When novelist (Nerve Damage) and Level One emergency room physician Dr. Tom Combs appeared on the show a couple of weeks ago, he made some statements that turned out to be prophetic. In this second appearance on my PowerTalk 1210 program, he looks back over what's been accomplished since Ebola arrived in the U.S. Dr. Combs remains very concerned that the CDC is not doing enough to keep Ebola out of the country.
©2014 by Forrest Carr. All rights reserved.
Forrest -
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I need to clarify that I am a retired emergency physician not a trauma surgeon. My gifted trauma surgeon colleagues do their best work in the O.R. - my site of practice was the E.R.
Thanks for having me on your show. I do want to emphasize that my concern includes not just having Ebola get into our country but having it spread to ANY other country. If the virus establishes a foothold in any other country the impact will be incalculable. Control/eradication of the epidemic will become exponentially more difficult. Ebola must not be allowed to spread.
Current screening of those leaving W. Africa is flawed/high risk. Our Dallas and NYC failures confirm this. The disease has an up to 21 day asymptomatic incubation period and questionnaires yield false responses both by intent and lack of awareness. Repeating the screen at destination airports does little to improve safety. No individual should exit W. Africa without a 21 day flight restriction/quarantine or other proven zero risk of infection. Air travel poses the greatest risk to international spread – there is too much at stake to allow the current practice to continue.
Maximal international support of the W. African countries (medical, humanitarian, economic) is required. Flight and border quarantine does not mean abandonment. Support of these countries is a must. It is in the best interest of all.
We are all in this together. Ebola is a threat to all countries and all peoples.
This epidemic is not about politics, ideology, race, nationality or short term economic concerns. It is biology and we all face a common enemy. We need to act together and quickly. Quarantine with maximum support of the ravaged W. African countries is the essential strategy. It will be difficult and costly but it must be done.
Thanks again, Forrest. I'm going to check out your novel "Messages" and may impose on you for assistance with a newsroom scene in my next book
Thanks for coming onto the show! Your two appearances were very valuable and we're still talking about them!
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