# Two Ebola patients flying to Atlanta? Is this a good idea or reckless? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549 "2014-08-01T03:34:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [August 2, 2014, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/81 "2014-08-02T11:25:34Z")
And how many of these were a threat to the general population? None. They even let one of the patients go home to say her goodbyes. It’s just not that easy to catch. Accidents are inevitable. But that’s a completely different story than person-to-person transmission in the general population. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/82 "2014-08-02T11:57:18Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Does the United States allow polio sufferers to be evacuated to the United States? Of the four, that is the closest match to ebola: this level of quarantine is not applicable for diseases we have already exterminated (smallpox), or diseases which are already present in the general population (HIV). A smallpox case would absolutely be dealt with this way, most likely irrespective of the patient’s citizenship. This containment unit is designed to handle ANY infection, regardless of transmission pathway or lethality. Given the extreme risk that smallpox presents to the world population, leaving even a single case outside of the highest containment is negligent. Polio is only transmitted through fecal contact. An American with polio would probably be brought back to the US and treated in a regular hospital with all waste collected and decontaminated. This level of containment would be overkill for a polio case. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/83 "2014-08-02T13:15:54Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > This is incorrect. > > First of all Marburg is actually _less_ hazardous than ebola. Marburg typically kills around 30-40% of those infected, Ebola kills 50-90%. _Zaire ebolavirus_ is the most lethal of the human-infecting ebola varieties. > > Second, Marburg is not an “ebola virus”. Marburg and ebola are both members of the family _filoviridae_. The five varieties in the ebola genus are _Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus_ (named for the Reston, Virginia outbreak and apparently does _not_ cause illness humans, only certain species of monkeys, thank Og), _Sudan ebolavirus, Tai forest ebolavirus,_ and _Zaire ebolavirus_. The Marburg virus is a separate genus with the filovirus family, and the species is _Marburg marburgvirus._ Yes thanks for that, my bad for relying on my memory. Good exposition. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/84 "2014-08-02T13:20:45Z")
The louder some of you yell “Nothing can go wrong!” the more nervous I get. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/85 "2014-08-02T13:36:25Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The louder some of you yell “Nothing can go wrong!” the more nervous I get. Perhaps you should examine the issue on a factual basis rather than on a basis of horror movie tropes, then. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/86 "2014-08-02T13:46:39Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The louder some of you yell “Nothing can go wrong!” the more nervous I get. No one is saying nothing can go wrong. There is always a risk and anyone who denies that is an idiot. We’re saying that the chances of the kind of issues you are anticipating are _extremely_ low. It’s important to evaluate the risk objectively, not out of fear. In this case, all of the appropriate measures are in place to mitigate the risk to such a degree that it really isn’t significant to the general population. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/87 "2014-08-02T14:08:32Z")
I’m pretty much among the last around here (or anywhere) to mis-evaluate risk or panic at shadows. But when the situation is unprecedented - no one with an active ebola infection has ever been transported to the US, or AFAIK out of Africa - and the possibilities are extreme - a highly lethal and nearly untreatable disease in terra novis - arguments that consist of lab-coated types pushing up their glasses and sniffily pointing out odds, lack of prior failures and that the disease isn’t \*quite \*the worst on earth only remind me of the times we’ve heard such rebuttals before. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/88 "2014-08-02T14:24:51Z")
It’s not unprecedented at all. We work with pathogens that have this mode of transmission all the time. The actual transmission of Ebola is entirely unremarkable. Now, the death rate IS remarkable. So are the gory symptoms. That is what makes Ebola different. But that has nothing to do with transmission. In terms of transmission and preventing transmission, it’s actually a pretty easy virus to work with, assuming modern facilities. It isn’t spread by air, it has a short incubation period and victims are symptomatic before they are contagious. The fact that it’s also ugly and deadly doesn’t change that. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/89 "2014-08-02T14:26:54Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Would you want to die across the globe in a godforsaken foreign land of an exotic illness? Away from all family and friends. They are us citizens. They were there helping other sick humans. They deserve to come home. Not be abandoned because they are aick and it’s scary. If I’m sick with a deadly disease with no treatment or cure, yes. Leave me where I am so that I’m not the Patient Zero that spreads the disease to another continent. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/90 "2014-08-02T15:17:19Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > If I’m sick with a deadly disease with no treatment or cure, yes. Which Ebola, just so we’re clear on this, is _not_. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/91 "2014-08-02T15:39:00Z")
Dr. Brantly is reported to be on the way & will arrive in Atlanta today. I am heartened he is considered stable enough to make the journey. I saw a facebook post asking why this country is being endangered this way and I think that is flat out ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/92 "2014-08-02T16:01:05Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I’m pretty much among the last around here (or anywhere) to mis-evaluate risk or panic at shadows. Your posts in this thread indicate otherwise. Many highly trained individuals with expertise in infectious disease, clinical treatment, biohazard containment, public health, and medical transport have fully evaluated this situation and decided that this presents a minimal risk. They have continually re-evaluated the issue over the years as new information is presented. Finally, they evaluated this exact situation when it was presented. Why should we listen to your warnings over theirs? What is your training in this field? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/93 "2014-08-02T17:28:21Z")
The CDC director was on the news last night reassuring the public. It sounds like they got a good plan. My biggest concern was the actual treatment of an Ebola patient. A sample in a petri dish (or whatever bio labs use) dish isn’t spewing blood,vomit and diarrhea into a bed. Cleaning that up necessitates very close contact for the nurses. Afterward there’s the issue of disposing of the sheets, pillows, chucks and other bio waste. In contrast lab work is very controlled and precise. I realize this is a case where we just have to trust the experts. I’m glad the CDC is reassuring the public including me. > **[Ebola Outbreak 'Not in the Cards' for U.S., CDC Director Says](https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/ebola-outbreak-not-cards-u-s-cdc-director-says-n169836)** > > International health experts are preparing to “surge” into West Africa to fight Ebola, and say they are confident they can keep it from spreading. > [@](#): > > As part of the plan, CDC will send 50 people to the region over the next month, Frieden said. > > “This is a tragic, painful, dreadful, merciless virus. It is the largest, most complex outbreak that we know of in history,” Frieden said. “We at CDC are surging our response along with others. Although it will not be quick and it will not be easy, we do know how to stop Ebola.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/94 "2014-08-02T17:47:18Z")
But Donald Trumps says, [KEEP THEM OUT OF HERE!](http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/ebola-us-donald-trump-reaction-109636.html) Not sure which is worse, Ebola or Donald Trump cooties. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/95 "2014-08-02T17:55:56Z")
It’s ironic we are 4 years away from the start of [The Influenza Pandemic of 1918.](https://virus.stanford.edu/uda/) They estimate 20 to 40 million died. Polio killed many before it was eradicated. Almost 100 years later we’re still battling viruses. Flu shots every year. Ebola pops up in 1976 and the CDC says the latest outbreak is the worst ever. Ebola could eventually be a pandemic if a vaccine isn’t found in a few years. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/96 "2014-08-02T18:07:09Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Ebola could eventually be a pandemic if a vaccine isn’t found in a few years. Um, no it can’t. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/97 "2014-08-02T18:11:53Z")
I just watched a video of Brantly arriving at Emory; he was able to get out of the back of the ambulance and walk into the hospital entrance with only minimal assistance. I don’t know what I was expecting to see, but the guy upright and walking was definitely not what I visualized. (Video here: [American aid worker stricken with Ebola now in U.S. hospital and 'in great spirits' after walking into facility](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/american-doctor-ebola-virus-headed-home-article-1.1889491)) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/98 "2014-08-02T18:14:45Z")
Well, the Ebola patient has arrived. He was transported by ambulance to Emory hospital. > **[American aid worker stricken with Ebola now in U.S. hospital and ‘in great...](https://www.nydailynews.com/2014/08/03/american-aid-worker-stricken-with-ebola-now-in-us-hospital-and-in-great-spirits-after-walking-into-facility/)** > > As the deadly Ebola virus continued to ravage parts of West Africa on Saturday, the American doctor infected with the disease touched down in the U.S. and was whisked away to a Georgia hospital wit… > [@](#): > > With great media fanfare, an American doctor infected with the Ebola virus landed in the U.S. and was whisked by ambulance to Emory University in Atlanta, where he is being treated in a special isolation unit. > > Video of his arrival shows him emerging from the rear doors, wearing a hazardous material suit and headgear. He gingerly walks into the facility, aided by another person also clad head-to-toe in protective clothing. > > A plane outfitted with a sealed incubation unit landed late Saturday morning at Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia. Dr. Kent Brantly, who had been treating Ebola victims in Liberia, was rushed to Emory attended by medical personnel in haz-mat gear. Ninjaed. oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/99 "2014-08-02T18:20:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It’s ironic we are 4 years away from the start of [The Influenza Pandemic of 1918.](https://virus.stanford.edu/uda/) They estimate 20 to 40 million died. Polio killed many before it was eradicated. > > Almost 100 years later we’re still battling viruses. Flu shots every year. Ebola pops up in 1976 and the CDC says the latest outbreak is the worst ever. > > Ebola could eventually be a pandemic if a vaccine isn’t found in a few years. Comparing ebola to flu and polio is not reasonable. Flu is airborne and transmitted through surface contamination. It requires no direct contact between the infected and the exposed to effectively transmit the infection. Polio is transmitted through fecal contact. Thus, polio infections are associated with poor sanitation and, like flu, requires no direct contact between infected and exposed. For both flu and polio, individuals are infectious before they have symptoms or with only very mild symptoms that don’t prevent activities of daily life. So, infected people keep going about their business, spreading in the infection to others. Ebola, on the other hand, requires close contact with actively ill people. You can walk into a room with an ebola sufferer and not get infected. You can even stand next to their bed or sit next to them on the plane. The issue is contact with bodily fluids. Thus, mild infections don’t present much risk of infection because they aren’t dripping infectious fluids everywhere, just like healthy individuals aren’t dripping bodily fluids all over. Sick individuals are very ill, so they tend to self-contain and the only people at risk of infection are those who care for them. It can and does cause epidemics, but it does not have the characteristics of a pandemic disease. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549/100 "2014-08-02T18:26:28Z")
That’s interesting Thanks Red Stilettos. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ebola-patients-flying-to-atlanta-is-this-a-good-idea-or-reckless/694549.md?page=6)