Earle, does this mean I get (partial) credit as a thread starter for this one?
You know, until a few days ago, I would have been in your corner solidly. However, I heard a interview with a recognized epidemiologist (I don't remember his credentials). He said that effectively quarantining - trying to keep them in and sending no help in - the affected countries would have the opposite result of what the calculation might show. He basically said that these nations governance is so shaky and weak, especially Liberia, that what would happen would be that society would totally break down entirely into anarchy. He said that the next thing to happen would be that people would simply flee, crossing borders into neighboring nations where conditions were perceived to be better, much as people did during the Black Death. He said that, finally, what would result would be a world-wide pandemic of Ebola, which couldn't be confined to Africa nor kept out of America. I'll confess that I've been thinking hard about his thoughts ever since hearing them...
Every bit of this is correct, but a few points:
Looks like he's preparing to cleanse the South of all his enemies...oops, I meant all the vile racists.
To be fair to him, he was given a black or white choice - total sequestration or let the current situation stand as is. He wasn't given the choice of a hybrid situation. Also, I didn't have the time to listen to the whole interview, so it's possible that more nuances were introduced. I'll see if I can look it up...
Thing is I heard Dr Frieden (CDC chief) parrot the same exact message and even when given opportunity to introduce nuance failed to do so. He "instinctively" just trumpeted out the same lines over and over. This was before the meeting that led to the airport screenings being announced on Monday (or whatever day it was).
Frieden is singularly unimpressive, basically a political hack. We're carrying on a series of posts on another forum and one of the nurses is familiar with the procedures. She's basically saying that breaches in the protocol are just about impossible to prevent. For one thing, they use a lot of talcum powder which tends to float around when they're reversing procedure. The talc is contaminated and she's seen several personnel instinctively wipe their eyes after the talc settles there. Instant contamination. On the SG, I think CDC always takes precedence in the case of communicable disease...
Regarding the SG, it seems that office is more conducive to educating the public and calming fears. Little to nothing is being doe on that front, effectively at least.
IDK. I'm not sure how much good it would do at this point to detail just how difficult it is to actually follow the protocol. IOW, I'm not too sure how much he could, or should, say until they get a better handle on it. On the SG, I just don't remember anything coming out of that office regarding communicable diseases. I've always just considered it a bully pulpit more than anything else. I don't even know how large a staff he/she has. The last one I even remember seeing on TV was Koop. (And he may have been pushing reverse mortagages.)
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/about/index.htmlIDK. I'm not sure how much good it would do at this point to detail just how difficult it is to actually follow the protocol. IOW, I'm not too sure how much he could, or should, say until they get a better handle on it. On the SG, I just don't remember anything coming out of that office regarding communicable diseases. I've always just considered it a bully pulpit more than anything else. I don't even know how large a staff he/she has. The last one I even remember seeing on TV was Koop. (And he may have been pushing reverse mortagages.)
Ebola is a huge public health issue. The public is scared. The CDC should be focused on the leg work now while the SG should be getting in front of the public wave of ignorance and fear. Knowledge dispels a lot of ignorance and fear in one swoop. It would also let the CDC focus on their job, which they are struggling to perform.
Yes, but does the SG really know enough about the virus, transmission and the like to be able to truthfully calm the public? I'm afraid I don't really think so at this point. BTW, I like the way this thread is focusing attention on the interplay of government action on the crisis, while the other thread discusses the technical aspects. I'm afraid we'll just have to agree to disagree on the SG. I just don't see a useful role for that office at this point. In fact, I don't think they would have any knowledge to impart, which didn't come from CDC originally. I suppose the SG might make a better spokesperson, since Frieden is a disaster. They should have kept Besser as Director while they had him. He's far smoother than Friedan, not to mention smarter as well. He's already been to the disease zone twice. Has Friedan been once?
Unbelievable. Western healthcare workers can't seem to not get Ebola, and U.S. Marines are getting checked by Liberians?
It would appear he has.
