She Flew With a Fever

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I swear this was not what I had in mind for my next post. I have some other things I am working on, but I just can’t believe healthcare worker Amber Vinson got on a plane knowing she had a fever and knowing she had been exposed to Thomas Duncan, and Nina Pham, the other nurse who has been diagnosed with Ebola. She of all people KNEW BETTER! Vinson has now been diagnosed with Ebola, and flown to Atlanta for treatment.

When asked how this could happen, that one of these exposed healthcare workers could get on a plane and travel during the incubation period when they were supposed to be being monitored for symptoms – the answer the official gave was the one we keep hearing over and over – Well, somebody dropped the ball there.

I heard another official say that the risk of the infection spreading was “very very low,” but we all know that’s bullshit. Why don’t they just tell the truth – though the risk appears to be low, this is a dangerous disease, and everyone must be vigilant, period. AND they haven’t been!! Those that could be exposed need to be trained thoroughly and provided the appropriate protective equipment. AND they haven’t been!! It’s been reported that the nurses who treated Duncan also treated other patients. Those in charge really are not taking this issue seriously. How could they be, with this type of decision-making and resulting behavior?

And I’m sorry, regardless whether anyone kept Vinson from flying or not – SHE should’ve known better, she did know better, she just didn’t care. Shit, I take more precautions to keep from exposing people when I have a cold. I have to admit, I was fucking blown away when I heard she got on a plane knowing she had a fever and her exposure history. I could go on about that, but serves no purpose.

[I have to add a post-script here: A few hours after the initial report that Vinson traveled by plane, it was discovered that she DID contact the CDC and inform them that she had a fever. The CDC, in their infinite wisdom, told her to go ahead and fly, as her fever was still under the threshold they had set. The CDC , in my opinion, have just lost an immense amount of credibility by not erring on the side of caution. I pray that mistake doesn’t come back to haunt them, as well as the rest of us.]

I said in my last blog – I hope everyone that has come in contact with these patients is being quarantined and monitored. I can’t help but worry that someone has been missed, unnoticed, or unidentified. Well, we now have proof that exposed people are out there in the general population coming in contact with others who have no idea.

There are 70+ other healthcare workers who came in contact with Duncan, not counting how many others who have come into contact with Pham and Vinson. So far, none of the original 70+ people are being quarantined, knowingly allowing them to possibly expose others.

AND while all of this is going on, and we have turned our attention to our own inattention to precaution against Ebola and are now scrambling to stop the possible impending crisis, I can’t help but wonder what else might be going on elsewhere – while we aren’t paying attention?

Just something I was thinking about . . .

24 thoughts on “She Flew With a Fever”

    1. They really are WS. Like you said, “Willful ignorance,” as well as misplaced over-confidence. I am a full-fledged member of the “well that’s never happened before” and “we’ve never seen that before” club and I can tell you – IT can happen.

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  3. Just heard on the news a few minutes ago that when she was in Cleveland and had got the low grade fever, she called the CDC and asked if she should fly the return trip home, she was advised that it would be OK to fly. Un-fricking believable! I really don’t think the CDC has had a handle on this either.

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    1. I just heard that, too DSS. I feel kind of bad now that I chastised the nurse. Need to add a post-script to my post. Though I do state my opinions, I try to get my facts straight. The CDC now – in my opinion they have just lost an immense amount of credibility by not erring on the side of caution. I pray that mistake doesn’t come back to haunt them, as well as the rest of us.

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      1. Why would you feel bad, she should have still known not to take that flight?
        She had treated someone with ebola – check
        initial symptoms are high temperature. – check
        She had a high temperature… der!!! – check

        She should have the brains to make the call herself not to call someone to get the go ahead to get on a flight, how can they diagnose her over the phone anyway, she should not have taken any flight in the first place and should have taken herself to the nearest hospital with the facilities to quarantine her. She has put hundreds of thousands of people at risk by her negligence.

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        1. I know Moi!! In my post-script, I had originally written that if it was me, I still wouldn’t have gotten on that flight – hell I wouldn’t have left Dallas at all – quarantining myself just to be sure – but then I took that part out. Watching the Congressional Hearing on Ebola now.

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          1. I am in the UK but it’ll be interesting what they say. This nurse though, it is in staark contrast to the nurse in Australia whi got a fever and had the common sense to quarantine herself in her own home then calling the authorities rather than calling the alleged experts before going on a comercial flight with 132 inncocent people on it. who may or may not be spreadign the virus like wildfire right now.

            Which brings me to another point, they have advertised the flight number have any of these passengers come forward themselves?

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  5. Once again officials have proven themselves to be incompetent, poorly prepared and lacking in acountability.It reminds me of the New Orleans disaster where FEMA was tasked to be prepared and not only wasn’t but acted surprised that they were expected to be. The worst that happened to those whose incompetence became ths disaster was that they were fired. Imagine, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could play with billiions of dollars, never address your mission and then be so not held accountable that the worst that happened was termination. Many people died who shouldn’t have because of this stupidity that seems to define governments. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happened with Ebola – unnecessary deaths attributable specifically to incompetence. For you and I Sadie – anyone who deliberately and knowingly caused the deaths of others would be charged in court with a minimum of reckless endangerment and likely manslghter. These politicians and government employees walk away form their incompetence basically unscathed. Ahhh the priviledges of power.

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    1. I know Paul! And I remember how badly they handled the disaster post-Katrina – I was working from home at the time, and I sat here watching it play out & just cried at how it was being handled, finally having to turn the TV off for a few days it had me so depressed. I am watching the Congressional Hearing on Ebola now – now they are discussing the possibility of transmission to pets (dogs in particular). They just asked if maybe we should be restricting the travel of dogs . . . seriously the dogs, but not the people possibly exposed. They are still tripping all over their feet!!!

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  6. It is amazing how dumb some people can actually be really.They say the risk is very very low because they don’t want panic, but really!!! do they think we are that stupid, especially when on another hand there are people saying it could mutate and go airborne, then we are screwed.

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  8. On a serious note. The problem starts with the head of the fish, that being Mr.O. If he would have taken the proper precautions at the beginning and quarantine everyone who had traveled from those infected countries this would not have happened. Here in Spain Ebola is also hitting and believe me our health care workers are a joke compared to the Americans.

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    1. Charly – I had heard there was one case in Spain, but haven’t heard anymore about that patient. Can you fill in the blanks – is this person better? Have more cases been identified? Is the media there focusing on it?

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      1. You heard right, there has been several but it was the first case outside Africa into the western world. And yes she seems to be doing better.

        Sorry for the delay response, be back to internet world tomorrow

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