First U.S. Case of Ebola in Dallas
My inclination not to panic is counterbalanced by my inclination not to trust the U.S. Government when it tells me everything is OK.
You’ve already heard the reassurances from the government. But apparently the infected man was at an emergency room with symptoms and then left:
The man had some symptoms on Sept. 24. Early Friday morning, the patient went to the hospital emergency room on his own with nondescript, nonspecific symptoms. He was evaluated at the hospital and given antibiotics, then left, Goodman said. On Sunday, he was taken to the hospital by ambulance and admitted.
Goodman said they were looking into why he left Friday and were going to monitor those emergency room doctors closely. They are also looking into whether the man was asked if he had recently traveled to West Africa.
Who was in the emergency room with him? I’m guessing we have no idea. Who did he contact between the time he left the ER and the time he returned to the hospital? I’m guessing we have no idea.
Supposedly, it’s relatively difficult to transmit; it doesn’t fly through the air, but is typically transmitted through bodily fluids or direct contact. However, it’s not clear to me that touching a contaminated surface is not enough. And since a symptomatic guy was apparently walking around, the possibilities do seem scary.
My plan: don’t panic, but be skeptical of government statements.