We should want more people to "panic" about Ebola --

[pnwmom]

Last edited Fri Nov 7, 2014, 01:28 AM - Edit history (2)

instead of relaxing, now that the last cases have been treated here in the U.S..

We want everyone to strongly support the $6 billion that Obama is proposing to fight Ebola.

Don't we?

We support improving the public health infrastructure here in the US, after years of Republican-led cutbacks to public health services.

Don't we?

What is the effect of constantly striving to minimize the potential danger of a worldwide outbreak? That Americans won't support the needed measures to eradicate it, until it's too late.

In seeking to tamp down the perceived "panic" about Ebola, we've been losing a teachable moment. The epidemic in West Africa is growing exponentially, and there is still a clear danger that it could grow out of control within the next few years. We had a chance to harness our personal concerns with those of the people in West Africa, but instead we've been encouraging people to think that Ebola is their problem, not ours. But it continues to spread, if it makes the leap to a densely populated ally like India -- it will only be a matter of time before it roars back here.

We need Congress to approve the $6 billion. We need enough people to "panic."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/05/fact-sheet-emergency-funding-request-enhance-us-government-s-response-eb

Since the first cases of Ebola were reported in West Africa in March 2014, the United States has mounted a whole-of-government response to contain and eliminate the epidemic at its source, while also taking prudent measures to protect the American people.

Today, the Administration announced it is seeking $6.18 billion through an emergency funding request to Congress to enhance our comprehensive efforts to address this urgent situation. To help meet both immediate and longer-term requirements, $4.64 billion is requested for immediate response and $1.54 billion is requested as a Contingency Fund to ensure that there are resources available to meet the evolving nature of the epidemic.

The $4.64 billion for the Administration’s immediate response, as outlined below, is designed to fortify domestic public health systems, contain and mitigate the epidemic in West Africa, speed the procurement and testing of vaccines and therapeutics, and strengthen global health security by reducing risks to Americans by enhancing capacity for vulnerable countries to prevent disease outbreaks, detect them early, and swiftly respond before they become epidemics that threaten our national security. These are the same activities that are necessary to combat the spread of Ebola and reduce the potential for future outbreaks of infectious diseases that could follow a similarly devastating, costly, and destabilizing trajectory.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - $2.43 billion:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - $1.83 billion. The request includes funding to prevent, detect, and respond to the Ebola epidemic and other infectious diseases and public health emergencies both at home and abroad for the following activities:

Fortify domestic public health systems and advance U.S. preparedness with support to more than 50 Ebola Treatment Centers through state and local public health departments.

Improve Ebola readiness within State and local public health departments and laboratories.

Procure personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Strategic National Stockpile.

Increase support for monitoring of travelers at U.S. airports
.
Control the epidemic in the hardest hit countries in Africa by funding activities including: infection control, contact tracing and laboratory surveillance and training; emergency operation centers and preparedness; and education and outreach.

Conduct evaluations of clinical trials in affected countries to assess safety and efficacy of vaccine candidates.

Establish global health security capacity in vulnerable countries to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to outbreaks before they become epidemics by standing up emergency operations centers; providing equipment and training needed to test patients and report data in real-time; providing safe and secure laboratory capacity; and developing a trained workforce to track and end outbreaks before they become epidemics. These are the same activities that are necessary to combat the spread of Ebola and reduce the potential for future outbreaks of infectious diseases that could follow a similarly devastating, costly, and destabilizing trajectory.

SNIP

[tularetom]

1. Haven't you heard?

Since the election Ebola is no longer a problem here in the US.

It accomplished what it was supposed to, got the Senate in the hands of republicans, so you won't be hearing anymore about it.

[pnwmom]

2. The Republicans did not engineer the Ebola cases. And the WHO has been fighting

for months to get the first world community to take this seriously. It's too bad we lost the opportunity to educate more people and build support for the fight.

[Voice for Peace]

12. You do raise a good point. The reason we aren't panicking is we assume

We assume the health dept, the CDC, the President, the hospitals,
are all on top of it here, in America, and that it can easily be
contained, here. Funding will be made available for America.
But for helping stop it elsewhere?

They may prefer to close borders/stop flights from Africa?

[pnwmom]

13. Right. We are very selfishly deciding that we aren't at risk, so who cares?

But if we need a selfish reason, there is one: we might not be at risk now, but if there are millions of cases of Ebola around the world, not thousands, our way of life will be seriously impacted.

We need to spend money on a vaccine, and to stop the spread of Ebola in West Africa now.

[uppityperson]

3. We need people to take it seriously but not to panic.

Except for saying that, I agree with what you write. Too many care too little. But there are alternatives beyond "panic".

[pnwmom]

6. That's why I put the word in quotes. Anyone who has strong concerns is accused of panicking.

When we called out one mistake after another by the Dallas Hospital, the county, and the CDC, we were accused of panicking.

Anyone who says anything other than, "don't worry, be happy," is accused of panicking.

[dsc]

4. we should not be panicking about Ebola

for Christ's sake, one, count it one, person died from Ebola here. The only people who have gotten it are health care workers, the majority of whom caught it in Africa. You are more likely to get struck by lightning while holding a winning super lotto ticket than to die of Ebola if you aren't a health care worker. And even if you are a health care worker, you still have a miniscule chance of catching it if you simply stay out of Africa. I am sure glad we didn't have the likes of you running the country during WW2 you would have surrendered to Hitler before Pearl Harbor. If you had been FDR your speech would have been we have everything to fear except fear itself.

[pnwmom]

7. You are missing the point entirely. Never mind.

[KMOD]

5. Since so many republicans decided to use this as an election

issue. We should absolutely hold their feet to the fire to support the $6 billion Obama is asking for.

If they refuse, point them out as the hypocrites that they are.

But also, I still don't want to see people panic, I would just like to see them have the information so they are informed about it.

[DebJ]

8. 35% of the country would never panic enough to help save black people. And furreners at that. n/t

[LeftyMom]

9. The panic people are the ones who don't give a shit about Africa.

They wanted (and probably still want) to close the borders for no good reason, which would inhibit aid and medical assistance.

They wanted (and presumably still want) unnecessary quarantines so health care workers would have to spend their limited time away from their jobs sitting around in hospitals/tents/their houses twiddling their thumbs rather than helping sick patients in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Helping sick and dying people has to take a back seat to quarantine theater to soothe their nerves because they're sooooo skeered.

Pull the other one.

[pnwmom]

10. Many people here have been accused of "panic" because they correctly

deduced, very early on, that the CDC had greatly overestimated the ability of average hospitals in the US to cope with Ebola, and that Dallas Presby had made one serious mistake after another.

Instead of smugly insisting that the US health care system would easily deal with Ebola, the CDC should have been spending more time making sure hospitals across the US had the necessary equipment and that their personnel had the necessary training.

[KMOD]

16. Agreed. We were initially unprepared.

Not unexpected, since we never had an Ebola case her before.

I'm confident that it was a good and needed learning experience for our health care system, and I believe we are much more prepared now.

[pnwmom]

19. I hope so. But because NY state spends 6 times as much in public health

as the average state, I don't think Bellevue's experience is necessarily what will happen elsewhere.

[KMOD]

21. I believe every state has designated specific hospitals, or

are at least in the process of doing so.

Proper PPE, and a way to destroy an Ebola patients medical waste are the top priorities. It's clear not everyone is ready for that. But many who aren't, are preparing.

The rest is mostly supportive care, which the CDC was correct in thinking anyone could do. But, they also need to be able to handle the above, to be successful in treatment.

[pnwmom]

31. Part of the 6 billion will be going into supplying hospitals with the needed equipment

because they AREN'T ready. Any hospital could wind up with an Ebola patient that they have to deal with before sending them to a special center. But most aren't yet prepared-- for Ebola or other infectious rare diseases.

[Logical]

33. You were as panicked as they came! Nt

[pnwmom]

34. I was taking the threat seriously. And I still do. But that isn't the same as "panicking."n/t

[Logical]

35. Claiming you knew more than the CDC???? Nt

[pnwmom]

37. The CDC acknowledged they were wrong and had to improve their guidelines.

It was obvious to many people before it was obvious to the CDC.

Fortunately, the CDC finally changed its position and recommended protocols very similar to those of Doctors without Borders.

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. The people who were running around here acting a fool two weeks ago

Now have to face the incontrovertible fact that they were behaving in a very silly way, and that their claims were ridiculous.

What to do?

Shift the terms of the argument, of course. They were really right all along, if you only look at it this way....

The usual message board silliness, really.

[pnwmom]

14. The fools were the people who insisted that any hospital in the country with the capability

to isolate a patient in a private room could handle Ebola patients.

No one at the CDC or in state health authorities is spouting that line anymore.

[uppityperson]

25. The fools are people panicking about riding the NYC subway and ignoring what is going on in W Africa

because, after all, what if (for here) and who cares (for there).

And those who do not reply or rec other threads on ebola because meh.


For instance
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025777066

[pnwmom]

29. Everyone who doesn't reply to or rec one of your Ebola threads is a fool?

In case you haven't noticed, there are countless other worthy threads that people here may choose to rec or reply to.

[uppityperson]

30. Whoosh. You again missed the point.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025776521
http://www.democraticunderground.com/110834805
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025776496

[LeftyMom]

15. Exactly.

Helpfully the worst of the panic brigade were people who are reliably wrong about absolutely every thing, so the disappointment wasn't exactly crushing.

[KMOD]

18. eh, it's time to move on

Mistakes were made, people were scared, and many were uninformed intentional by the media.

The focus now should again be on West Africa. just my opinion.

[pnwmom]

38. The focus SHOULD be on West Africa. But most people don't care about the situation in West Africa

because they don't think it will ever touch them personally.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. Don't you know the Republicans will save us all?

[PADemD]

20. We're not out of the woods yet.

Number of People Under "Active Monitoring" for Ebola in NYC Triples, City Officials Say
Thursday, Nov 6, 2014

The number of people under "active monitoring" for Ebola symptoms has increased from 117 on Monday to 357 people Wednesday, health officials said.

The vast majority of those being monitored arrived in New York City within the past 21 days from the three Ebola-affected countries, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation said in a statement.

Others being monitored are the staff caring for Dr. Craig Spencer, the physician being treated for Ebola at Bellevue Hospital, the lab workers who conducted his blood tests and the FDNY EMTs who transported the doctor.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/active-monitoring-ebola-doctor-Craig-Spencer-bellevue-hospital-281671121.html

[KMOD]

22. just more abundance of caution.

Our outbreak, although not officially, is technically over.

[uppityperson]

23. There are people, health care workers and travelers, all over the country, being monitored

As there have been for the last 6 months. And in the last 6 months, there have been only 2 people infected in the USA, BOTH heath care workers caring for someone with ebola.

This does not mean do not monitor people, but "We're not out of the woods yet" is rather odd statement. Until this outbreak has been eradicated where it is happening, the 3 W African countries, until all those exposed there have passed their 21 day incubation period, of course it could show up here again. And it very well may.

But in the last 6 months, NOT ONE person has gotten it here beyond those 2 health care workers. Not one person from living with someone, or riding the subway, or flying, or bowling, has gotten it.

More money, equipment, supplies, workers are needed where the outbreak is happening to protect the world at the minimum.

[adirondacker]

24. Maybe we could arrange for the Health Care Workers returning from W Africa to visit congress first

Last edited Fri Nov 7, 2014, 01:20 AM - Edit history (1)

thing upon their arrival.

[KMOD]

27. I like that idea, adirondacker.

[pnwmom]

39. Good idea. n/t

[ForgoTheConsequence]

26. I don't think you know what "panic" means.

a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals.


You want people to behave hysterically and irrationally?

[pnwmom]

32. "Panic" in quotes means something different from panic outside of quotes.

What is one person's "panic" is another person's reasonable caution.

[Logical]

40. Most the stuff posted here was not "reasonable" nt

[Rex]

28. Congress will say we don't have it, then turn right around and shutdown the govt

to the tune of 10s of billions a week.

Panic won't do anything, the Clown Car Deluxe has arrived! Prepare to watch King Cruz dump our economy into the ocean while singing "proud to be an Merican!"

Wall Street is aching for a dump, stocks are at an all time high - so the few owners could make another KILLING.

Will the M$M say anything? Nope...just blame Obama!

And the GOP theft will continue.

[uppityperson]

36. We need more people like the Zuckerbergs who have not panicked.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025779515