Ebola Takes Another Bite

A nurse who cared for a priest dying of Ebola virus in Spain has been infected.  This occurred even before the infection of the nurse in Dallas, but didn’t get any news coverage here in the US.  The nurse was said to have changed the dying man’s diaper and cleaned his bed.

Spain’s response to the Ebola virus was entirely ad hoc, since there was no existing facility to receive the first patient who returned from Africa, a priest who died on August 12.  The infection control facilities had been mostly dismantled for cost reasons.   The second patient, also a priest, received the same improvisational treatment.  Cost-cutting left them unprepared.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization stated that the mortality rate had risen to 70 percent from their previous estimate of 50 percent.  They also stated that the rate of new cases could reach 10,000 a week by December.  As of Tuesday, the total number of known cases was 8914, with 4447 known deaths.  An additional, unknown number of cases could have been missed or deliberately concealed.

A spokesman for WHO stated that they were particularly focused on isolating as many patients as possible– a goal of 70 percent within the next two months– to reduce the rate of spread.  Mortality rates have worsened as the disease has spread.  Bed space is not available for most active Ebola cases now and some have changed their advice to caring for patients at home with bleach and gloves.

With the majority of Ebola cases treated at home in the infection hot spots, the risks of further transmission are great.  There is especial reason for concern if Western nurses can catch Ebola despite having all the protective gear they need.  On the other hand, the practice of spraying workers with bleach after they contact a patient has been limited to Africa; that practice may be pressed into service here.

A total of five Ebola patients have been treated in the United States so far.  In a few weeks we will learn how rapidly the virus will spread.