Here's how Thomas Duncan, the Dallas ebola patient contracted the virus: Direct contact

[cali]

— A man who flew to Dallas and was later found to have the Ebola virus was identified by senior Liberian government officials on Wednesday as Thomas Eric Duncan, a resident of Monrovia in his mid-40s.

Mr. Duncan, the first person to develop symptoms outside Africa during the current epidemic, had direct contact with a woman stricken by Ebola on Sept. 15, just four days before he left Liberia for the United States, the woman’s parents and Mr. Duncan’s neighbors said.

In a pattern often seen here in Monrovia, the Liberian capital, the family of the woman, Marthalene Williams, 19, took her by taxi to a hospital with Mr. Duncan’s help on Sept. 15 after failing to get an ambulance, said her parents, Emmanuel and Amie Williams. She was convulsing and seven months pregnant, they said.

Turned away from a hospital for lack of space in its Ebola treatment ward, the family said it took Ms. Williams back home in the evening, and that she died hours later, around 3 a.m.

A man infected with the Ebola virus sought medical care at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas but was sent home. He was not treated until he returned two days later.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/world/africa/ebola-victim-texas-thomas-eric-duncan.html?_r=1
Mr. Duncan, who was a family friend and also a tenant in a house owned by the Williams family, rode in the taxi in the front passenger seat while Ms. Williams, her father and her brother, Sonny Boy, shared the back seat, her parents said. Mr. Duncan then helped carry Ms. Williams, who was no longer able to walk, back to the family home that evening, neighbors said.

<snip>

[seveneyes]

1. He had direct contact with a woman stricken by Ebola on Sept. 15

Malicious ignorance or something worse. I suppose he neglected to tell hospital workers he was in close contact with an Ebola victim just days before his hospital visit. What a cluster fuck of epic proportion.

And the guy just saunters into the USA and proceeds to spread his misery.

[uppityperson]

2. He says he told the hospital, they admit the info wasn't passed through their system as it should

have been.

[seabeyond]

9. he merely answered screening question he was in hot spot. never saying, he was in contact with a

person 10 days prior that DIED from ebola. big difference, you think?

[LisaL]

88. As direct contact with Ebola patient, he should have been traveling to begin with.

[uppityperson]

106. Well, he was, like you said he should have been. And?

[Warren DeMontague]

135. Get this: On the 25th his "his condition did not warrant admission"

Why do I get the feeling his "condition" had to do with not having A Billable US Health Provider?

"We didn't know he had ebola, but we knew he didn't have insurance!"

....

[AverageJoe90]

144. At this point, fuck the insurance companies.

I really wish the Administration would just straight up tell these greedy A-Holes to go blow some meth smoke up their asses.

[Avalux]

4. He told the triage nurse:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/01/hospital-ebola-patient/16527143/

[cali]

7. If he told her his contact with an ebola patient and that didn't

set off an immediate isolation protocol, that's pretty disturbing.

[seabeyond]

11. per article, it appears he merely answered the question he was in a hot spot. nt

[Avalux]

12. I don't think we have that important piece of information.

He told he he had come from Africa (as the article states), which should have set off the alarms and whistles regardless. Maybe he didn't really know if the woman he tried to help had Ebola? We might find that out later.

[kestrel91316]

74. He might be one of the fools who thinks ebola isn't real.

[Jamastiene]

140. That is the first thought that crossed my mind.

I would not doubt it. There are many who do not believe it is even real.

[greytdemocrat]

43. When this goes airborne...

A fuckup like this is going to kill untold numbers.

[JaneyVee]

54. Viruses generally don't mutate that way.

At least none we know of. They all keep their same mode of infection. We've never witnessed a virus mutate its mode of infection.

[caseymoz]

79. Um, I think they do.

What's not going to happen is that a fluid borne virus becomes a mosquito-born one. Or a bite-borne or food born one. None of those will come from a fluid-borne virus.

But the step from a fluid-borne virus to an airborne one is not that big of a jump. The main difference, I think is that the virus survive somewhat dryer conditions. It probably has a fair chance of happening if this spreads.

[JaneyVee]

81. Has never happened with all viruses we know of

[spinbaby]

82. Happened with bubonic plague

Admittedly that was bacteria, not viruses, but viruses mutate quickly, which is why we need a new flu vaccine every year.

[JaneyVee]

100. But hasn't happened to any virus we know of.

I'm not saying it can't, just that it is highly unlikely with no evolutionary evidence to back it up.

[seveneyes]

16. Yet he didn't mention he was helping to carry a dying EBOLA victim?

Intentionally spreading the plague is not a very nice thing to be doing.

[Avalux]

19. We don't know he was intentionally spreading Ebola.

He's a Liberian citizen. We don't know his background, and if he understands the seriousness of his situation. Many people in hot spots are not well-informed and don't trust what they're being told.

[seabeyond]

21. they took a sick girl to the hospital for ebola and there was no room. then he proceeded to

watch her die from the disease.

[Avalux]

27. Do you understand why Ebola is spreading so quickly in parts of Africa?

Most people there have no awareness of the virus, how it works, and what can happen. We don't know all the details, and it's foolish to condemn a very sick man and accuse him of being irresponsible or worse.

Ignorance combined with a language problem is probably the likeliest scenario.

[seabeyond]

28. it is learning the process, hence NOT being unaware on how it works and having a fuggin discussion

blaming a very sick young man? whatever. this person did what he did. and part of the process is learning what, how when and why.... fromt he very start of this.

as you say. we do not have all the information. we are learning as we go. and discussion is not a bad thing.

[seabeyond]

30. i want to know, once the triage nurse found out it a possibility, ... why she was

not raising the roof with concern of a possibility, with both her own health, all she will come in contact with and the people he sat next to in the waiting room.

that is not blaming the nurse. that is looking at the situotion, placing myself there, and how would i think that thru, what would i do.

[Avalux]

33. What if the nurse was geographically challenged?

He told her he had traveled from Liberia (from an article I read earlier). Maybe she didn't know its a country in Africa and part of the epidemic. Maybe she didn't think the information was relevant and didn't write it down for the treating physician.

It's certainly possible.

[seabeyond]

35. since all the hospitals have supposedly educated the workers, and they are the first defense...

i do not see that as a valid excuse. more like not able to do ones job. you think?

i would hope to hear some other answer than she canot process the info in a manner to raise a flag and be our front line defense against the disease.

a simple mistake, human error is more comforting

[Avalux]

38. Negligence, whether intentional or not.

I wonder too, how busy that ER was when he arrived and was triaged.

[seabeyond]

41. i have been mostly using urgent care. pretty calm. i had to use an emergency room about a month ago

i had been in that very emergency room years prior a couple times. i stood in that emergency room horrified. the mess, the mass, the people running around and out of control. i stodd there taking it all in. told son. this is like from some movie. this is the emergency room we hear so much about, that i have never seen, ever.

that is another factor.

[Avalux]

51. Is that hospital a level 1 trauma center?

I haven't looked it up yet....sounds as if it may be from your description. Some people don't function well in chaos, maybe the nurse was overwhelmed.

[seabeyond]

59. i am talking my recent experience in er in my area. not that hospital in particular.

with that kind of a mess, i can see the hazard for error. not that it is ok. but, it is reasonable. if it was anything like my recent experience, in my area.

[MohRokTah]

39. Maybe she entered the information on her computing device...

and the treating doctor never saw it on his computing device?

[seabeyond]

45. thought of first case ever. you betcha if i were the nurse, i would be telling everyone

what we might have in room 2A. doctors included. wouldnt you?

[leftstreet]

40. But didn't she ask him the original 'hot spot' question?

If she asked 'have you been to any of the following places...' you'd think she'd be alarmed if he responded yes to one on her list - regardless of her geography knowledge

Assuming that's what really happened

[seabeyond]

47. this is where i sit. if i asked, and he gave me liberia. i would all be YIKES... stepping back. nt

[Avalux]

48. There's conflicting info from what I've read.

One article says he told the nurse he was from Liberia, another says he answered yes to the hot spot question. If I was an ER nurse in that scenario, I would have made sure everyone who needed to know was informed immediately.

It doesn't make sense to me, unless she was so busy she 'forgot' to pass the info along.

[seabeyond]

57. because we in the u.s. have heard enough about it. it is on everyones radar in the u.s.

and her being in the profession???

unless the medical field just do not see it as scary as we do???

[Aerows]

111. He had a passport

and the means to travel internationally.

[ecstatic]

92. Give me a break! This is a guy who flies back and forth from Liberia to the US,

Europe, etc. That costs money. He's not some poor, uninformed guy who was cut off from the world. In my experience, Africans with close ties to the US are typically better educated and more informed than the average American. He knew what he was doing. I feel sorry for him and his family, but not warning the doctors and nurses of his condition was flat out evil.

[uppityperson]

137. It was his 1st trip to the USA. If you care.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/01/health/us-ebola-patient/index.html

Why did he come to the United States?
To visit family and friends, according to the friend, who noted this was Duncan's first trip to America. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thomas Frieden has said that Duncan was "staying with family members who live in this country."

[pnwmom]

52. Which means he shouldn't have been allowed to fly. No one who was exposed to him

while he was contagious -- or at least the 18 people they've identified -- is allowed to travel now. They're all under observation for the 21 day incubation period.

He shouldn't have been allowed to travel, either. He knew about his exposure several days before he flew, but he got on the airplane anyway. And no one apparently screens people flying out of Liberia.

[seabeyond]

61. +1. nt

[uppityperson]

62. He was not contagious when he flew. And yes, they do screen people flying out of Liberia and he

had no symptoms, no fever, not contagious at that time.

[pnwmom]

64. Doesn't matter. None of the Texans who are being observed now are thought to be contagious

and yet they aren't allowed to fly. They will be kept under careful observation for the 21 day incubation period.

He had no symptoms, but he had a known exposure to an Ebola victim. So he should have had his travel curtailed, just as is happening to everyone who was exposed to him.

The reason the situation is exploding in Liberia is because these kinds of measures aren't being taken there. But it would be simple enough to ask people questions at the airport: Have you, within the last 21 days, come into close contact with anyone with Ebola? This wouldn't catch liars, of course, but if he had answered truthfully, he would have stayed home.

[VanillaRhapsody]

70. if you had a way out of Liberia right now

Would you tell anyone that? Would everyone you know do that too..or do whatever it takes to get to the country with the only known treatment?

[seveneyes]

80. Only if someone is a contaminating, murderous and selfish POS

If he survives he should be dealt with by any laws against knowingly putting innocents in harms way.

There is no KNOWN treatment for Ebola that insures survival that we have been made aware of.
He was wrong to knowingly endanger others. He could have told airport security his issue and gotten care with the risks known in advance.

[VanillaRhapsody]

104. If someone is traumatized from what they have seen already?

if you don't think some people think like that.....

No there is none that is KNOWN....but it sure as hell ain't in Liberia! Just saying....we live in a world with sociopaths....people that do not think of the consequences to others....

[uppityperson]

105. Even on DU. eom

[pnwmom]

103. They should be observing those people the same way they are observing them here.

And not allowing people with Ebola to travel on commercial flights, no matter what country they're living in.

[uppityperson]

108. Did you read this article on hospital conditions there? Have you a clue what the societal

beliefs about health care are? Have you any understanding what people in that part of the world believe about health care, about doctors and hospitals spreading this on purpose? About how they care for their sick, dying and dead? Why the hell do you think health care workers are being murdered there? How much do you donate to MSF or any other organization or person helping treat and educate them? It is very different than in the USA and saying "they should" is simplistic beyond belief.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/world/africa/ebola-spreading-in-west-africa.html?_r=0

[Adsos Letter]

153. +1 n/t

[uppityperson]

3. Thank you. Best wishes for Mr Duncan, his family and friends.

[seabeyond]

5. so. he was well aware that is what he had, the seriousness, and that the person died,

who gave him ebola, yet he could not communicate the seriousness to the nurse?

[msanthrope]

8. Apparently, he did tell triage. nt

[seabeyond]

13. she asked if he had been to any of the locations. he said yes. BIG difference than saying 10 days

prior with a woman that DIED rom ebola, you think?

[herding cats]

17. We don't know what he said specifically.

His sister said he mentioned being from Liberia and the hospital admitted he had told them and they'd overlooked the detail. That's all we know for sure.

One would think the sister would mention if she knew he'd been exposed to Ebola, though.

[seabeyond]

23. from all the reports to this point, it has consistently been said, triage nurse asked the question

required and he gave the info .... liberia.

that is it. from the sister. from the nurse. from the hospital. he knew the girl had ebola, she was denied at ebola hospital and watched her die. it appears he did NOT share that.

[seabeyond]

24. then again... facing a horrible disease, death he just watched, denial is powerful. nt

[herding cats]

37. Isn't that the truth.

Denial that you may be coming down with something you've seen kill someone the week before. That could be it. We just don't know.

[pnwmom]

58. But he got on the plane, knowing that the woman he assisted had died of Ebola on the 16th.

He should have been under observation for 21 days, as all the people he was in contact with here now have to be.

[cali]

10. we don't know if he told her/him about his close contact with a very ill ebola patient

I rather hope he didn't, because if he did and that didn't immediately set off major alarms.... yikes.

[seabeyond]

14. true. cause i am on the otherside saying...

with the nurse simply being told he was in hot spot, i would be all over working to protect self, others and sitting room.... willing to be wrong.

[951-Riverside]

31. He knew what he had but took a commercial flight home (genius!)...

and instead of going directly to a hospital, this poor fella decided to go straight home, put a bunch of school kids in danger then strolled into a hospital exposing more people and instead of insisting on proper care from the hospital, he went back home for two days, called 911 and exposed even more medics and hospital staff to ebola.



There needs to be worldwide ban on non essential flights from Liberia and other affected west african nations for the next 21-30 days.

[MohRokTah]

44. No need to be angry at this man.

He could be completely ignorant as to how the disease works. Ignorance of how the disease works is one of many reasons why it spreads so readily and Liberia is one of the nations with the worst epidemic.

[seabeyond]

49. they knew enough to take her to ebola hospital. and you are right. we do not know how educated

he is on the disease. many of us has linked to sights, that give us the info. not everyone insists on being informed

[Barack_America]

141. Ebola hospital? They took her to the only real hospital in the entire country!

You don't get a choice of facilities in Liberia. Before the epidemic their were only 50 physicians for a population of 4 million. JFK is the only actual hospital they have.

[uppityperson]

55. Since he wasn't sick when he flew, he didn't "know what he had" and even on that flight, no

danger to others since he was no more contagious than you or I are. He was screened before flying out of Liberia, and passed the screening, was asymptomatic.

It is possible that he did not know what all was going on (genius) indeed since many of the people in the area do not understand what ebola is, how it is transmitted. Ignorance like that is one of the primary reasons it is spreading and continuing like it is.

[FrodosPet]

68. Why are you upset?

I thought we need to get the population below 500 Million.

Just a few days ago you were wondering if Ebola was a blessing.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5568774



PLEASE tell me this was sarcasm. Or perhaps you were having a bad night, and you withdraw such a horrible statement.

[kestrel91316]

75. At this point I'm thinking a 21 day quarantine before being cleared to travel to the US from West

Africa. And even then, somebody would break quarantine.

All the rules, procedures, protocols and policies won't help if humans don't follow them to the letter.

[uppityperson]

110. What about from the USA from Europe?

[Warren DeMontague]

116. That's why international travelers are supposed to have passports with visa stamps.

If your stamp reads "guinea", "liberia" or "sierra leone", you shouldnt come into this country- or at the very least you should be quarantined for 3 weeks first.

[uppityperson]

119. kestrel says 3 weeks before coming into the USA, are you saying mandatory holding for 3 weeks

before being released within the usa?

When I have traveled, often my passport is not stamped with every country I've been in.

[Warren DeMontague]

120. I'm saying we should do as other countries have & ban all travel from the 3 major affected nations

until this is under control.

I think the logistics of a 3 week quarantine are probably more difficult. However, a flat-out ban on travel is doable.

US citizens can return, perhaps local health authorities would want to monitor them the way they have been monitored in states like North Carolina. However, there is no reason to be allowing general travel from the affected countries to the US.

Humanitarian aid can get in through other means, as can the military. Senegal has established an air bridge for aid.

But commercial flights out of the area should be stopped entirely.

[uppityperson]

122. Problem is no direct flights, and passport may not be stamped. Ban all travel into USA?

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2024675569_apxebolaairlines.html

Thomas Eric Duncan left Monrovia, Liberia, on Sept. 19 aboard a Brussels Airlines jet to the Belgian capital, according to a Belgian official. After layover of nearly seven hours, he boarded United Airlines Flight 951 to Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C. After another layover of nearly three hours, he then flew Flight 822 from Dulles to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the airline confirmed.

[Warren DeMontague]

124. Why bring a red herring into it (ie "ban all travel into USA")

You're framing the dichotomy as either do nothing, or "ban all travel into USA". That's ludicrous.

Okay, the passport may not be stamped. Most of the time it will be. Duncan is a Liberian national, is he not? Wouldn't that be a clue?

I'm not sure why a reasonable measure that many other countries- like South Africa- have already taken, is such a ridiculous suggestion.

[uppityperson]

127. "ban all travel from the 3 major affected nations". There are not direct flights. Passports may not

be stamped. So then how would you go about "ban all travel from the 3 major affected nations"?

Banning direct flights is easy, like from Liberia to S Africa. In which case, sure. Ban all direct flights from those 3 countries to the USA. And...that is done.

There are no direct flights, have been no direct flights. MrDuncan flew through Euro country to USA. So how would you go about "ban all travel from the 3 major affected nations"?

Ban every Liberian? Even if they had not set foot in Liberia for years but have been off studying in Paris?

[Warren DeMontague]

128. You're right. I guess it's totally completely impossible and undoable.

So I suppose it's no skin off anyone's nose if we try.

How is South Africa managing it?

Also, airlines are ostensibly supposed to know who passengers are, and where people are originating and connecting from and to. It's not like the Greyhound where you just pay 20 bucks and pick a seat.

[uppityperson]

130. I don't know anything about what you mean with S Africa. i'd like to see money put into

educating, treating, prevention, and protecting those who are trying to do all of that. In the affected areas.

And actually all over the world. Even in the USA where, with all of our ability to research, and information, there is so much inaccurate info and fear mongering that it is appalling.

I would also like to see what happened with MrDuncan's info about where he had been not being passed through the channels in his first ED visit NEVER happen again. I think, hope, this was a wake up call to all hospitals, EDs, clinics, to pay better attention. I am glad he was diagnosed as he was, and glad they are monitoring his family/friends who have been in contact with him.

Of course ebola will be in the USA. I do not see it being as it is in Africa because of the ability to disseminate more accurate information here, as well as being able to get better treatment, isolation, etc here. My one fear is some asshole will somehow do something to spread it around, whether through syringes of blood, or putting something into a device that will expose a lot of people. But even without that kind of crap, of course there will be some in the USA and in most every country some time. Dealing with it in the right way is key for us.

For those in w africa, it is heartbreaking, the conditions. So awfully different than we have here.

[Warren DeMontague]

131. And to frame that as a dichotomy is false, as well.

We can and should do everything we can to ease the humanitarian crisis there and put a stop to this; and, as everyone from Obama to Chelsea Clinton has pointed out, it's incumbent upon us not to leave these nations with the dilapidated health care infrastructure they went into this with, because in addition to, again, the moral and humanitarian concerns, we see how quickly it can become everyones' problem...

but we can do all that and STILL not allow people into this country directly from the affected areas. Maybe people will lie, or sneak in, but at the very least we can put additional restrictions in place.

re: South Africa-

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28879020

[uppityperson]

132. What additional restrictions? How? I do not mean dichotomous, simply saying what I wish.

More education, more health care, including protection for the people doing so. I would love to see even a portion of military money put into this. It would make a huge difference for a lot of people.

A problem again is there are not direct flights to here from there, but there are from those 3 countries to S Africa. Or were. So, what would you like? Banning people traveling to usa from those 3 countries, by passport stamp, or questioning? Or more strict screening, like it sounds like SAfrica is doing?
From your link. Thank you for the link, I hadn't seen that.

South Africa says non-citizens arriving from Ebola-affected areas of West Africa will not be allowed into the country, with borders closed to people from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
(clip)
South African nationals will be allowed to re-enter the country when returning from high-risk countries, but will undergo strict screening, the health ministry said on Thursday.

Usual screening procedures are in place for those who travel between Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia, which have been defined as medium-risk countries.
(clip)
The six-month-long operation, involving volunteer doctors, nurses and medical personnel, will cost about $25m (£15m) and begin immediately, the AU said in a statement.

[Warren DeMontague]

133. I think probably a combination of travel monitoring, additional screening, passport restriction

etc.

I don't claim to know precisely how these things work, but I have to believe there is more that could be done.

Probably the go-to dude to ask is Alan Grayson, after all he's actually in Gov't and he's been calling for the same thing since July AFAIUI.

At the very least, if someone shows up from Liberia on Sept. 20 and starts not feeling well -at all- a few days later, red flags and alarm klaxons should be going off sooner, rather than later. It's not like this isn't news, hasn't been news for months.

[uppityperson]

136. Flying in August, 2 Euro airports and a USA one all had signs about ebola at screening and

entry/passport control areas. I would love to hear from the hospital as to wtf happened there as that was not only wrong, dangerous, but think of their liability (how to get through to those for whom profit is prime).

[Warren DeMontague]

139. As I said upthread, I have a sneaking suspicion

that sending him out of there with a prescription because his "condition didn't warrant admission" may not have been completely related to being a foreign national with presumably no health insurance. That sort of thing leads people to get blown off or underserved at emergency rooms.

But either way, for sure-- someone screwed up bigtime. Because he told them the first visit that he had been in Liberia, according to accounts.

[CullenBohannon]

150. true

Seems like they aren't too concerned.

[gopiscrap]

154. Welcome to DU!!!

[Jamastiene]

145. If we do have actual Ebola outbreaks in the US that start to get out of hand,

you can bet Europe will find ways to quarantine US travelers, if not outright temporarily ban travel to Europe.

[Fred Sanders]

85. America is affected now. Ban all flights to and from America? Please, you are not being rational.

[Warren DeMontague]

115. No, assuming they keep this one case contained, like they eventually got in contained in Nigeria

Then America won't "be affected" and we can ban all travel from the 3 major hotspots, until this blows over. Which is what we should have done months ago.

If we can't contain one case, we sure as shit can't contain more- all the more reason not to let any more people in from over there.

[MADem]

129. Naaah--just Texas (/snark). nt

[Warren DeMontague]

114. Damn, we're in agreement.

I think it's uncosncionable that we haven't stopped travel from these 3 countries, as other nations have, for the time being.

This was avoidable. The idea that taking peoples' temperature in the airport and asking them to check a box if they have ebola, is somehow decent public health containment policy for a virus that is something like 70% lethal.. It would be a joke except it's not funny.

One guy flew into Nigeria- and infected over 20. They got it under control, but barely. It could have been a disaster, in Lagos or Port Harcourt.

We can perform humanitarian aid for these countries while still taking the prudent step of blocking travel from them, until this is cleared up.

[Catherine Vincent]

6. He should have demanded they keep him overnight for observation, imo

[Avalux]

22. I doubt an average Liberian citizen would do that in a US hospital.

The reason Ebola is spreading in areas of Africa is due to ignorance, misinformation, and fear. He may not be able to speak and comprehend English very well, and may have been frightened. Put yourself in his shoes...if a US doc give you pills and tells you to go home that you'll be fine, what would you do?

[Bluenorthwest]

36. Just fyi, English is the official and most spoken language of Liberia.

Not that facts matter all that much when we are scriptwriting.

[Avalux]

42. That's good to know, I admit I did not.

There's a never-ending string of "what-ifs" at this point, until we learn more. By putting mine out there, I am learning some new things, which is great.

[magical thyme]

15. he should have immediately quarantined himself

even before symptoms, instead of exposing his family and others.

And the moment he had symptoms he should have gone straight to the hospital, not 2 days later.

And he should have informed them all -- the triage nurse and the care team -- of his direct contact with a dying patient.

[vi5]

18. From my admittedly minimal understanding of this issue/disease/etc.

A large part of the reason this is spreading so rapidly in the places that it is, is in some part due to a lack of full understanding of the population about what they are dealing with, the way it spreads, etc. Coupling that with the poor living and medical conditions in those countries, that is a big element of it.

If he is from there, he could share this lack of full understanding an awareness, and if there is or was any language barrier, it could have exacerbated the situation or miscommunication.

[magical thyme]

26. I think he may be an American, not only because of his name, but this:

Mr. Duncan had lived in the neighborhood, called 72nd SKD Boulevard, for the past two years, living by himself in a small room that he rented from the Williams couple. He had told that them and his neighbors that his son lived in the United States, played baseball, and was trying to get him to come to America.

and here is a 2012 photo:



http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/992764-thomas-eric-duncan-photos-pictures-of-ebola-patient-from-dallas-texas-united-states/

Edited to add that apparently he is originally from Monrovia, but has been in the US for a while:

He studied at Emmett J. Conrad High School in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood of Dallas before attending “Baylor or Kansa,” according to the profile.

[vi5]

46. Still...

There are many elements to ones culture that stick with people for a long time. My wife's family has been in the US for over 30 years but they still have many assorted beliefs/prejudices/skewed views on things from their country of origin, and they are well educated folks. So depending on ones background and education, etc. it could still impact how he handled the situation, whereas if he were an American living for decades under our panic driven 24 hour news culture he might have been more aware and/or forceful in how he handled the situation. By comparison I'm sure hospitals are going to be flooded with born and raised Americans who have come nowhere near in contact with Ebola in any way, who are going to be flooding hospitals and doctors offices with imagined cases of ebola because of the slightest, most tangential connection to something.

[muriel_volestrangler]

72. They mixed up some information about his son with him

The photo is his son - now at the bottom of the article:
"Correction: A previous version of this article identified Duncan’s son as him. Epoch Times regrets the error."
and there's now nothing about "Baylor or Kansa", but Emmett J. Conrad High School is one of the schools to which a child he's been in contact with goes - I'm guessing his son. So I think it's his son who's been in the US for a while. It says Duncan is listed somewhere as living in Accra, Ghana, as well as Monrovia.

[ecstatic]

98. Uggh. Maybe he really was clueless

I can't imagine that he would knowingly expose his own son to the virus. That would be fubar.

[kestrel91316]

76. Liberia was founded by freed American slaves. American names are the norm there as a result.

[magical thyme]

77. I found later in the linked post that he was born in Liberia, but attended high school and

possibly college here.

His family, including his children, are resident here. It's likely that at least some of the exposed children are his.

[uppityperson]

112. Not quite. It was colonized by them but already had many different peoples there.

Hence the difference between Liberians and Americo-Liberians. Americo-Liberians were shipped to Liberia, though originated ancestorially from many African countries. They ended up having most of the main Governmental positions, which is why the uprising in 1981-on happened. The locals wanted to have their country back, not be run by those shipped in and colonizing it.

This is why there are American names, but there are also many who have African/Liberian names of various tribes. Also why the larger cities have more highly educated and internet savy people and the smaller villages, rural areas, are the ones running into trouble with dealing with ebola.

[LisaL]

90. Certainly he shouldn't have been flying to another country.

[magical thyme]

93. He has children and other family here

his son was begging him to come home. His sister had come to visit him weeks before and he quit his job shortly after that.

I think he'd already made arrangements to come back here and was trying to get out of Liberia while he still could. It's a horrible situation there.

I can't blame him for using whatever means he had to escape. But I do blame him for not making clear his exposure.

[LostInAnomie]

20. Idiots like this is probably why we should cut off flights from Liberia...

... and the surrounding area.

There are always going to be clueless morons that think it can't happen to them and go into a hot zone. You would have to be an idiot to not know there is an ebola outbreak going on, yet he went anyway and knowingly had contact with someone with the disease.

Flights need to be cut off because there will always be idiots like this that will bring the disease here.

[davidn3600]

25. Not going to do a whole lot of good

There are no direct flights from Liberia to the United States (unless private charters). Which means they are coming in from a connected airport, or even multiple connections.

[LostInAnomie]

29. Then, screen them out.

It's not that hard for airlines or governments to figure out what connecting flights you have taken. Ban anyone from entering that has been on a plane to or from Liberia in the past couple months. Better yet, anyone thats been in the surrounding countries.

Make the TSA handle it. They seems to be good at no fly lists.

[MohRokTah]

50. So you want to punish a nation of 4 million people

because 3,564 cases of Ebola have been reported in that nation.

Wow.

Just wow.

Precautions are taken. Nobody is allowed to board an aircraft in Liberia if they have a fever.

[pnwmom]

65. It wouldn't be punishing them to ask a screening question at the airport check-in.

Have you been in close contact with any Ebola patient within the last 21 days?

Then don't get on a plane until a doctor gives the okay.

This is a matter of epidemiology and health, not crime and punishment.

[Louisiana1976]

66. Precautions didn't work with this guy, who was asymptomatic when he boarded.

[MohRokTah]

69. But nobody on the plane caught Ebola. eom

[LostInAnomie]

86. Punish? Are we beating the fuck out of the English language now?

Because that's the only way you can get "punish" out of "screening" and "quarantine".

Every country has the right to decide who can and cannot enter their border. In light of recent events, it hardly seems like like the precautions we've already taken did the job.

[Warren DeMontague]

126. Yes, the same way those nations themselves have "punished" the affected counties with quarantine.

The same way the nations sharing LAND borders with these countries have "punished" them by closing their borders.

Liberians aren't allowed to travel to Cote D'Ivoire right now.. but they should be allowed to travel to the US, absolutely, right?

[CullenBohannon]

151. What about

Britain and France? They took the precautions.

[Catherine Vincent]

32. I agree

But of course it's too late. At least for this guy it was. But let's say if this guy did have a suspicion of getting the disease (since he was in close contact with the pregnant woman)...he figured he'd get to the US where he could be cured. I'm sure he saw the reports of the two doctors flown here and both were cured because of the US medical care. He should have quarantined himself as the poster above said. He put his family here in the US and others at risk.

I know we don't know all the facts but from what we do know...? this guy really upset me.

Btw, rest in peace to the pregnant woman that died from the disease.

[LostInAnomie]

34. That's the problem.

As it gets worse over there, peoole with means are going to bring their sick over here. Unless we really step up screening or just quarentine the area, people are going to get through.

[Generic Other]

53. Interesting point

How many of us would do anything necessary to avoid being quarantined in Africa given the information we are hearing about conditions in African hospitals if we could get ourselves to a facility in the US? Horrible how easy it is for this thing to spread.

I suspect when people first heard of the Bubonic Plague or when gays first heard of AIDS, these didn't seem to be cause for alarm either.

[magical thyme]

56. he'd been there for 2 years, so he traveled there to live before it was a hot zone.

his family, including his children, are back here. It's likely that at least some of the 5 exposed children are his own.

[uppityperson]

60. Ignorance does not = being an idiot and way to insult a large number of people

"Clueless moron"? one of the major reasons this outbreak is continuing and spreading is because people do not understand about the disease AND there is not proper isolation facilities for them where they are.

Even many people here in the USA with our health care facilities and information do not understand. There is inaccurate information even on DU so where the fuck do you get off calling ignorant people "clueless morons?

Read about their health care facilities
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/world/africa/ebola-spreading-in-west-africa.html?_r=0

[LostInAnomie]

107. Bullshit.

It strains credulity to believe the ignorance of this person to be possible without him dying a much earlier death from stupidity. Unless you have been living under a rock, it would be impossible for you to miss that there is an contagious, deadly, ebola outbreak in Liberia. It has literally been in the news for months.

I'm guessing, since he has the means to travel between Liberia and the US on a plane, he either has to be weapons grade stupid or indifferent. This is especially true after he knowingly came into physical contact with someone so obviously consumed with disease.

[uppityperson]

109. Then why the fuck have they been murdering health care providers there? Ignorance.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/18/ebola-guinea_n_5845140.html

A spokesman for the government in Guinea said on Thursday that eight bodies were found two days after a group of health workers and journalists went missing in the country.

The journalists and officials came under attack near the southern city of Nzerekore, close to the Liberian border. One journalist was able to escape and later told reporters that she could hear villagers looking for her.

The Associated Press said that the group "was doing disinfection and education on prevention methods" when it went missing.

Doctors and researchers trying to contain the Ebola outbreak, which is deadlier than all previous outbreaks combined, have run up against a population deeply suspicious of medical personnel. Last month, riots broke out in the same Guinean city over rumors that health care workers were infecting people with the virus.

Ignorance and fear. The same thing but in a more immediate way than DUers panicking about this, claiming people were exposed before MrDuncan was contagious. Duers who have access to more accurate information than in village Libera, but still panic. A lot of them do not know wtf this is, how it is passed, how to deal with people who are infected and they react how? By murdering people trying to educate and help. Ignorance. And Fear.

[uppityperson]

123. Insulting ignorant fearful people and a whole continent as "weapons grade stupid". Incredible.

How, pray tell, would you go about quarantining W Africa?

[AngryAmish]

63. This is why we have passport control at airports

If anyone gets their passports punched in the last 45 days in the hot zone then go to quarantine.

My grandfather showed up at ellis island, got a chest x ray and was sent back to the old sod. TB.

You know, the one disease they say can kill us all, but nothing is done.

[Warren DeMontague]

125. Right. Customs will make sure you're not bringing a bag of pot in your luggage.

Ebola? Meh.

[Jamastiene]

149. Good point.

America's priorities are fucked up.

[madville]

67. So is his family quarantined?

And everyone else he was in contact with since his symptoms emerged?

Family, nurses, doctor, people that took his admitting paperwork, paramedics, other patients in the ER when he went the first time?

[DeadLetterOffice]

71. Close enough contact for bodily fluid exchange.

Being in the same room, not so much.

[LostInAnomie]

87. They said on NPR that everyone in the emergency room waiting room...

... has been contacted about possible exposure. So, it doesn't sound like the CDC is so sure.

[LisaL]

147. Per his neighbor, he was puking all over the place before being loaded into an ambulance.

Are they checking out his neighbors that were potentially exposed to his puke?

[kestrel91316]

78. No. Quarantine is imprisonment of a sort. They are told to stay home, stay inside,

minimize contact with others, and report their health status at least once a day.

The weak link in all this is you are relying on people to follow the rules.

These people might be in denial, too scared to comprehend, mistrusting of government, unable to read handouts or understand the big words, etc etc etc.

People will lie outright to public health investigators. i have seen this firsthand and my life was needlessly put at risk due to it.

People will ignore health recommendations about infectious disease management. I see this on a daily basis in my veterinary practice, and I saw it with a RABIES case.

Stupid people will be the death of us all.

[madville]

83. Just reported a second person is suspected of being infected

From the same household as the first.

[kestrel91316]

96. No shock there. He probably infected everyone in the home.

The next 2 weeks could get ugly as the ward he's in fills up.

[uppityperson]

113. Frightened people will be the death of us all. Those I agree that those who know better but are

still frightened enough to do stupid things will contribute. Fear is the motivator. Not stupidity.

[kestrel91316]

73. He knew he was exposed. He fled to America. He got a fever and waited 2 days before

seeking help. He didn't raise the possibility of ebola to the doctors when they told him to just go home. He developed vomiting and diarrhea and waited 2 more days, until he was critically ill, before returning to the ER.

THIS is the level of stupid, dangerous behavior we are up against. THIS is why all the policies and procedures and protocols will fail: humans are just asswipes.

[LisaL]

146. Patrick Sawyer flew to Nigeria even though his sister died of Ebola.

Then one of the persons exposed to Patrick Sawyer skipped quarantine, run off somewhere else to be treated in a hotel, where he infected the doctor who came to treat him. Doctor died some days later of Ebola. So we pretty much have to expect this kind of behavior, unfortunately.

[Fred Sanders]

84. Science facts take all of the fun out of the fear mongering.

[LisaL]

89. Seriously?

That's what you take from the article?
The guy who has direct contact with Ebola patient then gets on the plane and travels to another country, where he exposed a bunch of people to the deadly disease.
And that is your take on the matter?

[Fred Sanders]

91. Exactly.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014908334

[ecstatic]

101. Something tells me they were a lot more aggressive than the US seems to be in

isolating those who were exposed.

[LisaL]

102. Yes, I believe they put them in quarantine in some special places.

We just monitor them here.

[Warren DeMontague]

118. Right, after how many secondary and tertiary infections- due to one index patient?

21, right?

[LisaL]

148. And about half of them died, I believe.

[Sancho]

94. The hospital was more than stupid...

they sent a person with symptoms of a virus home with antibiotics? Antibiotics wouldn't be useful for the flu even if that was the diagnosis. In fact, doctors are told to avoid giving antibiotics without a diagnosis of a bacterial infection. What did they diagnosis? Sinus infection, staph, strep? I'll bet the hospital is busy erasing records asap!

That hospital did NOT WANT a black man from another country admitted because it would cost them money! No insurance, etc. They didn't take the time to diagnosis anything so they missed the Ebola.

They probably have a policy of giving a prescription and dismissing anyone who can still walk! Any doctor admitting a charity patient is likely chewed out or risking losing a job.

That's my hypothesis...

[LisaL]

97. It's even worse.

The second time this guy went in, his friend had to call CDC and tell them that the patient likely had Ebola.
Only then the hospital isolated the patient.

[Sancho]

99. oh hell...

and I thought Florida hospitals were bad...

[Warren DeMontague]

117. "I dont care what he's got, since he doesn't have $$$$$INSURANCE!!!!$$$$$$$$"

I bet it went down something like that, hence the "have a prescription and go home" level of inattention he was initially getting.

[Warren DeMontague]

134. Oh, boy. "Dallas Ebola patient vomited outside apartment on way to hospital"

Well, no wonder they've got the ambulance people under quarantine.

http://news.yahoo.com/traveler-liberia-first-ebola-patient-diagnosed-u-003007621--finance.html

Two days after he was sent home from a Dallas hospital, the man who is the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States was seen vomiting on the ground outside an apartment complex as he was bundled into an ambulance.

"His whole family was screaming. He got outside and he was throwing up all over the place," resident Mesud Osmanovic, 21, said on Wednesday, describing the chaotic scene before the man was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday where he is in serious condition.

[underthematrix]

138. so he lied when he was aksed in liberia if he has been in contact with anyone

who exhibits symptoms of ebola or ebola. a level of self-interest hard to imagine

[AverageJoe90]

142. Thanks for posting this, Cali.

Can't believe they fucked up this badly, and especially so close to where I live.

It's become clear to me now that our private healthcare system can't do this alone. The government needs to get involved now.

[WinkyDink]

143. He KNEW he was in jeopardy of contracting Ebola, and YET HE GOT ON A PLANE. HE ASSOCIATED WITH CHIL-

DREN. HE VISITED FAMILY MEMBERS.

WTH KIND OF A MAN BEHAVES IN SUCH A CALLOUS MANNER??

[liberalmuse]

152. I truly believe DU represents the best of America...

that being said, some of the comments here disturb me. I guess America is still very much a tribal society, where vengeance and punishment trump compassion and willingness to recognize what's done is done, so let's move on, learn something and do better next time.

Human nature, ignorance, over worked healthcare workers, stifling bureaucracy and human error all combined to create this situation. Hopefully we learn from it and do better next time. We need a vaccine and maybe a wake up call that we're all in this together, no matter what some choose to believe.

And damn, a civilized country doesn't seek to punish the already inflicted. I guess Mr. Duncan having a horrific illness just isn't enough for some people.