Quote:You are correct. Hospital workers in the areas affected by the current Ebola outbreak have very little with which to protect themselves. Even latex/nitrile gloves are in short supply. I've no doubt the two patients they are bringing back were aware of what precautions must be taken, they just did not have the means to take them.

 

I do not dispute that the virus can get into this country. It's not just the Mexican border that's vulnerable. But it is not lax to presume the folks at Emory and the CDC aren't equipped to handle these two patients in particular.

It's not just the Mexican border that's vulnerable.  That is correct.  All it takes is for one patient who has been exposed but is not yet symptomatic to leave that area of the world, hop on a plan, and suddenly you've got a global pandemic on your hands.  It sounds like there have been a few near misses, but that's only accounting for those instances that are being reported.  It's quite possible more than one person has been on a plane who has infected others, and then it spreads from there.  It remains to be seen if the current outbreak is isolated or not.  It could take a few weeks to know for sure. 

 

What's the incubation period?  21 days?  That's a pretty big window to wait and see if it shows up elsewhere. 

 

From what I understand, there were people who were on planes with a possibly infected patient.  They were told they had been exposed, but they were allowed to continue on with their travels.  I'm not sure if the patient they were supposedly exposed to was confirmed to have Ebola.  I know one of the initial reports about a woman who died on a flight from the disease was incorrect.  She died of natural causes and was not infected. 

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