Aviation and the Ebola epidemic in West-Africa

[sn26567]

Air Belgium still in quarantaine for 48 hours in the hotel AVGEEKtrip Skopje !
Still waiting for official suspension of the quarantaine,..

Will he be allowed to come back on his scheduled flight?

[Passenger]

Air Belgium still in quarantaine for 48 hours in the hotel AVGEEKtrip Skopje !
Still waiting for official suspension of the quarantaine,..

Will he be allowed to come back on his scheduled flight?

He's not the only Belgian citizen there: flemish commercial tv VTM reports that also "city trip tourist Jan Verboven" is blocked in his hotel in Skopje, most probably in the same hotel:

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/960/Buitenland ... bola.dhtml

[cathay belgium]

Hi,

We are on an avgeek trip in Skopje..
Jan is a friend of us also, joining Air Belgium on the trip together with two other friends , so four belgians were involved...
If the result of the British is negative he can join us on our flight back on sunday,if not... fingers crossed...
Don't dare to think on other options yet...
Not in panic but creepy tought altough...
They are fine,we have contact.. but are not amused and certainly annoying themselves...

Btw on the vtm news... hln.be,het nieuwsblad etc... this looks like worldnews... as we see information from around the globe concerning this event...

CXB

[airazurxtror]

http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/britain- ... id/599867/

Britain will soon begin Ebola screenings at London's two main airports and the Eurostar rail link with Europe in an attempt to prevent an infected person from bringing the deadly virus into the U.K.
"Enhanced screening will initially be implemented at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Eurostar terminals," a statement from Prime Minister David Cameron's office said Thursday.
"(It) will involve assessing passengers’ recent travel history, who they have been in contact with and onward travel arrangements as well as a possible medical assessment.
The government said the overall risk to the Britain remained low but that the additional screening had been recommended by the country's chief medical officer as a way to improve detection and isolation of Ebola cases.

Thanks to Brussels Airlines persisting to fly to the infected countries, all passengers coming from Belgium (by air or by train) will be screened when entering Great-Britain (see also "Le Soir" today page 12).

[nordikcam]

Yessss...thx Brussels Airlines for flying those countries in need for medical assistance...thanx again !

[Passenger]

http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/britain- ... id/599867/

Britain will soon begin Ebola screenings at London's two main airports and the Eurostar rail link with Europe in an attempt to prevent an infected person from bringing the deadly virus into the U.K. "Enhanced screening will initially be implemented at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Eurostar terminals," a statement from Prime Minister David Cameron's office said Thursday. "(It) will involve assessing passengers’ recent travel history, who they have been in contact with and onward travel arrangements as well as a possible medical assessment. The government said the overall risk to the Britain remained low but that the additional screening had been recommended by the country's chief medical officer as a way to improve detection and isolation of Ebola cases.

Thanks to Brussels Airlines persisting to fly to the infected countries, all passengers coming from Belgium (by air or by train) will be screened when entering Great-Britain (see also "Le Soir" today page 12).

I wondered why you use a commercial newssite for this story (newsmax is 10% news, 90% adverts) so I asked the BBC what they know about this new development. Guess what? It's a different story:

"... People arriving in the UK from areas hit by Ebola face "enhanced screening" for the virus at Heathrow, Gatwick and Eurostar terminals. Downing Street said passengers would be asked questions and potentially given a medical assessment..."

"...The new checks - for those arriving from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea - will involve "assessing passengers' recent travel history, who they have been in contact with and onward travel arrangements", Downing Street said..."

"...Passengers could also be subject to medical checks "by trained medical personnel rather than Border Force staff" and will be given advice on "what to do should they develop symptoms later"...

Source:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29559444

Different story as yours, isn't it? Even more surprisingly is that this political statement (= from the U.K. government, that is) contradicts with a recent press release (7th Oct 2014) the British Department of Health "Ebola surveillance and contingency planning ongoing in UK":

"...The UK contingency plans for Ebola have always been based on the assumption that there is a low, but nevertheless real, risk of importing a case of Ebola from West Africa. However, it is important to remember that even if a case is identified here, the UK has robust, well-developed and well-tested NHS systems for managing unusual infectious diseases..."

"... The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that the affected countries should conduct exit screening for individuals with unexplained illness consistent with potential Ebola infection. WHO also recommends that Ebola cases or contacts should not undertake international travel, unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation"...

...However, entry screening in the UK is not recommended by WHO. There are no plans to introduce entry screening for Ebola in the UK. This would require the UK to screen every returning traveller, as people could return to the UK from an affected country through any port of entry. This would be huge numbers of low risk people. PHE has provided UK Border Force with advice on the assessment of an unwell patient on entry to UK..."

Source:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ebol ... oing-in-uk

My conclusion: the way you've presented the newsmax story was not meant to add new facts about (the battle against) ebola: you only used it to bash Brussels Airlines. Poor attempt, by the way.

[airazurxtror]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/1 ... DV20141011

Extracts :

Leading companies offering medical evacuation services are balking at flying Ebola patients out of West Africa for treatment abroad as the cost and the complexities of the deadly epidemic grow.

Several airlines have cut flights to the region and there are reports of countries not allowing air ambulances to make refuelling stops, further complicating the so-called medevac option many companies provide for staffers in risky regions.

Two leading companies in the field - medical assistance company International SOS and insurance firm Allianz Worldwide Care - both recently said they would not provide medevac services for all patients with Ebola symptoms.

"International evacuation for patients with active clinical symptoms of Ebola is extremely limited and may not be achievable if patients have any uncontrolled body fluids, such as vomiting, diarrhoea or bleeding," the statement read on Saturday.

The medical insurance firm Allianz Worldwide Care ruled out such services in an online statement updated on Wednesday, saying: "Our air ambulance partners are currently not evacuating patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola infection out of affected regions due to the highly complex nature of evacuations when Ebola or other viral haemorrhagic fevers are involved.
"In the case of suspected or confirmed Ebola cases, we would liaise closely with our clients and brokers to see whether there is any possibility of military medical evacuation via support from the patient’s local embassy and home government."

Other insurance and assistance firms contacted by Reuters declined to comment, did not respond to requests for comment or said they had not dealt with Ebola cases.

Insurance companies often provide medical evacuation as a routine part of international health insurance policies, but the evacuation option may not apply in the case of an epidemic.

Insurance specialists estimate medical evacuation from West Africa could cost at least 45-65,000 pounds per person.

[Passenger]

Hi,

We are on an avgeek trip in Skopje.. Jan is a friend of us also, joining Air Belgium on the trip together with two other friends , so four belgians were involved... If the result of the British is negative he can join us on our flight back on sunday,if not... fingers crossed... Don't dare to think on other options yet... Not in panic but creepy tought altough... They are fine,we have contact.. but are not amused and certainly annoying themselves... Btw on the vtm news... hln.be,het nieuwsblad etc... this looks like worldnews... as we see information from around the globe concerning this event...

Some 3 hours ago, Dutch state television NOS said that the deceased had no ebola. According to Dutch television NOS, it was alcohol that killed him.

http://nos.nl/artikel/708929-overleden- ... ebola.html

(edited : I've adjusted that "...it was alcohol that killed him..." is a comment from NOS, not from me)

[cathay belgium]

hi,

friends are safe and released with a big story around 16h today..
they talked to the british guy, who wasn't seperated from the quarantainned group and he told him there was absolutely NO alcohol involved !
the doctors inside hadn't pressurerised suits,.. a big blamage for safety and a bad film movie, a show was played in my eyes...

tomorrow the group is wizz-ing home direction crl !

grtz

cxb

[Flanker2]

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/6056/Africa-Cu ... orde.dhtml

[airazurxtror]

A Texas healthcare worker who provided care for Thomas Duncan, the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola outside Africa, has tested positive for the deadly virus, officials have said.

Dr David Lakey, commissioner of the department of health services, said: “We knew a second case could be a reality, and we’ve been preparing for this possibility. We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread.”

Duncan travelled from Liberia to the US via Brussels on 19 september.

Comment from moderator: no need to repeat "ad nausea" that he travelled via Brussels: that has been written over and over in previous posts

[Passenger]

Duncan travelled from Liberia to the US via Brussels on 19 september.

Indeed, and he arrived in Dallas on 20th September. On 24th September, he went to the Emergency Service at the Texas Presbyterian Hospital, clearly stating he came from Liberia. However, the medical staff excluded ebola (for a reason we don't know yet) and he was sent home few hours later with just some antibiotica. When he collapsed on 28th September, it was too late.

[sean1982]

it was too late

When you get ebola you're gonna die in 80% of the cases ... No matter how "late" it is!

[Passenger]

When you get ebola you're gonna die in 80% of the cases ... No matter how "late" it is!

Actually, it's even 90% in Africa. And that is another reason why all efforts should be done to stop the ebola pandemy on the African continent. After all, almost all medical experts agree that stopping ebola in Africa is the only way to prevent that ebola becomes an endemy (or pandemy) in other continents.

Seems the Spanish nurse is recovering meanwhile:
http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20141012/au ... 8100.shtml

[FlightMate]

I hope the health worker, with quick first-class treatment, will be able to recover.

If I was him, or his immediate family, I'd be so pissed off.
Hospitals and authorities not ready, airlines still flying there and importing the virus, passengers lying on their statements.

For all the SN fan boys who never question the company's decisions: how would you react if it had happened to you or your loved ones?

[Passenger]

For all the SN fan boys who never question the company's decisions: how would you react if it had happened to you or your loved ones?

For all SN bashers : if ebola is not contained in Africa, ebola will for sure spread out to the the whole world. Is it really so difficult to agree with that? And if you agree with that principle, you can only agree that not allowing airlines to take a small risk today (to allow them to transport thousands of volunteers and tons of medical equipment) is a 100% guarantuee for an ebola outbreak in Europe within a few months. Not a few cases, not even pandemic, but endemic. Wonder how "your loved ones" will then react.

[FlightMate]

Well, fact is: had SN not flown from ROB, the health worker wouldn't be infected.

Shipping media equipment and aid? Of course I agree.
Flying leisure and business pax, 'as usual', I disagree.

Ban all leisure transport to and from these countries. If airlines complain about lack of revenue, offer a compensation.

That's a decision the EU (and other governing agencies) need to take.

[sn-remember]

Indeed FlightMate ..
About the "SN fanboys" ... (however I dislike this label bcs the issue is broader)
THey keep telling us the screening is done before boarding so presumably no risk on board, so ok for SN.
They should be reminded the obvious :
1. Screening in Africa is sketchy also possibly putting the healthy pax at risk of comtamination during the process. (see Dr Silbermann's warning refered in one of my previous posts)
2. The probability of importing the virus is significant (cf the Duncan case) after the pax leave the a/c.
The latter point is certainly criminal to overlook.
Given the virus has a relatively small contagion window does not mean it will not spread if left unchecked. It is very contagious when no precautions are taken, and why should they be taken if the contamination is not known or suspected ? (cf again the Duncan case)
There might be a time when we will have to consider putting each incoming pax from the epicenter in quarantine whatever the symptoms displayed.
Here is a follow up of the situation summarized in the respected WP newsoutlet published on oct 4th :
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ ... tional_pop

[Passenger]

Well, fact is: had SN not flown from ROB, the health worker wouldn't be infected.

Had he not flown Brussels Airlines, he would have flown another carrier. Had ne not flown via Brussels Airport, he would have flown via Dakar or Paris or Lagos or Addis Abbeba or Istanbul or Johannesburg or Casablanca or...

Shipping media equipment and aid? Of course I agree.
Flying leisure and business pax, 'as usual', I disagree.

Belgium has 15.000 doctors (GP's), 25.000 doctors-specialists and +140.000 nurses for 11 mio people. Liberia has 200 doctors and 1.000 nurses for 4 mio people.

You cannot provide all necessary medical staff, needed to fight ebola, just by relief flights. Most of the thousands of medical workers, now fighting ebola, are volunteers from all over the world: people who work in a hospital in their hometown and are willing to take a few weeks leave to go and do what they can best: nurse people. You simply cannot organize transport for these thousands of volunteers just on charters or relief flights. And for the zillionth time: if you make it impossible for these volunteers to get there, ebola will spread worldwide.

[sean1982]

Well, fact is: had SN not flown from ROB, the health worker wouldn't be infected.

Had he not flown Brussels Airlines, he would have flown another carrier. Had ne not flown via Brussels Airport, he would have flown via Dakar or Paris or Lagos or Addis Abbeba or Istanbul or Johannesburg or Casablanca or...

No he wouldnt .... Only Casablanca would be another option.