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OUT OF CONTROL: How the world’s health organizations failed to stop the Ebola Disaster

Sun, 2014-10-05 12:16 — mike kraft

WASHINGTON POST's detailed front page account of how the Ebola epidemic got out of control in West Africa. Oct. 5, 2014

by Lena Sun, Bradly Dennis, Lenny Bernstein and Joel Achenbach

The glow from a crematorium lights the sky as the bodies of people who died from Ebola are cremated last month in Monrovia

---Michel Du Cille, THE WASHINGTON POST

.... "The virus easily outran the plodding response. The WHO, an arm of the United Nations, is responsible for coordinating international action in a crisis like this, but it has suffered budget cuts, has lost many of its brightest minds and was slow to sound a global alarm on Ebola. Not until Aug. 8, 4 1 ⁄ 2 months into the epidemic, did the organization declare a global emergency. Its Africa office, which oversees the region, initially did not welcome a robust role by the CDC in the response to the outbreak.

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http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/cdc-director-tom-frieden-ebola-drug-pipeline-will-be-slow-n218666

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Why We Won't Have An Ebola Cure Or Vaccine For Years

Sun, 2014-10-05 02:48 — Maeryn Obley

UPDATE with comments from interviw with CDC Director Tom Frieden. Scroll below.

huffingtonpost.com - October 2nd, 2014 - Jeffery Young

The world has known about Ebola for almost 40 years, yet there's no cure or vaccine on the market.

That could change amid worldwide attention to the ongoing outbreak of the virus in West Africa, which has claimed more than 3,000 lives already, and the first diagnosis of a patient with the disease in the United States. But not for a few more years -- at least.

(VIEW COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Update: Comments by CDC Director on Sunday TV interview

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Ebola Victim's Air Journey shows weak spots in screening.

Sat, 2014-10-04 17:00 — mike kraft

NEW YORK TIMES October 3, 2014

MONROVIA, Liberia — The arrival in the United States of a Liberian man infected with the Ebola virus shows how difficult it is to control or restrict the disease from spreading, and how porous current procedures are in a world of globalized air travel.

Liberian officials said on Thursday that they planned to prosecute the passenger, Thomas E. Duncan, for lying on an airport questionnaire about not having contact with a person infected with Ebola before his travel — a pivotal part of the country’s screening process.

Mr. Duncan took three planes as he flew from Monrovia, the Liberian capital, to Dallas last month, connecting in Brussels and Washington.

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Source: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/national-international/Texas-Hospital-Software-Blame-Ebola-Patients-Misdiagnosis-277988141.html#ixzz3F5cyR89B

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Class from International Baccalaureate School in Houston Seeks Ebola Education from Global Resilience System

Fri, 2014-10-03 17:51 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Pictured here are the students in
Ms. Appel’s class in Houston, gathering information on the Ebola virus
from a Global Resilience System volunteer, Kathy Gilbeaux, with their website shown in the background.
Photo Credit: Emma Goerges

On Thursday, a fifth grade class from an International Baccalaureate school in Houston sought answers to their questions regarding the Ebola virus. After a short period of investigating its symptoms, spread, and severity, the students were left with several unanswered questions. Specifically, the students continued to inquire about the origin of Ebola, details of its spread to Texas, in what ways the United States is helping, and Ebola treatment options.

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Dallas Hospital says software flaw led to initial release of Ebola patent

Fri, 2014-10-03 09:58 — mike kraft

Update with additional information and text of the hospital statement (scroll down).

5 NBC News Chicago

Oct 3, 2014 • Updated at 7:53 AM CDT

The Dallas Hospital that sent Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan home said a software flaw, and not human error, caused doctors to miss the diagnosis, NBC News is reporting.

The electronic health records (EHR) system that the hospital uses has a separate workflow for physicians and nurses. The travel history of the patient was located in the nursing portion of the workflow within the EHR, but not in the physician's workflow.

“As result of this discovery, Texas Health Dallas has relocated the travel history documentation to a portion of the EHR that is part of both workflows," the hospital said.

Link to story

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http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/nbc-news-freelancer-africa-diagnosed-ebola-n217271

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NBC Cameraman stricken with Ebola in Liberia, being flown home

Thu, 2014-10-02 20:59 — mike kraft

NBC NEWS October 2, 2014

An American freelance cameraman working for NBC News in Liberia has tested positive for Ebola and will be flown back to the United States for treatment.

...

The freelancer came down with symptoms on Wednesday, feeling tired and achy. As part of a routine temperature check, he discovered he was running a slight fever. He immediately quarantined himself and sought medical advice. On Thursday morning, the 33 year-old American went to a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) treatment center to be tested for the virus. The positive result came back just under 12 hours later.

The cameraman, who also is a writer, is the fourth American to have contracted Ebola in Liberia. He has been working in Liberia on various projects for the past three years. NBC News is withholding the cameraman’s name at the request of his family.

Full Story

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Man in U.S. With Ebola Had Been Screened to Fly, but System Is Spotty

Thu, 2014-10-02 10:51 — mike kraft

NEW YORK TIMES Oct. 2, 2014

By Matthew J. Wald and Jad Mouawad

As he was preparing to leave Liberia for Dallas two weeks ago, Thomas E. Duncan, the man confirmed to be the first Ebola case in the United States, was checked at the airport for signs of the disease. He was determined to have no fever and allowed to board his flight, American officials say.

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Scrutiny in Texas to Detect Whether Ebola Spread

Thu, 2014-10-02 09:32 — mike kraft

UPDATE

Officials: ‘About 100′ people may have had contact with the Texas Ebola patient

WASHINGTON POST OCTOBER 2, 2014 10:03 AM

Texas health officials said Thursday that there are "about 100" people who may have had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan, the man who is being treated in a Dallas-area hospital for Ebola.

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