 masks may be ok but already we are running low(people are swiping them from us).

My feeling is this. The numbers are still low of people getting ebola in this country. Send these people to either the facility in Nebraska or the one in Georgia. They have proven to know what they are doing. Hopefully, that nips that in the bud. Close down commercial flights until things cool down. It can be done. People are still letting the almighty dollar dictate policy on this. And that is wrong.

[dnnc52]

Simple question but as nurses you may understand where I am coming from. What type of thermometer are they using. We all know that its rare that we can get the same reading back to back. If it oral then I could just drink some water while in the line waiting for my temp ,and get through the screening. For these "70" other healthcare workers should be quarantine. In the finest hotel, free food,a drink, and PTO at the expense of the hospital.... Then no contact and help prevent the spread. These nurses and other Health Care Workers have got to be on pins and needles, along with their families. Sure they could use our prayers and some debriefing as well..