It's been another eventful day. We've learned the unfortunate news that Eric Duncan, the index patient with Ebola in Dallas, has
passed away. There have been
concerns about further transmission to three other Spanish healthcare workers and that the initial nurse may have contracted the virus through breaking PPE removal protocol. There is even
news that a second person in Dallas might have acquired Ebola through contact with Mr. Duncan or his surroundings. President Obama announced
increased screening at the five US airports that account for 94% of entry flights carrying people from West Africa. Finally, NYT Science Reporter Carl Zimmer
said that "worrying about Ebola becoming airborne, is like worrying about wolves evolving wings."
You could read all of these reports and more but the quickest way to catch up on today's Ebola news is to listen to Dan Diekema's
interview on this afternoon's PRI
The World. Somehow, Dan pulled away from his SHEA presidential duties and IDWeek sessions to record the interview that I've posted below.
Why do you say, "Spanish" healthcare workers? Why not just "healthcare workers"?
ReplyDeleteBecause of the specific epidemiology of this outbreak. In this case, the healthcare workers were all involved in the care of a Spanish priest cared for in Madrid. CNN mentioned these HCW in conjunction with the Spanish nurse, as mentioned in the article I linked to. Leaving out their location might confuse readers into thinking the HCW were from Dallas or Liberia. All of these locations are distinct with distinct risks of transmission.
DeleteDo you disagree? Can you further explain why this isn't correct?