The science on isolating health care workers

Human Events ^ | October 29, 2014 | Betsy McCaughey

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

On Monday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention head Thomas Frieden announced a new policy on health care workers returning from Ebola-plagued West Africa. Parroting President Obama’s Saturday radio address, Frieden cautioned that Americans must be “guided by the science,” not fear.

Sorry. The Obama administration’s halfway approach is based on political correctness, not science. And it is a gamble.

According to Frieden, about five health care workers fly back from West Africa to the U.S. every day, landing at Chicago, Newark, Atlanta, New York’s JFK or Dulles outside of Washington, D.C. For months, the CDC did almost nothing to prevent a returning doctor or nurse from inadvertently spreading the disease here.

On Thursday, Dr. Craig Spencer, who returned from a stint with Doctors Without Borders in Guinea on October 17, was rushed into isolation at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital with Ebola. Before his diagnosis, Spencer took subways, went bowling and dined out. Authorities scrambled to identify his contacts.

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, a Republican, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, a Democrat, jointly announced on Sunday that health care workers landing at area airports after treating Ebola patients would have to undergo 21 days of isolation. Governors of Florida and Illinois announced they would be devising policies, as well.

By Monday, Frieden had to respond to the spectacle of governors concocting isolation policies on the run to prevent the possibility, however small, of Ebola being spread. Unfortunately, Frieden stopped short of endorsing isolation. Instead, he announced that local officials would monitor doctors and nurses coming from West Africa for fever or other symptoms but not necessarily isolate them.

Frieden said isolating the brave doctors and nurses would be a “stigma” and make them “pariahs.” That’s a shockingly unscientific attitude toward quarantine from a trained epidemiologist.

Here’s the science:

About one in seven people infected with Ebola doesn’t have a fever before diagnosis. Airport screening relies largely on temperature taking. Data on more than 4,000 Ebola cases published October 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine — the most complete analysis ever — show that 13 percent of patients don’t develop fever early on.

Doctors and nurses can’t be depended on to spot Ebola in themselves faster than other people. Relying on returning doctors and nurses to monitor themselves assumes they will catch any sign of illness quickly and avoid spreading it. But the New England Journal of Medicine research found doctors and nurses with Ebola don’t get to the hospital sooner.

Health care workers who treat Ebola patients are at significant risk of getting it, despite wearing protective gear. As of October 25, the World Health Organization reports that 450 health care workers have contracted Ebola, and 244 have died. One staffer at Doctors Without Borders in Guinea who worked with Spencer called him a “rigorous man” who carefully followed procedures in removing his protective gear and decontaminating it, and added, “We understand that we are also at risk despite the measures.”

The most important fact about Ebola is how little we know. There’s no cure for the infected, no vaccine and no knowledge of how the virus might behave in colder temperatures. Doctors, nurses and missionaries who nobly volunteer in Africa could inadvertently bring Ebola to every continent, literally giving the virus wings.

To be cautious, Samaritan’s Purse, a relief organization, has imposed a 21-day isolation on workers returning from West Africa ever since one of its own, Dr. Kent Brantly, became infected. The hospital where Spencer practices emergency medicine requires a 21-day wait to return to work.

On Monday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended that all U.S. troops returning from West Africa undergo a 21-day quarantine. Their biggest worry isn’t stigma.

The White House is mum on soldiers, but it’s busy arm-twisting governors to back off from isolating health care workers. On Monday, Cuomo backed down from mandatory isolation, despite overwhelming popular support for it.

One positive note: Frieden changed his tune on Monday, saying, “Managing Ebola is not easy.” He and Obama need to replace hubris with humility and take fewer gambles with Ebola.

Betsy McCaughey Ph.D. is chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths and a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING!

[DB]

“Science” is whatever lefties say it is. Say otherwise and you are a “anti science” bigot...

[Lurker]

One positive note: Frieden changed his tune on Monday, saying, “Managing Ebola is not easy.”

It’s even less so when you’re a completely unqualified political hack.

[TChad]

Has the CDC declared that germ theory is racist?

[greeneyes]

Some very good points. Good scientific summary. I agree that the policy is driven by PC, and not science, and certainly not with an abundance of caution.

I think that the majority of people would feel better if everyone had a 21 day quarantine-including those foreigners flying in from the hot zone daily.

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping...

A link to this thread has been posted on the Ebola Surveillance Thread

[firebrand]

Betsy is the greatest.

Just for a small light touch, here is the sign language video of the press conference for those who haven't seen it.

[PA Engineer]

“Science” is whatever lefties say it is. Say otherwise and you are a “anti science” bigot...

There is a history here. The lefties (progressives) would like to change the language, however they keep using the word science. This is not new. They are the true believers in "Science", but not how we know it. There religion is is dialectical materialism. It is a belief in science without knowledge of the scientific method nor embodiment of any source of scientific endeavors. It is a chimera.

They just never imagined that a real pandemic would get in their way of unicorns and skittles.

[PA Engineer]

Has the CDC declared that germ theory is racist?

They tried with Duncan. CBS even changed the timeline of his death. They tried and now if has fallen off the news radar.

[DouglasKC]

I just dont' see how this is a winning issue for Democrats. It's not. Across the board people instinctively understand that it's illogical NOT to quarantine people who have a high chance of carrying a deadly disease into the country. Yet Obama is pushing against this common sense measure. It's not political correctness..when did Ebola ever get politically correct and what's the angle on that?

After fighting against the idea I'm forced to think that Obama actually wants a big Ebola outbreak over here. I can't see any other explanation for his behavior.

[steerpike100]

My tinfoil hat idea: Let’s suppose that, of the 10 ISIS terrorists recently caught trying to enter Texas thru Mexico, all of them carried hermetically sealed vials of live Ebola virus. It’s likely that several ISIS-types have evaded capture. So the administration knows full well that in a few days folks all over the country are going to start falling ill with Ebola. And it will be because the Obama Administration refused to close our Southern border.

But also it’s going to be voting time in a few days.

So, in order to be able to lay the blame on inadvertant Ebola cases coming in from the medical teams in West Africa, it’s necessary to have a weak quarantine policy, at least for the next few days. It’s vital that it not be found out that ISIS terrorists have managed to bring bio-warfare to our shores.

[Safetgiver]

It’s vital that it not be found out that ISIS terrorists have managed to bring bio-warfare to our shores......It’s vital that it not be found out that Democrats have managed to bring bio-warfare to our shores. (Fixed it for you).

[monocle]

Anyone, especially medical personnel, who upon returning from ebola hot beds and refusing isolation should be held personally liable for the costs of anyone who might be infected by such person. The legal theory of absolute liability should be applied with a vengeance.

[exDemMom]

I agree that the Obama administration’s quarantine policy is based on political correctness, not science. People are not contagious until they show symptoms; the virus only spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. There is no scientific rationale for quarantining non-contagious people prior to symptoms.

The virus causes symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting in order to spread. No symptoms, no spread.

[jazzlite]

...”I agree that the Obama administration’s quarantine policy is based on political correctness, not science. People are not contagious until they show symptoms; the virus only spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. There is no scientific rationale for quarantining non-contagious people prior to symptoms.

The virus causes symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting in order to spread. No symptoms, no spread.”...

This is what we are told by people we do not trust because we have been lied to by the powers that be through so many scandals and crisis..Leaders have politicized everything, and especially medicine, through Obamacare, without the best interests of the country uppermost in public policy. Political correctness is the most powerful tool which has been used to shove America into sharp decline. We see it especially in government, media and institutions. We wish we could have confidence but we do not and cannot under the leadership we have.

[FreedomPoster]

Related:

America Protects Animals Better Than Humans
Lewiston Idaho veterinarian’s Letter to the Editor re: Ebola, Nails it!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3221027/posts

[exDemMom]

This is what we are told by people we do not trust because we have been lied to by the powers that be through so many scandals and crisis..Leaders have politicized everything, and especially medicine, through Obamacare, without the best interests of the country uppermost in public policy. Political correctness is the most powerful tool which has been used to shove America into sharp decline. We see it especially in government, media and institutions. We wish we could have confidence but we do not and cannot under the leadership we have.

I am well aware that liberal "leaders" lie about many things, for the purpose of getting votes. Mostly, their lies revolve around how many goodies the government will give people who vote for them. A lie in this case serves no purpose--they don't want their voters to get sick, because--despite the number of dead voters--their voters are more effective when actually alive and healthy.

On this, however, the facts about Ebola were established by scientists long before most politicians ever heard of the disease. Scientists have been informing the politicians as accurately as they can. Trying to quarantine whole populations has never been effective (targeted quarantines are another matter)--it *is* a political move to call for blanket quarantines, because they are not supported by any scientific rationale. It gives the illusion that "something" is being done, when, in reality, it does nothing to stop the disease, while causing a lot of economic damage.

If you have been in West Africa, in an area of active outbreak, and you feel sick with headache, stomach ache, fever, etc., it makes sense to quarantine you until Ebola can be ruled out. But if you have been in West Africa, and you feel fine, quarantine makes no sense.

[BuffaloJack]

This is EBOLA were talking about. It’s not Influenze or the Norovirus. I had the Norovirus 2 years ago. Norovirus is diarrhea and vomiting. I broke a rib I vomited so hard. But Ebola isn’t even that, its vomiting blood and pooping bloody diarrhea because your tissues are turning to liquid.
This is the most dangerous disease to ever touch our shores.
I don’t care if the “experts” say it isn’t spread by air.
If it can survive 50 days on a surface, I sure don’t want to touch that surface (bus or airline seat, hand rail, light switch, public toilet). Suppose the Ebola person sneezed into their hand and then picked up some article in a department store 5 minutes later. Would I get the disease from handling or purchasing that same article the next day?
Treat quarantine breakers the same as looters. Shoot on sight.

[null and void]

I doubt I would mourn if someone put a bullet in that female's black clinker of a heart the instant she went to infect everyone in her local Starbucks.

Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your......

(Since all records of obama's past were lost in a tragic boating accident and fire, no one can be certain that the guy in the red circle isn't him...)

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...