Have you touched an Ebola Patient’s Puke, Sweat, Sh*t, or Blood? If Not, You Don’t Have Ebola.

[Ms. Toad]

78. Anyone trained in medicine,

who has treated someone with Ebola, and who has symptoms matching the early states of a viral infection should assume it is Ebola until proven otherwise. She chose to treat it like a common cold and hop on a plane even though she had a fever, was fatigued, feeling malaise and potentially muscle aches (all but the last are statements from the CDC; the last is attributed to an unknown Federal official close to the case).

Had she acted responsibly (or had the CDC and Texas Presbyterian acted responsibly), there would not be a couple dozen nurses on paid leave from Metro Health & the Cleveland Clinic, a dozen or so people quarantined at home, and up to 250 who were on the plane with her on either of the two flights being self monitored, the additional cost to staff the Summit County (and perhaps Cuyahoga County) tracking hotline - extended a day because of the volume of the response, not to mention several schools and one business closed temporarily.

That does not mean there will be a huge outbreak. If you've been paying attention at all, you know I have said no such thing. The average person with Ebola only infects two other people. With any luck she was early enough in her infection that she was not infectious at the level of contact she had with others. But the irresponsibility shown by Ms Vinson, the CDC, and Texas Presbyterian has resulted in a significant financial and emotional cost even if we are lucky and it does not result in any additional Ebola infections and deaths.