Aviation and the Ebola epidemic in West-Africa

[sn26567]

France has received a second person employed by an agency of the United Nations and infected with Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, the Department of Health announced Sunday, November 2 .

"This person, working in Sierra Leone in the fight against Ebola, has been transported in medicalized and secured special air ambulance," said a ministry statement which adds that the patient was placed "in isolation in a high security dedicated room in the Instruction Hospital of the Armed Forces at Bégin (Saint-Mande)", near Paris. "There is no other confirmed cases of Ebola in the territory," said the ministry.

A French nurse who had worked in Liberia for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the virus had already been treated and repatriated in September to this military hospital. She is now healed and care teams that followed her are well, assured the authorities.

http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2014/11/02 ... 88958.html

The condition of Dr. Craig Spencer, the New York physician infected with Ebola virus disease, has been upgraded to stable from serious but stable, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., or HHC, said Saturday. Spencer, the first and only confirmed Ebola patient in New York, has been responding well to treatment at the Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan since his admission nine days ago.

HHC, the agency that runs the hospital, issued the upgrade update via Twitter Saturday. Spencer is said to be receiving the same treatment that has proven effective in treating Ebola patients at Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital and Omaha’s Nebraska Medical Center, the Associated Press reported.

Spencer’s case led to the controversial Ebola mandatory-quarantine plans instituted recently by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The health-care worker became infected with the disease while treating patients in Guinea.

http://www.ibtimes.com/dr-craig-spencer ... on-1717380

[Passenger]

On Friday Canadian federal citizenship ministry announced the suspension of visa applications from foreigners, who have visited Ebola-hit countries within the last three months. Canada's immigration minister described the step as a precautionary measure to protect the health of Canadians.
Theo Nicol, Sierra Leone's deputy information minister, told Agence France Presse Saturday.
"Canada's action is not taken with the interests of west African states in mind."
No, Canada's action is taken with the interest of Canada in mind - as it should be.

1. The rules are only in the interest of populist politicians: those who have lots of voters who don't know anything about ebola and are therefore driven by fear, and/or politicians who want that the borders are closed for black Africans.

2. The incubation period for contaminated people is is 2 to 21 days. A travel ban for three months therefore has no medical grounds at all. Samantha Power, the American ambassador to the U.N., was in Sierra Leone last week, visiting some MSF hospitals. Her health is monitored extremely well, but yet she is now denied entry in Canada for three months!

3. This severe ban will demotivate Canadian volunteers to go to West Africa and fight ebola. Sophie Delaunay, executive director of MSF-USA: “Any regulation not based on scientific medical grounds, which would isolate healthy aid workers, will very likely serve as a disincentive to others to combat the epidemic at its source, in West Africa. Even quarantining MSF staff members for 21 days upon completion of their work has already prompted some people to reduce their length of time in the field”.
Source: http://www.msf.org/article/ebola-quaran ... b-epidemic

4. David Fidler (Indiana University) and Dr. Margaret Chan (director general of the World Health Organization): “Under the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) countries agree not to restrict trade or travel over and above what is recommended by the WHO during Public Health Emergencies of International Concern. The WHO declared Ebola an international public health emergency on Aug. 8 and in doing so said countries should not close their borders to the West African countries struggling with Ebola.”.
Source:http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ebola-c ... -1.2820090

Conclusion: the Canadian ban is shortsighted, populist, stupid, contra-productive and also illegal per international law (IHR/WHO). But then, let's not forget that politicians rule the world, and not medecins. Just a reminder: "Trust in professional groups, average across all countries", GfK, 2014, maximum score 100”:
89 - Nurses
89 - Doctors, physicians
87 - Pharmacists
84 - Paramedics
31 - Politicians

[airazurxtror]

3. This severe ban will demotivate Canadian volunteers to go to West Africa and fight ebola.

4. David Fidler (Indiana University) and Dr. Margaret Chan (director general of the World Health Organization): “Under the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) countries agree not to restrict trade or travel over and above what is recommended by the WHO during Public Health Emergencies of International Concern.”.

The first thing is to protect, in this case, the Canadian population.
Too bad if it"demotivates" volunteers to go to the infected countries, and if it annoys the managers of WHO (who remain safely home). First things first and better safe than sorry.
Yes, it's the democratically elected politicians that rule the country - it's neither the "experts" nor the "specialists", thank heaven.

[airazurxtror]

A plan to bring Ebola-infected non-citizens into the U.S. has prompted denials by Obama administration officials.
An internal U.S. State Department memo obtained by several news outlets floated the idea of transporting individuals diagnosed with the Ebola virus to America for treatment.
According to CNN, the memo, which was marked sensitive but unclassified, “recommends that the two federal agencies come up with a system to admit into the United States non-citizens ‘as long as they are otherwise eligible for medical evacuation from the Ebola affected countries and for entry in the United States.'”

Responding to the allegation, an unnamed State Department official also claimed that “[t]here are absolutely no plans to MEDEVAC non-Americans who become ill from West Africa to the United States. We have discussed allowing other countries to use our MEDEVAC capabilities to evacuate their own citizens to their home countries or third-countries, subject to reimbursement and availability. But we are not contemplating bringing them back to the U.S. for treatment,” Fox News reported.

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1579962/secret ... pVaZJgB.99

[airazurxtror]

Une personne suspectée de porter le virus Ebola a été prise en charge lundi matin à Brussels Airport et transportée à l'hôpital Saint-Pierre de Bruxelles, ont indiqué l'aéroport et le SPF Santé publique à l'agence Belga, confirmant une information de Bel RTL. La personne est tombée malade alors qu'elle se trouvait à bord d'un avion en provenance de Freetown, en Sierra Leone. L'équipage a immédiatement averti l'aéroport de Bruxelles et les autorités sanitaires belges, a indiqué Jan Eyckmans, porte-parole du SPF Santé Publique. L'avion a atterri à Bruxelles vers 4h30 et l'aéroport a activé la procédure mise en place dans le cadre de l'épidémie du virus Ebola.

http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/un- ... ad0ee011c2

A person suspected of carrying the Ebola virus arrived Monday morning at Brussels Airport and was transported to St. Peter's Hospital in Brussels , said the airport and Federal Public Health at the Belga agency , confirming a report of Bel RTL . The person became ill while she was on a flight from Freetown , Sierra Leone. The crew immediately informed the airport of Brussels and the Belgian health authorities said Jan Eyckmans , spokesman for the Federal Public Health. The plane landed in Brussels around 4:30 and the airport has activated the procedure put in place as part of the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

It was due to happen sooner or later - unavoidable ....

[Passenger]

http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/un- ... ad0ee011c2

A person suspected of carrying the Ebola virus arrived Monday morning at Brussels Airport and was transported to St. Peter's Hospital in Brussels , said the airport and Federal Public Health at the Belga agency , confirming a report of Bel RTL . The person became ill while she was on a flight from Freetown , Sierra Leone. The crew immediately informed the airport of Brussels and the Belgian health authorities said Jan Eyckmans , spokesman for the Federal Public Health. The plane landed in Brussels around 4:30 and the airport has activated the procedure put in place as part of the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

I'm missing a quite relevant detail in your report - detail reported by other newspapers: two doctors from Médecins Sans Frontières were on board of that flight. They have checked "the patient" during the flight, and they have established that "the patient" had no fever.

That's quite reassuring for me that it isn't ebola. And even if it would be an ebola case, it means that not enough has been done yet to prevent ebola spreading in West Africa. But seems that's OK for some, as long as they stay in Africa, and die there.

[b-west]

It was due to happen sooner or later - unavoidable ....

But it hasn't happened yet,as there's currently no confirmation that the passenger has ebola or not. He vomited... it could be food poisoning as far as we know.

Will the disease reach us eventually? Probably. Shall it then reach epidemic proporations once here? Not a chance.

[airazurxtror]

I saw them this morning rue de la Loi : escort of policemen on motor bike, sirens, two (?) ambulances with drivers in full Ebola suits, masks included : we are in the soup !
Even if it's not yet the real thing, we'll say already : thank you Brussels Airlines, thank you Gustin !

[b-west]

thank you Brussels Airlines, thank you Gustin !

Exactly what MSF, UN, Red Cross and other organisations are saying.

[sn26567]

thank you Brussels Airlines, thank you Gustin !

... for continuing relief flights to Ebola-stricken countries, enabling health personnel and medical supplies to assist those populations in dire need of western help.

[sean1982]

It was due to happen sooner or later - unavoidable ....

But it hasn't happened yet,as there's currently no confirmation that the passenger has ebola or not. He vomited... it could be food poisoning as far as we know.

Will the disease reach us eventually? Probably. Shall it then reach epidemic proporations once here? Not a chance.

Any belgian citizen who contracts the disease, by just being in Belgium from someone who has imported it here through BRU is one too much!

[sn26567]

Any belgian citizen who contracts the disease, by just being in Belgium from someone who has imported it here through BRU is one too much!

Speculation. This hasn't happened. Please stick to FACTS !

[airazurxtror]

Facts :

La personne a été transférée à l'hôpital Saint-Pierre de Bruxelles pour subir des examens. Elle a été placée en quarantaine et les résultats des tests sont attendus dans l'après-midi.
Les autres passagers ont également passé des contrôles supplémentaires à l'aéroport, a ajouté le porte-parole du SPF Santé publique.

http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/un- ... ad0ee011c2

The person was transferred to St. Peter's Hospital in Brussels for tests . She was placed in quarantine and test results are expected in the afternoon .
Other passengers also underwent additional checks at the airport, said the spokesman of the Federal Public Health.

What about the crew ? And the aircraft ?

[Lysexpat]

Anyway, back to on topic: why are those who know everything about aviation so poor in their general knowledge about ebola?

Passenger- my knowledge of ebola is very limited, but I am probably one of the most experienced aviators on this forum and I am not impressed by your knowledge of aviation skills in general and fuel policies and regulations in particular. (rant over)

[airazurxtror]

L’avion a été mis en quarantaine. Les opérations de nettoyage sont suspendues jusqu’à ce qu’on ait les résultats d’analyse de la patiente.

http://www.lesoir.be/696744/article/act ... -apres-mid

The plane was quarantined. Cleaning operations are suspended until the results of analysis of the patient are available.

[Passenger]

Anyway, back to on topic: why are those who know everything about aviation so poor in their general knowledge about ebola?

Passeger- my knowledge of ebola is very limited, but I am probably one of the most experienced aviators on this forum and I am not impressed by your knowledge of aviation skills in general and fuel policies and regulations in particular. (rant over)

I have never called myself an expert for aviation skills, at the contrary: I will almost always abstain when it's about technical matters. And when I do reply about a technical issue, I refer to posts or statements from experts or articles on specialists sites. Actually, I've choosen "Passenger" as nickname, just to make it clear that I'm no skilled aviation expert. Fair, isn't it?

However, when it comes to the commercial and/or juridical aspects of aviation, I'm really no apprentice. And many here seems to forget that aviation is more then just fly the bird.

[HQ_BRU_Lover]

Which, Brussels Airlines, A330 was it?

[b-west]

I think OO-SFM:
http://www.flightradar24.com/data/airplanes/oo-sfm/

[sn26567]

Posts or parts of posts unrelated to the topic have been removed. Please stay ON TOPIC and stick to FACTS. "IFS" are not facts.

[sn26567]

If anything, the so-called "Ebola" (until now, not sure it's Ebola) alert of this morning shows that the precautions put in place at Brussels Airlines and Brussels Airport are effective. All what is necessary has been done according to the procedures.