It has just been announced that Amber Vinson, the nurse who was the second confirmed transmission of Ebola within the country and the third person to become ill with the disease, flew to Cleveland and back after being exposed to Thomas Duncan.
UPDATED: The CDC has just confirmed that Vinson had a low-grade fever on the return trip. Instead of admitting the protocols of the CDC are shaky at best, mouthpiece Tom Frieden is yet again, passing the blame on to the healthcare worker with his statement:
“Although she (Vinson) did not report any symptoms and she did not meet the fever threshold of 100.4, she did report at that time she took her temperature and found it to be 99.5,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden. Her temperature coupled with the fact that she had been exposed to the virus should have prevented her from getting on the plane, he said. “I don’t think that changes the level of risk of people around her. She did not vomit, she was not bleeding, so the level of risk of people around her would be extremely low.”
“Those who have exposures to Ebola, she should not have traveled on a commercial airline,” said Dr. Frieden. “The CDC guidance in this setting outlines the need for controlled movement. That can include a charter plane; that can include a car; but it does not include public transport. We will from this moment forward ensure that no other individual who is being monitored for exposure undergoes travel in any way other than controlled movement.”
While the judgement whether or not to travel is questionable, it’s indisputable that there were no specific guidelines put into place restricting travel. This does NOT particularly build confidence that the CDC has the situation “contained.”
Frontier Airlines released the following statement, which was published on The Blaze:
At approximately 1:00 a.m. MT on October 15, Frontier was notified by the CDC that a customer traveling on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth on Oct. 13 has since tested positive for the Ebola virus,” Frontier said in a statement. “The flight landed in Dallas/Fort Worth at 8:16 p.m. local and remained overnight at the airport having completed its flying for the day at which point the aircraft received a thorough cleaning per our normal procedures which is consistent with CDC guidelines prior to returning to service the next day. It was also cleaned again in Cleveland last night. Previously the customer had traveled from Dallas Fort Worth to Cleveland on Frontier flight 1142 on October 10.
Frontier responded immediately upon notification from the CDC by removing the aircraft from service and is working closely with CDC to identify and contact customers who may traveled on flight 1143.
Anyone who traveled on this flight should contact the CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
The safety and security of our customers and employees is our primary concern. Frontier will continue to work closely with CDC and other governmental agencies to ensure proper protocols and procedures are being followed.
Vinson flew to Cleveland on October 10th. Then, 132 people shared the plane ride back from Cleveland to Dallas on October 13. The nurse was diagnosed with Ebola the following day and is now in an isolation unit at Texas Presbyterian Hospital, where she contracted the disease.
The CDC is urging all passengers from the flight to call a toll-free hotline 1 800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).
Frontier Airlines says that the plane was cleaned at DFW International Airport, then it traveled to Cleveland on Tuesday and was cleaned again.
As the number of people who have been exposed to the disease increases exponentially, many people believe the time is approaching when it would be wise to go into self-imposed quarantine. Preparedness writer Daisy Luther wrote a detailed guide about getting ready for such an event in a Daily Sheeple exclusive.
It certainly appears that the situation is escalating rapidly. If you don’t have your supplies in order, here’s a quick checklist:
- N95 masks: here, here, and here
- N100 masks here, here, and here
- Nitrile gloves here, here, and here
- Tyvex suits here, here, and here
- Safety goggles here, here, and here
- Duct tape
- Plastic sheeting
- Quarantine signs
- Food supply (Learn more from this article about building a 30 day food supply quickly or this book)
- Drinking water supply (1 gallon per person per day)
- Sanitation supplies (Learn more here)
- First aid supplies (Learn more here)
- Power outage supplies (Learn more here)
- Entertainment (Learn more here)
- Home defense (Learn more here)
- Ebola Survival Handbook: A Collection of Tips, Strategies, and Supply Lists From Some of the World’s Best Preparedness Professionals
- The Prepper’s Blueprint: The Step-By-Step Guide To Help You Through Any Disaster
- The Pantry Primer: How to Build a One Year Food Supply in Three Months
- Sealing Yourself In: Prepping for Bioterrorism, Chemical Disasters, and Pandemics (The NEW Survival Prepper Guides Book 3)
You can learn more about preparedness from these regular Daily Sheeple contributors: