Cape Coral Hospital ER on lockdown - Fear a patient has serious infectious disease (Florida)

Ft. Myers News-Press ^ | October 22, 2002

[Shermy]

A person with what is believed to be an infectious disease came into the Cape Coral Hospital

[Shermy]

A story for reasoned speculation and betting purposes.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

hopefull it is not a pox on the people.

[Shermy]

Florida ping.

[evolved_rage]

Before I open a new roll of foil, how often does this happen nationally? Never, 1/year, 1/month...I'm curious if anybody knows. I'm going to look.

[steveo]

In Florida? Must be e-polla

[Shermy]

Only other place this is up is the WBBH website, one paragraph "Breaking" statement, basically saying the same as the paper.

[Arkinsaw]

Not anthrax. The other possibilities are too numerous to mention.

[Arkinsaw]

Whats the disease they get in Colleges a lot that they make everybody drink a dose of medicine as preventitve. The name escapes me.

[SunnyUsa]

"Before I open a new roll of foil....."

lol....
I've been keeping aluminum foil next to my computer lately, this way I don't have to waste time going into the kitchen to fashion my HAT! :)

[evolved_rage]

Legionaires Disease???

[bluesagewoman]

Meningitis

[SunnyUsa]

how often do they make an announcement like this?

seems atypical for a hospital to really make an announcement about an infectious patient...

[Shermy]

WBBH has just added the "6:53" update here:

6:53 p.m. - The Lee Memorial Hospital Emergency Room has also been closed. Anyone needing emergency services should call 911 and they will direct you to the nearest hospital.

5:30 p.m. - The Cape Coral Hospital Emergency Room has been closed. They are under a "code gray" alert. All emergency traffic is being re-routed to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers. According to Lee County E.M.S., the shutdown is related to someone who came into the E.R. with an infectious disease

[sarasmom]

Right, but mennigitus would not require ER lockdownI know. i had it a few years ago.

[Goldwater Girl]

In international gateway cities, it is fairly common. Weekly, I would say, based on my previous experience in Miami.
MOST of these alerts are lifted when a diagnosis is made- usually come from an overly zealous young doc who hasn't seen a lot of chickenpox- and thinks he's looking at smallpox, or some such.
That said, I have seen diptheria and bubonic plague- both from international visitors. Saw a smallpox case once- MANY years ago- it was hideous (and fatal).
Cape Coral is not a big hospital, doesn't get a lot of trauma- most likely will turn out to be nothin'.
At least, I sure hope so.

[not-alone]

bump

[Arkinsaw]

Yep, thats it. Could be something as "normal" as meningitis.

[KantianBurke]

paging Tom Clancy

[X-Servative]

Why the second ER closing? Second case?

[bluesagewoman]

No, but it's the one college kids get a lot. I was answering the previous question. There is another variation or it, a bit worse, but again, I don't think it would require a lockdown. We had 3 cases in our town of it last week, and no lockdown, and a pretty good outbreak last winter in Ft. Leonardwood.