# The Dallas ebola guy just died. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768 "2014-10-08T16:25:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/21 "2014-10-08T20:18:24Z")
According to one of the previous American survivors, God and prayers saved him. Good Western medicine had nothing to do with it. So obviously the Dallas guy just didn’t pray enough. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/22 "2014-10-08T20:36:07Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > Possible second case of Ebola in Frisco - a suburb just to the north of Dallas > [CBS Texas - Breaking Local News, First Alert Weather & I-Team Investigations](http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/10/08/frisco-patient-exhibiting-ebola-symptoms/) A bit of new information - the new possible patient is a Dallas County Deputy who examined Thomas Duncan’s apartment after he had already been admitted to the hospital. What I’m concerned by is that he walked into a Care Now facility which means all the people in the waiting room now have to be quarantined and monitored for several days. He should have stayed home, called his doctor, and had the ambulance crew meet him there already prepared to deal with the situation. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/23 "2014-10-08T21:00:47Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > So… basically your definition of a “clown” is someone who helps a pregnant woman in distress … who is exhibiting Ebola symptoms, who he helped take to an Ebola hospital, and who died 6 hours later. Considering that Ebola typically takes something like a week to kill people, he was either colossally stupid, or monumentally selfish. Pregnant woman or not, helping without the proper protective gear in the midst of the world’s largest Ebola outbreak is just dumb. There’s no other way around that. > [@Broomstick](#): > > travels to see his financee and her family prior to marriage (that has been the reason given for his US travel and he did stay with the mother of his child while here), Again, after helping the sick woman, this seems colossally selfish and stupid, or staggeringly ignorant. > [@Broomstick](#): > > and, when he started feeling ill went to a hospital ER and truthfully stated that yes, he’d recently come from an area with a very serious disease outbreak. Everything I’ve read says that he said he’d been to West Africa. You’d think someone concerned with having Ebola and wanting to neither die themselves nor infect others would have raised something of a stink and made it well-known. But that’s not what’s being reported. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/24 "2014-10-08T21:18:12Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Everything I’ve read says that he said he’d been to West Africa. You’d think someone concerned with having Ebola and wanting to neither die themselves nor infect others would have raised something of a stink and made it well-known. But that’s not what’s being reported. OK, **bump** , you’re right, you win - how do you suggest we punish him for his misdeeds? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/25 "2014-10-08T21:20:49Z")
A possible second case related to him: "A person who is said to have had contact with Dallas Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan was taken to the hospital after reporting feeling ill, the city of Frisco, Texas, announced Wednesday. NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported that the person showing symptoms is an employee of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, and had been in the apartment Duncan was staying in before he was hospitalized Sept. 28. Duncan passed away Wednesday morning. WFAA reported that the patient is Sgt. Michael Monnig, and that Monnig went into the apartment unit without wearing protective gear in order to have a quarantine order signed. " > **[Texas Man With Possible Ebola Exposure Tests Negative](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/second-texas-ebola-frisco-patient_n_5954454)** > > Texas Man With Possible Ebola Exposure Tests Negative On the other hand one can easily see the patient feeling a bit under the weather and concluding he had ebola since he did have possible exposure. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/26 "2014-10-08T21:39:08Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > On the other hand one can easily see the patient feeling a bit under the weather and concluding he had ebola since he did have possible exposure. I live in Frisco so have been paying pretty close attention to this story this afternoon. The more I hear though the less it sounds like he had any real exposure. I’m heavily leaning towards flu at this point, but time will tell… ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/27 "2014-10-08T21:56:50Z")
> [@Little\_Bird](#): > > I wonder how harshly the parents of the five school children currently under quarantine for having contact with him are judging him? Probably pretty fucking harshly. It was a selfish, stupid, and now completely futile act and I hope no one else decides “Fuck everyone else, I’m getting me some American healthcare!” You do realize that if he had stayed in Liberia, he would have posed the same risk to people there (including to school children), right? Having an Ebola guy around isn’t good for anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/28 "2014-10-08T22:24:43Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > I’m guessing he’ll be headed straight to the creamatorium. Don’t breath the air in Dallas this week! Called it! ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/29 "2014-10-08T22:35:15Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > You do realize that if he had stayed in Liberia, he would have posed the same risk to people there (including to school children), right? Having an Ebola guy around isn’t good for anyone. He must have been feeling decently well (and didn’t have any trace of fever, or wouldn’t have been allowed to board) when it was time to get on the plane. Now this guy doesn’t seem to be a guy of extravagant means, so I’m going to guess that his plane ticket from Liberia to the United States was probably a very significant financial investment for this fellow. Maybe it even represented a year’s income for him. Maybe all this globe-trotting is not even very good for holding down a job, and that ticket represents his entire net worth. Now imagine yourself, holding a plane ticket that costs your year’s income in your hand, and try and convince yourself that you might be too sick to board, even though you feel fine. The guy takes your temperature and says you can wash your hands and get on board. Sure, he gets on the plane. He was probably firmly convinced that A. he was fine - feeling well, no temperature; B. the risk is low that he’s actually got ebola; and C. giving in to that possibility and telling officials that he’s been exposed - if he even knew! - would cost him a lot of money, prevent him from being at his son’s graduation, who knows when or if the flight could be rescheduled… it just all sucks too hard to even consider. So he got on the plane. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/30 "2014-10-08T22:51:31Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > . . . On the other hand one can easily see the patient feeling a bit under the weather and concluding he had ebola since he did have possible exposure. He might not even have concluded that he has ebola. If he’s been exposed, even indirectly, and now has flu symptoms then it’s his duty to report that and get himself quarantined and tested. He’s in err on the side of caution territory. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/31 "2014-10-08T23:29:16Z")
The authorities in Spain have killed the nurse’s dog, even though there is no evidence that the dog was sick. Can Ebola spread between species? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/32 "2014-10-08T23:48:40Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The authorities in Spain have killed the nurse’s dog, even though there is no evidence that the dog was sick. Can Ebola spread between species? Dogs, dunno. But bats and monkeys get it and people can contract it from eating them. **Little Bird** , I think the odds of others deciding to fly here too for treatment are now less than they would have been had he been cured. It’s kind of a morbid silver lining. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/33 "2014-10-09T00:31:40Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Dogs, dunno. But bats and monkeys get it and people can contract it from eating them. > > **Little Bird** , I think the odds of others deciding to fly here too for treatment are now less than they would have been had he been cured. It’s kind of a morbid silver lining. The number of Liberians who can easily get a US visa is vanishingly small. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/34 "2014-10-09T00:57:17Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > [Breaking news now.](http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/10/08/dallas-ebola-patient-dies/) Thomas Eric Duncan, the man being quarantined for Ebola in Dallas, died Wednesday morning. Whew! I’m glad _that’s_ over! ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/35 "2014-10-09T01:02:41Z")
[Interesting article on whether or not dogs can get Ebola.](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_EBOLA_DOGS_QA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-10-08-14-18-15) Apparently the answer is yes, though they don’t seem to show symptoms. So I guess the real question is whether they can be carriers and infect other animals, including us. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/36 "2014-10-09T01:57:39Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > The number of Liberians who can easily get a US visa is vanishingly small. I’m beginning to believe most people in the USA don’t have a clue how immigration and visas work quite frankly. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/37 "2014-10-09T03:20:36Z")
[Nor do most Americans seem to understand how Ebola is spread. It isn’t that easy to transmit.](http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/10/02/352983774/no-seriously-how-contagious-is-ebola) Let’s assume the guy DID know he had Ebola (I’m not convinced that he did). I don’t blame the guy one bit for wanting to get to America where he could get far better medical care. I’d do the same thing if I were worried I had been exposed to Ebola…and so would you. If you were infected with Ebola in a third world country but yet you had the means to get to America to receive first world healthcare, you would have traveled here even if you had to lie to get here. Don’t even try to pretend you wouldn’t do everything you could to improve your chance of surviving. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/38 "2014-10-09T03:29:36Z")
I’m very interested to hear why the poor guy wasn’t quarantined the first time he went to the hospital. The hospital has changed its story three times so far. Discharging him may have cost him his life and certainly exposed many people when he was at his most infectious. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/39 "2014-10-09T04:13:16Z")
> [@bump](#): > > … who is exhibiting Ebola symptoms, who he helped take to an Ebola hospital, and who died 6 hours later. Considering that Ebola typically takes something like a week to kill people, he was either colossally stupid, or monumentally selfish. Pregnant woman or not, helping without the proper protective gear in the midst of the world’s largest Ebola outbreak is just dumb. There’s no other way around that. Damn few medical professionals in Liberia have “proper protective gear”, that’s one reason the outbreak is continuing there. If you insist on waiting for first world hazmat suits virtually no one will be treated there. As for “ebola symptoms” - LOTS of diseases induce vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, and not everyone with ebola hemorrhages from every bodily orifice. Since I don’t have access to the medical records of the woman in question I have no idea if it was obvious or not she had ebola. Nor do I see helping another human being as a _selfish_ act. It might be a \*stupid \*act if it puts others in danger, but I really don’t see how you can characterize it as “selfish”. Seems rather the opposite to me. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768/40 "2014-10-09T04:17:09Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > I’m very interested to hear why the poor guy wasn’t quarantined the first time he went to the hospital. My vote is for “someone fucked up and dropped the ball”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dallas-ebola-guy-just-died/700768.md?page=3)