UNCOMMON WISDOM ON EBOLA VIRUS

The best of Uncommon Wisdom Daily
for the week ending Oct. 11, 2014
 
This Week's Featured Story ...
Viruses Go Viral

Ebola isn’t the only virus threatening us. A whole series of scary-sounding organisms are suddenly in the headlines.

This week Spanish authorities confirmed a nurse had been diagnosed positive in what became the first known case of a patient acquiring Ebola outside Africa.

Her dog, Excalibur, was euthanized by health authorities because it was exposed to the virus.

Is anyone safe?

***

Several readers wrote in to say U.S. media outlets are giving Ebola far more attention than it deserves. The point out, correctly, that other diseases are far more likely to strike people in the developed world and we should focus on those.

I see the point.

On the other hand, I think the one Ebola case in Dallas revealed our healthcare system is not as well-prepared as we thought. Now we see the same may be true in Europe.

News revealed that a Spanish nurse had contracted Ebola without going anywhere near West Africa. She had been involved with treating a Spanish missionary who had caught Ebola in Sierra Leone.

The Madrid hospital where she worked knew Ebola patients were on the way and still wasn’t ready, according to this this report from The Guardian.

Health authorities said they were monitoring more than 50 possible contacts of the nurse.

Staff at the hospital where she worked told El País that the protective suits they were given did not meet World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, which specify that suits must be impermeable and include breathing apparatus. Staff also pointed to latex gloves secured with adhesive tape as an example of how the suits were not impermeable and noted that they did not have their own breathing equipment.

I see two big problems here.

First, unlike the Dallas hospital, the one in Madrid had plenty of advance warning and time to take protective measures.

They failed.

Second, why does it matter if the suits didn’t have their own breathing equipment? The experts keep saying Ebola isn’t transmissible by air.

If that’s true, then breathing the same air as an Ebola patient should be perfectly safe.

Am I missing something here?

***

Even if Ebola isn’t airborne, plenty of other viruses are.

A 4-year-old New Jersey boy died last month from Enterovirus 68D. This virus isn’t new or foreign. The CDC says they first identified it in California way back in 1962.

For some reason, it is spreading more than usual this year.

The enterovirus mainly affects children and teens. It can cause severe respiratory distress for those with asthma-like problems. The New Jersey victim died very suddenly with no such symptoms, however. His parents thought he had pinkeye but saw nothing else unusual.

If you’re a parent of young children, as I am, such stories are terrifying. My wife and I are expecting our second one soon, so we’ve watched the news coverage very closely.

There’s a lot of debate about vaccinating children. I know some families who follow all the standard recommendations and others who don’t vaccinate at all.

There is no vaccine for Enterovirus D68. Other than the normal hygienic steps, the CDC says there isn’t much you can do.

***

The germs are out there. Whether they find you or your child seems like a matter of luck. Science can’t protect us from everything.

I’m curious what everyone else thinks about vaccination, especially for young children. We’re also approaching the colder months when older people often get flu shots.

These are more than personal health decisions. Our decisions influence the healthcare industry and the entire economy. They can also hit close to home. Many, many personal bankruptcies are a direct result of medical bills. By protecting your health, you also protect your wealth.

What are your thoughts on vaccinations for children and adults? I’d like to share some good letters with other readers. You can leave a comment on our website or send me an e-mail. Tell me what you think about the Spanish Ebola case, too.

Written by
Brad Hoppmann