EBOLA Australia's turn, possible Ebola - Cairns Hospital, Far North Queensland

[Lilbitsnana]

stirlo ‏@stirlo 11m11 minutes ago Qt“@sharniekim: #BREAKING: 57yo woman under observation at #Cairns Hospital over #ebola concerns. Believed to local. 3pm presser @abcnews”




Australian Newsdesk @AusNewsNetwork · 21m 21 minutes ago
#BREAKING: An elderly woman is under observation for #Ebola at Cairns Hospital in Far North Queensland.




Australian Newsdesk @AusNewsNetwork · 3m 3 minutes ago

UPDATE: AuthorIties are performing tests relating to a possible case of ebola in Cairns, Queensland. QLD Health press conference shortly.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

posted for fair use

Cairns Ebola scare: Woman under observation in hospital, Red Cross worker had been in Sierra Leone

Updated

A 57-year-old woman is under observation in Cairns Hospital in far north Queensland over fears she may have the deadly Ebola virus.

The Cairns local recently returned from Sierra Leone where she was working with the Red Cross helping to treat patients of the outbreak.

Queensland's Chief Health Office Dr Jeannette Young said the woman wore personal protective equipment at all times while in the country, and they were not breached at any stage.

She said testing was underway to ensure all necessary precautions were being taken.

The woman's test results are expected to be known in the early hours of Friday morning.

More to come

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-09/ebola-scare-woman-under-observation-in-cairns-hospital/5802280

 

[Lilbitsnana]

If we are lucky, it will be another false alarm.


The Daily Telegraph ‏@dailytelegraph 24m24 minutes ago

BREAKING: #Ebola fears in Queensland as person tested http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...as-person-tested/story-fnii5v71-1227085258842 …

posted for fair use

Ebola fears in Queensland as person tested

Jason Tin
The Courier-Mail
October 09, 2014 4:02PM


AUTHORITIES are performing tests relating to a possible case of ebola in Queensland.

It is understood the woman at the centre of the tests is a Red Cross volunteer who was working in Sierra Leone and has placed herself in quarantine.

She exhibited no symptoms until she recorded her own temperature and recorded an increase.

Health authorities are now performing tests.

It is understood tests are being made to isolate the issue, with further details expected to emerge this afternoon at a press conference to be held by Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young.

The ABC reports the patient is a 57-year-old woman in Cairns.

More to come.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

Current time there is 3:21 PM (Thursday 10/9).

Results are due late tonight or early Fri AM (Cairns, Australia time)

So, results sometime early Thur morning here or late this afternoon or early evening? (US time)

 

[Publius]

The airlines should not allow people from any of the effected countries to board their planes. Obama is not going to tell the CEOs how to run their biz or who can or cannot board their aircrafts.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

lol...

Sabina Husic ‏@sabinahusic 8m8 minutes ago

if we had to quarantine queensland, what would be your preferred method? quicksand moat filled with hammerheads, or bubblewrap dome? #ebola

 

[Lilbitsnana]

At least she seems to have been a little bit smart about it all. Home to Australia on weekend, home to Cairns on Tuesday...so, still some play in there to have infected others if she tests positive.

a bit more info:

posted for fair use

Cairns Ebola scare: Woman under observation in hospital, Red Cross worker had been in Sierra Leone

Updated

A 57-year-old woman is under observation in Cairns Hospital in far north Queensland over fears she may have the deadly Ebola virus.

The Cairns local recently returned from Sierra Leone where she was working with the Red Cross helping to treat patients of the outbreak.

Queensland's Chief Health Office Dr Jeannette Young said the woman wore personal protective equipment at all times while in the country, and they were not breached at any stage.

The woman was overseas for one month.

Dr Young said the woman had been in home isolation, and was now in hospital isolation.

"There is no concern for the community at all. She has been in her own home, isolated there," Dr Young said.

"There is no risk for the general community in Cairns.

"The risk of her infecting someone else is very, very low."

The woman returned to Australia at the weekend and came home to Cairns on Tuesday.

"She has a low-grade fever," Dr Young said.

The woman's test results are expected to be known late tonight or early hours of Friday morning.

More to come.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-09/ebola-scare-woman-under-observation-in-cairns-hospital/5802280

 

[Lilbitsnana]

37.6 C = 99.68 degrees F

updated info:

posted for fair use

Cairns Ebola scare: Woman under observation in hospital, Red Cross worker had been in Sierra Leone

Updated



Registered nurse Sue-Ellen Kovack. Photo: Registered nurse Sue-Ellen Kovack will find out late tonight or tomorrow if she has Ebola. (Supplied)
Map: Cairns 4870

A 57-year-old woman is under observation in Cairns Hospital in far north Queensland over fears she may have the deadly Ebola virus.

Cairns local Sue-Ellen Kovack recently returned from Sierra Leone where she was working with the Red Cross helping to treat patients of the outbreak.

Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said Ms Kovack wore protective equipment at all times while in the country, and they were not breached at any stage.

Ms Kovack was overseas for one month and returned to Australia healthy at the weekend.

She arrived home to Cairns on Tuesday and placed herself in quarantine, however she does live with a flatmate.

Ms Kovack, whose identity was confirmed by a colleague, rang authorities this morning when she developed a low-grade fever at 37.6 degrees Celsius.

"She is not unwell at this point in time," Dr Young said.

"It is low-grade fever, but we thought it was important she come into the Cairns Hospital and be tested.

"We don't know whether she has Ebola but she has been exposed to people with the disease.

"She has done everything appropriately."

Dr Young said Ms Kovack arrived in the emergency department at 1:00pm (AEST) today and is being assessed by an infectious diseases specialist and getting blood tests.

The blood will be tested in Brisbane and results are due very late tonight or in the early hours of Friday.
TV still of Cairns Base Hospital in September 2008. Photo: Cairns Base Hospital, where Ms Kovack is being tested. (ABC TV-file image)

"There is no concern for the community at all. She has been in her own home, isolated there," Dr Young said.

"There is no risk for the general community in Cairns.

"The risk of her infecting someone else is very, very low."

It is not the first time Queensland's health officials have enacted their Ebola risk strategy.

A 27-year-old man on the Gold Coast was suspected of having Ebola, but later returned a negative result.

He had fallen ill after returning from a trip to Ebola-affected Congo.
Video: No risk to Cairns from suspected Ebola case, says Queensland Health (ABC News)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-09/ebola-scare-woman-under-observation-in-cairns-hospital/5802280

 

[Lilbitsnana]

Lillian Saleh @LillSaleh · 2h 2 hours ago

BREAKING A second doctor in South Brisbane undergoing home isolation - part of QLD Health policy for those back from West African countries

 

[Ozlady]

Thanks Lilbit, had missed this, out feeding the horses, no mention on the second doctor on local MSM.
Appreciate all the work you do to keep us updated.

 

[Waz1152]

Been watching this all day, we are in WA and only a flight away for someone else on the plane with her, Wife and I like many others can't see why the heck they are allowing flights into our out of those areas, if it is Ebola then it is only time and time will tell how many of us are still here in the next 12 months, on a conspiracy note, looks like depopulation is being pushed and the initial steps are underway
May God bless us all and place a hedge of protection around us, we have a daughter and two Grand daughters in Qld, very troubling and worried

 

[China Connection]

It is only a matter of time for it to spread world wide. One person coughing in a busy international airport and bang it starts. I would expect that it has spread a lot more than is being let on already,

 

[Waz1152]

Totally agree CC, in my opinion only, they know roughly how many are infected and just don't think the public would handle it and panic, so we will see a few close calls, a few infected but they have a handle on it, when they decide to tell the truth the Banks would have been warned, the Stock Market would have a kill switch in place, and the obligatory message from Gov't leaders safely inside some nice tight and secure facility
Time is ticking and people are only watching the tele and maybe the Newspapers (elderly that can't turn on a PC) and they will buy what they are selling, bet that Nurse is sitting on tender hooks at the moment

 

[Scarletbreasted]

RE Ebola suspect in Cairns, Queensland, Australia,
Sue Ellens 1st test was a Negative result, I will be a lot happier when the do a 2nd test in a few days - we all have seen "Negatives" on the 1st test an Positives on a later test.
She will remain in Isolation for the time being in the hospital.
sb

 

[Mysty]

There is a second case in the Gold Coast Hospital. This one sounds more serious.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930620000423

TEHRAN (FNA)- A 25-year-old man has been rushed to an Australian hospital on Thursday after displaying symptoms of the Ebola virus, health officials said.

The man, who fell seriously ill after returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland about 7:40 am by paramedics wearing full protective gear, Xinhua reported.

Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service acting Chief Executive Damian Green confirmed in a statement that the man was put into isolation at the hospital.

"Gold Coast Health can confirm a patient has been transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital after being identified by paramedics as having symptoms of Ebola virus," he said in a statement.

More than 2,200 people have died in an Ebola outbreak from more than 4,200 infections in the African nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria.

 

[Scarletbreasted]

Update:

Qld health 'extremely cautious' on Cairns, Qld. Ebola

Published: 11:56 am, Friday, 10 October 2014

Health authorities are taking an 'extremely cautious' approach towards a far north Queensland nurse cleared of having Ebola virus by initial tests, saying she isn't out of danger yet.

The case of 57-year old nurse Sue-Ellen Kovack, who recently returned to Cairns after a month-long deployment to Sierra Leone with the Red Cross, could trigger a change in national infectious disease guidelines.

Ms Kovack has returned negative initial results but will be monitored in Cairns because she is still within the 21-day incubation period of Ebola.

'If she's got the infection, she'll get sicker,' Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young told reporters on Friday.'

'At the moment, she's getting better.'

Ms Kovack's 'low-grade' fever, which prompted her to present to authorities on Thursday morning, had resolved overnight.

But she was still showing other symptoms, Dr Young said.

'She's got a sore throat and is feeling generally a bit unwell, which is a sign of so many other diseases.'

Dr Young again sought to reassure the public that Ebola is a very difficult virus to transmit.

A person can only catch the virus by coming into contact with secretions of an infected person, she said.

Ms Kovack returned to Australia via Casablanca and Dubai, then made her way through Perth and Melbourne to Cairns.

But Dr Young said there was no risk to other passengers because Ms Kovack could not have possibly transmitted the disease.

'We've had confirmation of that, the viral load was so low yesterday that it couldn't be detected.'

Dr Young said she was satisfied with current guidelines on handling specialist aid workers who return from ebola-affected regions, but she said there was one area for improvement.

In future, volunteers may be required to stay in capital cities, close to testing facilities, during the incubation period.

'That delay, from yesterday one o'clock when the blood was taken to four o'clock this morning when I got the result, is fairly lengthy,' she said.

'It doesn't change anything that happened, everything that was done with this nurse was done absolutely perfectly.'

She rejected suggestions from federal MP Bob Katter that Ms Kovack had put fellow Australians at risk despite her noble humanitarian intentions.

'When we think about it, she knows more than anyone what are the risk factors for Ebola virus disease, what are the symptoms, what you need to do and what you need to look out for,' she said.

- AAP
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-...d-health--extremely-cautious--on-ebola_101014

 

[Ozlady]

This is dated Sept 11th, he has already been cleared.

There is a second case in the Gold Coast Hospital. This one sounds more serious.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13930620000423

TEHRAN (FNA)- A 25-year-old man has been rushed to an Australian hospital on Thursday after displaying symptoms of the Ebola virus, health officials said.

The man, who fell seriously ill after returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland about 7:40 am by paramedics wearing full protective gear, Xinhua reported.

Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service acting Chief Executive Damian Green confirmed in a statement that the man was put into isolation at the hospital.

"Gold Coast Health can confirm a patient has been transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital after being identified by paramedics as having symptoms of Ebola virus," he said in a statement.

More than 2,200 people have died in an Ebola outbreak from more than 4,200 infections in the African nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria.

 

[Lilbitsnana]

Update:

Qld health 'extremely cautious' on Cairns, Qld. Ebola

Published: 11:56 am, Friday, 10 October 2014

Health authorities are taking an 'extremely cautious' approach towards a far north Queensland nurse cleared of having Ebola virus by initial tests, saying she isn't out of danger yet.

The case of 57-year old nurse Sue-Ellen Kovack, who recently returned to Cairns after a month-long deployment to Sierra Leone with the Red Cross, could trigger a change in national infectious disease guidelines.

Ms Kovack has returned negative initial results but will be monitored in Cairns because she is still within the 21-day incubation period of Ebola.

'If she's got the infection, she'll get sicker,' Queensland's chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young told reporters on Friday.'

'At the moment, she's getting better.'

Ms Kovack's 'low-grade' fever, which prompted her to present to authorities on Thursday morning, had resolved overnight.

But she was still showing other symptoms, Dr Young said.

'She's got a sore throat and is feeling generally a bit unwell, which is a sign of so many other diseases.'

Dr Young again sought to reassure the public that Ebola is a very difficult virus to transmit.

A person can only catch the virus by coming into contact with secretions of an infected person, she said.

Ms Kovack returned to Australia via Casablanca and Dubai, then made her way through Perth and Melbourne to Cairns.

But Dr Young said there was no risk to other passengers because Ms Kovack could not have possibly transmitted the disease.

'We've had confirmation of that, the viral load was so low yesterday that it couldn't be detected.'

Dr Young said she was satisfied with current guidelines on handling specialist aid workers who return from ebola-affected regions, but she said there was one area for improvement.

In future, volunteers may be required to stay in capital cities, close to testing facilities, during the incubation period.

'That delay, from yesterday one o'clock when the blood was taken to four o'clock this morning when I got the result, is fairly lengthy,' she said.

'It doesn't change anything that happened, everything that was done with this nurse was done absolutely perfectly.'

She rejected suggestions from federal MP Bob Katter that Ms Kovack had put fellow Australians at risk despite her noble humanitarian intentions.

'When we think about it, she knows more than anyone what are the risk factors for Ebola virus disease, what are the symptoms, what you need to do and what you need to look out for,' she said.

- AAP
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-...d-health--extremely-cautious--on-ebola_101014

You were right, sb. Austrailian officials handle this so much better than US and seemingly more open about it. Then again, there aren't many countries as secretive as ours anymore.