CRUISE CONTROL

Just when you thought the Ebola crisis couldn’t get worse, it got worse.  It turns out that a lab surpvisor from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, who apparently worked on the blood on the Ebola victim, decided this was a great time for a cruise:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ebola-scare-creates-utter-panic-caribbean-cruise-ship/story?id=26276019

Imagine this October surprise.  You are on a cruise ship.  Suddenly there is announcement saying “that someone who worked in the lab who handled the person in Dallas’s blood was on the ship.”  Then you learn that the cruise ship has placed her in isolation, but don’t worry because there’s no risk. And by the way, the ship is headed back to Texas, because no other port will let you dock.

The following article includes an eye witness account of life on board that ship:

Though the cruise line has not released the name of the passenger or her location, the Malones fear that her room may be on their floor because when Jeremy walked outside his room this morning, he saw a group of 30 to 40 workers gathered with buckets of what looked like cleaning chemicals.

“Some of them had masks on,” Jon Malone said.

“They had a pink liquid in clear spray bottles and they had little wagons that had grey containers – like mop buckets – filled with chemicals,” he said. “They’re cleaning elevators. I’ve seen people with pink liquid cleaning the bar area and the handrails.”

How about that seafood buffet?

John Kerry, who hasn’t noticed the Marine imprisoned in Mexico for making the wrong turn lept into action on this one.  Kerry called the Belizean Prime Minister and begged him to allow the ship to dock so the passenger to be evacuated. He was turned down.  Then he tried to arrange for a helicopter evacuation to a medevac plane but that was turned down too. It turns out the Belizean Prime Minister is not about to take advice from John Kerry.

This is insane.  Obama is wondering if he needs to consider a travel ban for people traveling to and from West Africa.  It is far too late for that.  If anything, we are likely to see a travel ban for anyone traveling to or from the United States.

We already know that the CDC let someone who now has Ebola travel on a Frontier Airlines flight, even after she reported having a fever. We also know that Obama starred in a video for people in West Africa saying that you can’t get Ebola from sitting next to someone on a bus.  He missed the part where the CDC said if you have Ebola symptom don’t take public transportation because you might expose others to the disease.  Impressive!

So what could make this worse?  Easy, appoint an Ebola czar and have him report to both Susan Rice and Lisa Monaco.  Susan Rice is the person famous for spouting utter nonsense on all the Sunday talk shows following Benghazi.  Lisa Monaco is the Homeland Security Advisor who inspired people to call for an Ebola czar in the first place.  Then pick someone who was Chief of Staff for both Al Gore and Joe Biden, possibly the only two people in the country less qualified to be President than Barack Obama.  Oh, by the way, he had a key role in approving the $535 million loan to Solyndra. I think the real problem here is that anyone acceptable to Obama is extremely unlikely to be qualified for the position. It is increasingly difficult to be optimistic about this.

The good news is that the U.S. health care community will just ignore these clowns and do the necessary themselves. They are not about to rely solely on the CDC to deal with this and that is very good news.  They will review the CDC guidelines, but they will also apply something totally missing in Washington, D.C., logic and common sense.  In addition, we are going to see other people step in to the gap with some common sense recommendations to greatly reduce the risk. Following is an example of exactly that:

From the desk of Thomas B. McGowan IV

 

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Re:  Ebola Situation & PrecautionsTo our friends, clients, and trading partners:

I spoke with a friend of mine this morning who is a physician who specializes in infectious diseases.  He said that the infectious diseases medical community is becoming very concerned about a potential outbreak of Ebola…  more than is being indicated in the press.  He is also concerned that Ebola could mutate.  Watch the movie Outbreak if you want to know what could happen if Ebola breaks out.  God help us if this happens.

Our organization is taking the Ebola threat very seriously.  We are starting to implement  precautions so that our employees avoid contracting and spreading Ebola.  We encourage you to take the same precautions in your business and personal lives.

For People Who Travel

  • Carry some Clorox Wipes with you.  Buy a bottle, pull out 10, and place them in a Ziploc bag.
  • When you get on the plane (or train, bus, or ferry), sanitize your (1) arm rests; (2) your head rest; (3) your tray tables; (4) your light and call buttons; (5) your air conditioning controller; and, (6) your television controller with the wipes.
  • Touch as little as possible.
  • Wash your hands the second you depart the aircraft.
  • Wash your hands when you get to your hotel or place of business.
  • Avoid shaking people’s hands.  Tell them:  “Our company is telling people to avoid shaking hands.  Instead, we are doing ‘elbow bumps’ like sailors to avoid contracting or spreading Ebola.”  They’ll laugh and “elbow bump” you.  Then, they’ll start doing it themselves.  Trust me, the temporary “societal discomfort” is worth not contracting Ebola and dying.
  • Try not to use public bathrooms.  If you must use a public bathroom, wash your hands thoroughly.  Use a tissue when opening and closing the bathroom stalls and bathroom doors.  The bathroom is the place on the aircraft (or train, bus, or ferry) most likely to contain Ebola, as Ebola is spread through contact with bodily fluids.

For Everyone

  • Until we are through this scare, don’t shake hands.  Bump elbows, like sailors do, to say “Hello” and “Good bye.”  Sailors have done this for years to avoid spreading diseases like Legionnaires Disease.
  • Be on the look out for symptoms of Ebola.  Unfortunately, early symptoms of Ebola resemble flu conditions (which is alarming, since we are going into “flu season”).
  • Take the same precautions as people who travel in your business and personal lives.
  • Cough into your sleeve (my daughter taught me this one…  she learned it at school).
  • Avoid putting your fingers into your mouth, nose, and eyes (e.g. – Don’t lick delicious BBQ sauce off your finger.)

Signs & Symptoms of Ebola

Signs and symptoms of Ebola normally begin abruptly within 5 – 10 days of infection with
Ebola.

Early signs and symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Severe headache
  • Joint and muscle aches
  • Chills
  • Weakness

Over time, symptoms become increasingly severe and may include:

  •  Nausea and vomiting
  • Diarrhea (may be bloody)
  • Red eyes
  • Raised rash
  • Chest pain and cough
  • Stomach pain
  • Severe weight loss
  • Bleeding, usually from the eyes, and bruising (people near death may bleed from other orifices, such as ears, nose, and rectum)
  • Internal bleeding

The incubation period can be up to 21 days after infection.

If you have any of these symptoms, please see your doctor immediately and STAY HOME.

Good luck and God bless us all!!!

Thomas B. McGowan, IV, KM, JD, MBA | President & C.E.O.
The McGowan Companies| 20595 Lorain Rd.| Fairview Park, OH 44126
P: 440.333.6300 x3609 | F: 440.333.3214 | tbmiv@mcgowanins.com

 

Copyright © 2014 The McGowan Companies, All rights reserved.

Good advice.  This is why Ebola is unlikely to be an umitigated disaster.  Yes, the Obama administration has botched this big time and they will botch it even more in the future.  But we are not totally dependent on the Federal Government. In spite of the best efforts of the Obama administration, we will figure out a way to handle this.

That does not mean there won’t be a lot of problems.  There is always the usual core group of idiots.  Like the guy with the clip board standing next to someone in a hazmat suit taking notes to make sure they were doing it right. But ultimately common sense will prevail in spite of the best efforts of the Obama administration to turn crisis into catastrophe.

TDM