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But isn't that precisely the point? He was not diagnosed properly when he first presented, despite extraordinarily clear signs. He's a Liberian national who rec
by Bud 12y ago
But isn't that precisely the point? He was not diagnosed properly when he first presented, despite extraordinarily clear signs. He's a Liberian national who recently helped treat a pregnant Ebola victim just before flying to the US, for chrissakes. He presented with extreme pain and a very high fever.
But he was black and uninsured, and it's Texas, and they summarily discharged him and took no notice.
Perhaps you are right, and it's "a stretch" to mention the factors that may or may not have played a role in why this man was treated so very callously in the midst of a very very well-publicized epidemic of scare-mongering over Ebola.
I simply disagree. I think it is quite possible indeed that these were factors.
- hga 12y agoWhile we're not sure whether he said "West Africa", "Liberia", or what, press reports universally say he never reported his close contact with that pregnant Ebola victim. Fever plus pain are not "extraordinarily clear signs"; they're common for a host of diseases, including a host of common to African diseases, like malaria. Nothing I've seen suggests the hospital egregiously dropped the ball in this first visit, however I'm entirely certain that widely casting blame at generic targets when anything bad happens, like "Republicans", racism and our medical system, does no good and rather a lot of harm.
- aaronbrethorst 12y agoAnd yet the hospital initially diagnosed him with sinusitis, the symptoms of which clearly do not include abdominal pain. Based on his review of the medical records, Dr. Adalja said the diagnosis given to Mr. Duncan before his discharge included sinusitis, a sinus infection. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/us/ebola-victims-family-blames-hospital-and-state.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/us/ebola-victims-family-bl...
- iliveindallas 12y agoHE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED WHEN HE FIRST PRESENTED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T TELL ANYBODY HE HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY WHO DIED OF EBOLA! What don't you get?? If Thomas Eric Duncan had stated "I'm a Liberian national who recently helped treat a pregnant Ebola victim just before flying to the US" he would have been isolated immediately. He didn't and now other people might die because of it!
- simonblack 12y agoEverything is clear and more evident in hindsight. It seems that as far as Duncan knew, that pregnant woman was suffering from malaria, not ebola. She died while he was in transit or shortly after. He would not have had that knowledge.
- hga 12y ago"Knew", or very possibly hoped. She died in the house he was living in, and the end symptoms are sufficiently different that if you know which is which, you'd know. But we can't assume he would know to be able to do a differential diagnosis.
- colanderman 12y agoPlease don't write in all-caps on HN.
- colanderman 12y agoFor the haters: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html > Please don't use uppercase for emphasis. If you want to emphasize a word or phrase, put asterisks* around it and it will get italicized.
- Karunamon 12y agoSometimes the yelling is necessary to draw attention to something that's being mistakenly or willfully overlooked.
- colanderman 12y agoIf someone's not paying attention to a calm, rational argument, then they're probably not worth convincing of anything. It's the Internet; they're a stranger. Move on.
- clebio 12y agoNo, not really. Not ever.