Priest With Ebola Dies In Spanish Hospital As Eight Chinese Workers Quarantined
Sadly, the Spanish missionary priest who became infected with Ebola treating patients in Liberia has died in hospital in Madrid. As AP reports, Father Miguel Pajares died despite receiving the experimental drug ZMapp, and is one of 3 patients to receive it (the American doctors in Atlanta being the other 2). This morning the WHO confirmed the use of "experimental, unproven" Ebola drugs such as ZMapp was ethical in this situation, as the death toll tops 1000 in what WHO called the "most severe and most complex outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history." Perhaps most concerning of all this morning is news that China is quarantining 8 of its West African nurses (as the death toll among health workers surges).
A Spanish missionary priest being treated for Ebola died Tuesday in a Madrid hospital, authorities said.Spain's Health Ministry said a day earlier that it had obtained a course of the U.S.-made experimental Ebola drug ZMapp to treat Father Miguel Pajares, 75.Pajares died Tuesday at Carlos III Hospital, the hospital and his order said. The hospital would not confirm that he had been treated with the drug, but his order said earlier that he would be.He is one of only three Ebola patients thought to have received the experimental drug. The others are two Americans evacuated to Atlanta.Pajares, who was treating people with Ebola at the San Jose de Monrovia Hospital in Liberia when he became infected, was evacuated to Spain on Thursday. He worked for the San Juan de Dios hospital order, a Spain-based Catholic humanitarian group that runs hospitals around the world.
* * *
The World Health Organization confirms use of experimental and unproven Ebola drugs is ethical:
- *WHO PANEL SAYS ETHICAL TO USE UNPROVEN EBOLA DRUGS
- *WHO: LOOKING AT 3 TYPES OF PRODUCTS TO TREAT EBOLA
- *WHO: HOPE THERE ARE MORE ZMAPP DOSES BY END OF YEAR
- *WHO: WE DON'T MAKE ANY CHOICES ON WHO GETS EBOLA DRUGS
- *WHO: IT'S A MARKET FAILURE THAT NO DRUG APPROVED FOR EBOLA
- *WHO: APPEARS THAT ZMAPP HAD `DRAMATIC' EFFECT ON 2 AMERICANS (but not on the Spanish priest)
- *WHO: DIFFICULT TO SAY WHETHER ZMAPP WORKS
- *WHO: IMPORTANT NOT TO GIVE FALSE HOPE ABOUT EBOLA DRUGS
An ethics panel ruled that the drugs, which have not yet passed clinical trials but have shown early promise in combating the virus, could provide a “potent asset” in the battle to contain the epidemic, which it called the “most severe and most complex outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history.”
* * *
Perhaps even more concerning is China's quarantining its West African nurses (as the death toll among health workers surges):
Eight Chinese medical workers who treated patients with Ebola have been placed in quarantine in Sierra Leone, Beijing's ambassador said Monday, but would not be drawn on whether they were displaying symptoms of the disease.In addition, 24 nurses have been quarantined, health officials said, while a senior physician had contracted Ebola but was responding well to treatment.The nation's sole virologist, who was at the forefront of its battle against the epidemic, died from Ebola last month.
As countries around the world were on alert, Japan said it was evacuating two dozen staff from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
* * *
And here is Bloomberg's roundup of the latest Ebola headlines:
- Latest WHO death toll: 1,013
- Spanish priest Pajares dies in Madrid hospital
- WHO panel says ethical to use unproven Ebola drugs
- Africa’s biggest city fights “wicked lies” on Ebola myths
- U.S. approves experimental Ebola drugs for 2 Liberian doctors
- Turkish Air sick passenger not suspected of Ebola: Official
- Rwanda Health Ministry says suspected Ebola case tests negative
- Japan pulls aid staff from West Africa: ENCA
- Experimental Ebola drug supply exhausted, manufacturer says
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-11/french-government-denies-report-several-ebola-cases-outbreak-accelerates-fastest-pac
French Government Denies Report Of "Several Ebola Cases"; Outbreak Accelerates At Fastest Pace Yet
Last week we noted the 'exponential' nature of the cases (and deaths) from Ebola. This week, according to the latest death and case counts from the WHO - the trend has got exponential-er - with 69 new cases and 52 new deaths in the last 2 days. With health workers dying at a fast clip too, it is little surprise that rumors of an outbreak in France were quickly denied by the government. As FranceTV reports, Patrick Balkany, citing "reliable medical sources" claimed that that "several cases [Ebola] have been reported on the French territory." The Ministry of Health rapidly denied any cases of infection in France.
The trend of the outbreak just went even more parabolic...
- WHO SAYS 69 NEW EBOLA CASES REPORTED IN 4 NATIONS AUG. 7-9
WHO SAYS 52 DEATHS FROM EBOLA REPORTED IN 4 NATIONS AUG. 7-9
Cases...
Deaths...
He cites "reliable medical sources" but does not specify which ones. In a statement published on its website,Patrick Balkany says that "several cases [Ebola] have been reported on the French territory. ""So I asked the minister today, in a written question to be published in Official Journal in the coming days, kindly tell me how many cases with Ebola virus have so far been identified in France " , thus commend the deputy mayor of Levallois-Perret (Hauts-de- Seine).Contacted by The Scan of Figaro , elected UMP confirmed his remarks. "The ministry was informed by my sources and it is still curious that we do not have response."The Ministry of Health has also denied any cases of infection in France.
http://www.businessinsider.com/us-reportedly-approves-use-of-experimental-drug-to-treat-ebola-in-africa-2014-8
MONROVIA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and the Food and Drug Administration have approved a request from Liberia's government to send sample doses of an experimental drug to treat Liberian doctors infected with Ebola, the Liberian presidency said in a statement.
The statement, posted on the Liberian presidency's official website, said the experimental drugs would be delivered to the West African country this week by a representative of the U.S. government, following a direct appeal to Obama on Friday by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-11/who-warns-no-end-sight-170-ebola-healthcare-workers-now-infected
WHO Warns "No End In Sight" As 170 Ebola Healthcare Workers Now Infected
"The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in west Africa continues to evolve in alarming ways, with no immediate end in sight," is the ominous warning this morning from the World Health Organization.The WHO statement confirmed that a stunning 170 health-care workers (the ones covered from head to toe in protective garments) have been infected with Ebola and at least 81 have died. "Treatment facilities are oveflowing," they note as they prepare to hold an emergency meeting today on experimental therapies. But apart from that, as Western media says, it is contained and does not pose a risk to Americans...
***
Bloomberg rounds up the latest news on the Ebola outbreak...
- Latest WHO death toll: 961
- Nigeria says 8 people being treated for Ebola
- Rwanda Health Ministry tests suspected Ebola case
- Romania treats patient suspected of Ebola infection: Mediafax
- GSK to test Ebola vaccine later this year: Guardian
- Ebola outbreak shows why global health system is broken: Bloomberg Businessweek
- Yahoo News’s Twitter feed hacked, looking into false tweet about outbreak in Atlanta: USA Today
http://www.naturalnews.com/046414_Ebola_vaccine_safety_testing_drug_company_profits.html
(NaturalNews) While the world of conventional medicine lines up to profit from the Ebola panic, there is no mention anywhere in the mainstream media of the criminal corporation behind the Ebola vaccine.
GlaxoSmithKline, now being celebrated by the pro-pharma press, is the same company that also has a proven criminal record of bribing physicians and knowingly distributing misleading information about the safety of their drug products.
Just two years ago, GSK plead guilty to felony crimes in the United States and was forced to pay an historical $3 billion fine for committing those crimes. After paying the fine, GSK was then exempted from normal rules regarding criminal enterprise, allowing it to continue conducting business with the federal government.
***
GlaxoSmithKline, now being celebrated by the pro-pharma press, is the same company that also has a proven criminal record of bribing physicians and knowingly distributing misleading information about the safety of their drug products.
Just two years ago, GSK plead guilty to felony crimes in the United States and was forced to pay an historical $3 billion fine for committing those crimes. After paying the fine, GSK was then exempted from normal rules regarding criminal enterprise, allowing it to continue conducting business with the federal government.
***
Criminal drug company to spearhead Ebola vaccine with U.S. scientists
Now this same company that admitted committing multiple felony crimes is going to lead the development of the Ebola vaccine.As CNBC reports: (1)
"A clinical trial of an experimental vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus is set to start shortly, according to British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, which is co-developing the product with U.S. scientists."
Vaccine to be "rushed through" with very little safety testing
We also know that the vaccine will not be tested for anything other than short-term side effects. This is all part of the "rush to market" for Big Pharma to profit from Ebola as quickly as possible.As CNBC says:
A company spokeswoman said on Sunday that the trial should get underway "later this year", while GSK's partner the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said in a statement on its website it would start "as early as fall 2014", implying a potential September launch of testing.
A headline in the Daily Mail declares "World Health Organisation says vaccine could be 'rushed through' for 2015." (2)
That same story goes on to report, "the WHO said a potential vaccine for the Ebola virus is being tested on humans and could be ready for widespread use by early 2015."
Doing the math here, if the Ebola vaccine clinical trials start in September of 2014 and the vaccine is manufactured and distributed to the public by "early 2015," this leaves virtually zero time for observing vaccine side effects.
Manufacturing the vaccine in large quantities, after all, takes many months. If this vaccine is to be available to the public in early 2015, they will have to start manufacturing it as early as October 2014, roughly just one month after the vaccine trials begin.
Zero liability; total immunity for faulty products
Keep in mind that in the United States, vaccine manufacturers have zero liability for the damage and death caused by their products. Due to a literal Act of Congress, all vaccine manufacturers are able to abandon all safety testing and knowingly sell faulty, deadly products with zero risk of liability.This was all set up by design to make sure vaccine manufacturers could enjoy record profits while having zero liability for producing faulty products that harm children and adults. This is the reason why mercury is still used in flu vaccines which are injected into children -- a fact which I have scientifically proven in the Natural News Forensic Food Labs using ICP-MS instrumentation.
This total immunity means there is no incentive for adequate safety testing of an Ebola vaccine. The company has the same liability (zero) whether they test the vaccine or not. Their goal is to SELL the vaccine, not to make sure it's safe and effective. Time spent on conducting rigorous clinical trials with long-term observations simply isn't part of the "Sell! Sell! Sell!" business plan of today's vaccine manufacturers. Their current business slogan? "Every pandemic is an opportunity for profit." And with blanket immunity from all product liability, who needs safety testing?
****
http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2014/08/the-one-question-about-ebola-that-nobody-can-seem-to-answer-2545844.html
How in the world is it possible that more than 170 health workers have been infected by the Ebola virus? That is the one question about Ebola that nobody can seem to answer. The World Health Organization is reporting this as a fact, but no explanation is given as to why this is happening. We are just assured that Ebola “is not airborne” and that getting infected “requires close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person”. If this is true, then how have more than 170 health workers caught the disease? These workers are dressed head to toe in suits that are specifically designed to prevent the spread of the virus. So how is this happening? I could understand a handful of “mistakes” by health workers, but this is unlike anything that we have ever seen in the history of infectious diseases. These health workers take extraordinary precautions to keep from getting the virus. If it is spreading so easily to them, what chance is the general population going to have?
Overall, more than 1,700 people have been officially infected and more than 900 people have officially died so far. But an official from Samaritan’s Purse says that the real numbers are probably far, far higher…
Ken Isaacs, the vice president of Program and Government Relations for Samaritan’s Purse, painted an even bleaker picture. According to the World Health Organization, West Africa has counted 1,711 diagnoses and 932 deaths, already, which could represent only a small fraction of the true number. “We believe that these numbers represent just 25 to 50 percent of what is happening,” said Isaacs.In a six-hour meeting with the president of Liberia last week, Isaacs said workers from Samaritan’s Purse and SIM watched as the “somber” officials explained the gravity of the situation in their countries, where hundreds lie dead in the streets. “It has an atmosphere of apocalypse,” Isaacs said of the Liberia Ministry of Health’s status updates. “Bodies lying in the street…gangs threatening to burn down hospitals. I believe this disease has the potential to be a national security risk for many nations. Our response has been a failure.” Isaacs says that the epidemic is inciting panic worldwide that, in his opinion, may soon be warranted. “We have to fight it now here or we’re going to have to fight it somewhere else.”
In an official statement released on Monday, the World Health Organization even admitted that some potential Ebola patients “are being turned away”…
The recent surge in the number of cases has stretched all capacities to the breaking point. Supplies of personal protective equipment and disinfectants are inadequate. The outbreak continues to outstrip diagnostic capacity, delaying the confirmation or exclusion of cases and impeding contact tracing.Some treatment facilities are overflowing; all beds are occupied and patients are being turned away.
Like I have said before, this has the potential to become the greatest health crisis that any of us have ever seen.
Up until this point, the outbreak has been primarily limited to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
But now it is starting to pop up in more countries around Africa.
For example, the number of confirmed cases in Nigeria has reached ten…
Nigeria on Monday confirmed a new case of Ebola in the financial capital Lagos, bringing the total number of people in the country with the virus to 10.
Health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said the latest confirmed case was a female nurse who came into contact with a Liberian-American man, Patrick Sawyer, who died of Ebola in a Lagos hospital on July 25.
In addition to Sawyer, another nurse who had contact with him died last week, while seven other people have been confirmed to have the virus in the city, he added.
And it looks like we may now have our first case of Ebola in Rwanda…
Rwanda’s health officials have placed a man suspected of suffering from Ebola in isolation at King Faisal Hospital Kigali. A statement by the Ministry of Health released on Sunday indicates that the patient had been tested with results still expected. Samples from the suspected case have been sent for testing to an international accredited laboratory, and results will be available in 48 hours, the statement said. The suspected case is a European medical student, according to the statement. It is the first suspected Ebola case in Rwanda since the outbreak of the virus in West Africa. The government urged the public to remain calm and vigilant, as the ministry is closely monitoring the situation.
All the preventive measures needed in line with national standards are already in place, including surveillance systems and emergency management systems, it assured, adding “Health workers have been trained across the country and are vigilant.” This will enable timely detection, notification and appropriate management of any suspected cases to safeguard Rwandans, the statement concluded.
Over in Ghana, a man that just died is being tested for the Ebola virus…
Ghana may be recording its first case of Ebola if tests on the blood samples of a Burkinabe man suspected to have died of Ebola proves positive. The man who was rushed to the Bawku Presby Hospital in the Upper East Region from Burkina Faso, died on arrival. The Medical Director at the Hospital, Dr Joseph Yaw Manu, who confirmed the incident to Citi News, said they sent the blood samples for testing because the man was brought in showing symptoms of Ebola. In an interview with Citi News, Dr. Manu said the patient was bleeding from his nostrils which raised their suspicion he may have died of the Ebola disease. Dr. Manu said they are awaiting the results from the blood sample test to verify the cause of death. He gave the assurance that the hospital is prepared to battle the disease. This is the fourth suspected case of Ebola reported in Ghana; two in Kumasi, one in Accra and now the Upper East Region.
Lastly, the little nation of Benin is now reporting two potential cases of Ebola…
Benin has reported two cases of the deadly Ebola virus in the west African country. Health Ministry official Aboubacar Moufiliatou said that a man suspected to have contracted the virus had died. “Fortunately, blood samples have been taken from the deceased patient to examine if his death was linked with Ebola,” Moufililatou told the state television Thursday night. He said another man has been quarantined after showing symptoms of the deadly virus after returning from the Nigerian city of Lagos. “Blood tests from the suspected case will be conducted in laboratories approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) to confirm or deny the infection,” he said. The WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be an “international public health emergency” as the virus reportedly continues to spread through the region in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. According to the latest WHO report, Ebola has killed 932 people in West Africa. The Ebola virus, a contagious disease for which there is no known treatment or cure, can be transmitted to humans from wild animals and also spreads through contact with the body fluids of an infected person or someone who has died of the disease. Medical doctors say common symptoms of Ebola include high fever and headaches, followed by bleeding from openings in the body. If the cases turn out to be Ebola, this would be the fifth country in Africa where the virus has spread.
We are quickly getting to the point where it will become impossible to contain this virus.
And if it spreads to the United States, we are going to be in a massive amount of trouble. The truth is that we are not prepared for an Ebola pandemic, and such a crisis would create a massive wave of panic and fear all over this country.
Unfortunately, despite the risks, we continue to bring people back to this country before we know that it is safe to do so…
Health officials in North Carolina said on Sunday they will require missionaries and others coming home after working with people infected with Ebola in Africa to be placed in quarantine.
The quarantine is set to last for three weeks from the last exposure to someone infected in the West African Ebola outbreak, which is centred in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the officials said.Missionaries from the North Carolina-based Christian aid groups SIM USA and Samaritan’s Purse have been working to help combat the world’s worst outbreak of the disease. Two of the relief workers, Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, contracted the disease and are being cared for at Emory University hospital in Georgia.
Why couldn’t those individuals just be quarantined over there an extra three weeks in a safe area and then come home?
All it takes is one sick person. Once the disease gets here and starts spreading, there isn’t much that we can do about it. There is no cure for Ebola, and according to the New York Times it is going to be quite a while before one is potentially available…
The drugs that could potentially treat those already infected and the vaccines to protect healthy people from infection are all in the earliest stages of testing. And even if they do pass muster in clinical trials, they cannot be produced in large quantities quickly enough to stem the widening epidemic anytime soon.
And the CDC agrees with this assessment…
“We do not know how to treat Ebola or vaccinate against it — and it will be a long time before we do.”
Those are very sobering words.
For now, our health officials are telling us that we have very little to be concerned about.
But they can’t even tell us why more than 170 health workers have caught the virus.
So let’s hope for the best, but let us also prepare for the worst.
No comments:
Post a Comment