LESSONS FROM SPANISH EBOLA: Nurse checks in with symptoms within week, transmission assumed to be glove to face

Manuel Garcia Viejo was flown into Spain on September 22, 2014

[link to www.dailymail.co.uk]

Dated September 25, 2014: "The Spanish missionary who was flown home to Madrid from Sierra Leone after contracting the Ebola virus has died, according to hospital sources."

[link to uk.news.yahoo.com (secure)]

"The nurse who contracted Ebola began experiencing symptoms on Sept. 30, five days after Garcia Viejo died."

"The woman, a "sanitary technician," entered Garcia Viejo's room only twice (while alive), according to Spanish officials. (and once after he passed away)

In one case, she entered the room to change his diaper; another time, after he had died, she entered to collect his belongings"

[link to www.washingtonpost.com]

The priest was contagious upon arrival and didn't last long in modern care. Not sure how much treatment he had before arriving to Spain.

We don't know when the nurse went into change his diaper, but she was at least symptomatic (fever only!) within 5 days of his death.

Did she contract Ebola before or after he died? I'd like to know when she first went in. There is missing data to establish when she first had symptoms, too. None of this has been established...they can only guess.

She went on a vacation between Sept. 26 until she checked in for isolated treatment on October 6, 2014.

"Health authorities note the woman went on vacation the day after the death of Father Viejo. They are actively looking at at least 30 contacts, including her husband."

[link to outbreaknewstoday.com]

If you carefully read all the linked articles, you'll see a couple of discrepancies:

1) One article claims she vacationed right after he died, others say five days after he died until she noticed symptoms and her husband claims she stayed 'mostly home' until she checked herself in.

2) One article claims she entered the priest's room twice, another, three times.

Spanish authorities have since quarantined her husband, speculate she contracted the virus while touching her face with the gloves she was using to treat the priest, and have also euthanized the family dog.

[link to www.washingtonpost.com]

CONCERNS

We have no clue when she contracted the disease since the Priest arrived.

There is a possibility that the 21-day onset period could be longer. But many in the field report that the onset is closer to 8-10 days.

Most alarming is that the overall exposure to an Ebola-infected patient in a modern health setting can be as long as 40 days. That's a lot of time to pass the virus to health workers.

The 'hand to face' theory on how she contracted Ebola is a GUESS and nothing more.

The door is wide open to suggest that Ebola is indeed airborne, but this case still doesn't prove it because nobody can tell how it is transmitted.

What a pain the ass.....

Which leads us to this conclusion and lesson, GLP:

The estimates on transmission, onset and effect of Ebola by CDC and WHO are educated guesses and nothing more.

I've seen lots of folks wondering why Ebola hasn't spread faster, but our understanding of the virus is only couched in guesswork based on field observation, which as of today, is a wild card. We just aren't in a position to nail these facts down close enough to establish conclusions.

What makes matters worse is that the virus may be mutating, which also could translate into changing symptoms and incubation periods. Viruses tend to exchange lethality for transmission when evolving.

Hoping for a vaccine to cure all Ebola is akin to hunting unicorns.

This is real possible Doom. Mother nature is about to humble many of us.

Pray the virus is contained and support containment efforts, wherever you are.

Last Edited by Kezar Stanyan on 10/08/2014 11:23 PM