Ebola in the US – Important Preparation Info & Thoughts on Hospital Personnel

So according to the CDC,  MORE THAN 80 PEOPLE HAD CONTACT WITH THE TEXAS EBOLA PATIENT who was let go after checking into the ER and complaining of a fever and other symptoms. The man was sent home the same day with an antibiotic rather than being kept for further observation. Source
This mind you, after he specifically said to the attending nurse that he had recently traveled to the US from West Africa.

Now, I don’t like bashing people, especially hard-working medical staff because we have lots of them in our family and I respect their work and dedication, however, this is outrageous. What was this nurse thinking and why did he or she not think the information regarding the patient’s whereabouts was not important enough to pass on to the ER doctor. Maybe he or she was sick that day, overworked and just plain tired. Or maybe they had no idea where West Africa is located?

Believe it or not, when I worked in a local hospital (years ago) and would have conversations with some of the medical staff, I encountered on more than one occasion the “deer in the headlights look” when I shared the countries I had lived in as a child.  To my amazement, some of my medical staffer friends were absolutely clueless on matters pertaining to geography. Back then I did not think much about it but in light of this weeks headlines, I have to say that perhaps some of the medical teams across the country need to take a quick refresher on world geography.

Please for the sake of humanity, let’s get on the ball people! We are not talking about a little pesky 24-hour virus. Mistakes like this should never happen in a hospital but oh do they. I learned that the hard way after my dad was promoted to glory via medical malpractice.

With an issue as delicate as the Ebola pandemic we cannot afford to make mistakes. Like the fact that no one has said if the EMT workers cleaned up the infected man’s profuse vomiting outside of the apartment complex before he was taken to the hospital.
I am scratching my head at this one and just wondering. What if a dog was nearby and as street dogs do, sniffed or even licked the man’s vomit. Come on now, you get the gist. The dog then licks a little kid in the park, then the little kid touches his eyes or mouth and boom, transmission is successful and the dog continues to spread the virus.
Now even taking this one step further, since no reports talk about operation “vomit clean up”, who cleaned up all of the vomit and if they did, were the appropriate transportation and disposal methods used?

Or did family members clean up the vomit and then toss items into the garbage. Still scratching my head on this one, I wonder if we will ever know what happened to the vomit.

On another note, what about the HVAC systems in this apartment building? I ponder on this because from my research and experience with toxigenic molds, I know that the mycotoxins or secondary metabolites excreted by certain molds are spread easily through the air, water, and porous materials. So in the case of this apartment building, how is the air being decontaminated and or filtered to remove microscopic infectious particles?
From what we know the Ebola virus can live for a few days given the right environment so cleaning contaminated HVAC systems and replacing filters during and after the quarantine period is over, should be an immediate priority. This is an extremely important step since we know that: “INFECTIOUS DISEASES caused by bacteria and viruses, such as flu, measles, chicken pox, and tuberculosis, may be spread indoors. Most infectious diseases pass from person to person through physical contact. Crowded conditions with poor air circulation can promote this spread. Some bacteria and viruses thrive in buildings and circulate through indoor ventilation systems. For example, the bacterium causing Legionnaire’s disease, a serious and sometimes lethal infection, and Pontiac Fever, a flu-like illness, have circulated in some large building.” Source

Seriously I am not trying to freak anyone out but I have not heard or read anything in the media where these questions are being asked, answered and or discussed. Food for thought.

This all leads me to ask if we are prepared for an Ebola outbreak in the US. Sadly given the first patient’s lack of proper treatment, I would have to say that it looks like we are far from being ready and that worries me. I hope and pray that hospitals, the CDC and medical professionals get on board and get on board quickly so mistakes like these do not continue.

So what am I doing? Well, if the nastiness hits the fan then we will bunker in our house and stay away from all public places, and given the track record of Ebola this would probably be enforced by the local governments and would not be something to opt out of if the Ebola virus spreads out of control. That means making sure we have a good amount of water and food, on hand in addition to hospital grade hand soaps and fragrance-free disinfectants. As a safety precaution, I always keep a variety of respirators on hand in addition to nitrile gloves and isolation gowns.

In regards to herbal medicine, I am well stocked on potent antivirals, adaptogenic and immune system supporting herbs.
For an article I wrote a few years back on respirators, their descriptions and proper use click here. 

In thinking ahead, if we had to be confined at home for a month I would probably set up a sick room using plastic sheeting to quarantine any sick family member. This is actually helpful even when the flu is present, especially in large families. For ideas on setting up a quarantine room click here.

One last thing pertaining to diet. For anyone wanting to strengthen their immune system and avoid the yearly viruses that come around it is imperative to stop consuming all processed sugars, processed oils, and grains. These foods only feed pathogens and do nothing to support a healthy immune system. In our home, we follow a strict sugar and grain free diet and we consume lots of fermented veggies and nutrient dense foods. As a result of this, I have not had a cold or flu in many years! I believe that this is one of the reasons why I have been able to be around sick people, take care of them and not get sick. So when choosing foods make sure you eat fresh farm food not processed junk. Trust me on this, your body will thank you later.
Need ideas on healthy meals? Check out my Instagram feed.

So there you have it. Those are my thoughts on Ebola.
Be Healthy & God Bless you!