TB, Part III
This just in. And since I'm apparently the only person interested, I promise I'll stop now. I just think this is proof that somehow we as humans don't *really* know what we're doing. Evidence: a whole bunch of intelligent, educated people (doctors, lawyers, and heads of agencies like the CDC) can't figure out how to operate without miscommunication. I'm done now.
posted by Left Coast Sister at 3:26 PM
5 Comments:
I think it just goes to show how much selfishness we're willing to accept as a society -- my personal opinion is that this comes from the 'don't discriminate against me', 'it's my right' and 'you owe it to me' mentallity. We've become sad people when we need to be accepted by everyone everywhere for everything. Makes me thankful for the truth of God and I want to be a better servant, where 'me' doesn't matter. (In other words this guy was super selfish, not to mention stupid. Maybe some of the passengers will get back at him the way he gets at people. I have to say I hope they do, it might make others think twice about being stupidly selfish like this.) I do have a question for you left coast sister - How does immigration - maybe especially illegal - impact our society as far as TB and lepersy and anything else we don't predominately have here? Thank you - I do find your comments enlightening!
hey, here's what I'm wondering (and I've been very interested in this story, too, by the way. Imagine all the other people like him who are going about there business where WE are going about OUR business)---isn't his girlfriend/wife now going to get TB? What about his daughter? What about all the people he came in contact with on his trip, not just the people on the airplane? I know nothing about TB, so I'm curious about the countless people he mingled with, most especially those he lives with. Now apparently he and his wife (did they marry? why is there a question about that? seems like something easy enough to verify) can only kiss now is at least one of them is wearing a mask. Um, didn't they kiss a whole bunch before the last few days??? What about then?
Anyway, it's an interesting story and something we need to all be more informed about.
"IF" at least one of them is wearing a mask...not "IS"...
silly me.
Anonymous: I do think we often put our so-called right to personal freedom ahead of the well-being of others. In this case, it's surprising the lack of agreement on what he was advised to do. (ie., he's said he wasn't told *not* to travel until he was already out of the US.) Immigration is a completely different topic with regards to the spread of infectious disease but I'll take the bait. Because there are countries with greater numbers of TB cases, immigrants from those countries are more likely to have been exposed to TB, and therefore to carry/spread/need treatment for it. The other sources of concern for domestic TB control: the homeless and our very own jail system. Every county in CA (perhaps other states, I don't know) has a TB control program which monitors TB cases throughout the county, administers direct-observation treatment and does a lot of other things along the lines of TB treatment and control. Third world countries typically don't have that kind of system in place. However, I don't know if immigrants who have come here without documentation or who have overstayed their visas are more likely to contribute to the spread of TB here in the US. Perhaps, but I don't know facts and I don't want to be led by assumptions. This guy I'm posting about was clearly not a 1st- (or 2nd) generation immigrant and the cause of his own TB is in question (as of now).
Jay are: I don't purport to know much about this disease, but I think it's like many others in that exposure does not mean infection... so perhaps he could have coughed on you and you wouldn't have had to worry about exposure because of your own immune system (or other reasons). He should have worn a mask, I would think, and I don't know why he was exposing his own family (not to mention complete strangers) but TB isn't a "sudden death" type of disease. It does seem strange that if his father in law (ie, girlfriend/wife's dad, right?) had a teensy bit of info on the disease (translation: he worked on TB at the CDC) wouldn't he be concerned for his daughter? THe whole thing doesn't make sense to me, quite frankly, but then again, many things don't.
I thought I read that it was his own father who works with research on TB. I thought that was quite ironic. Now I need to go see who's dad it is exactly (not that it matters).
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