I think the US should have done more to help out the TB patient. Anyone else feel this way?

Question

I was reading the story on the guy who came back to the US with a terrible case of TB. It sounds like he was just trying to get home to get help.

According to the story, The CDC told him to stay there when they contacted him about the severity of his TB. I think they should have done more to bring him home. Possibly they should have arranged travel for him in a "germ safe" environment as to not to infect the other passengers.

I thought one of the jobs of the government was to protect our citizens. We are blowing all these billions of dollars in Iraq but can't care of our own.

Answer 1

What? The idiot ignored doctor and his new father-in law works for the CDC. Super idiot in my opinion.

Health officials said the man had been advised not to fly and knew he could expose others when he boarded the jets. He had a supply of masks to wear for the protection of other passengers, but it is not clear whether he donned them, Cetron said.

The man told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that doctors did not order him not to fly and only suggested he put off his long-planned wedding. He knew he had a form of tuberculosis and that it was resistant to commonly used drugs, but he did not realize until he was already in Europe that it could be so dangerous, he said.

"We headed off to Greece thinking every thing's fine," he told the newspaper. The newspaper did not identify him at his request, because of the stigma attached to his diagnosis.

He flew to Paris on May 12 aboard Air France Flight 385, also listed as Delta Air Lines code share Flight 8517.

He and his bride took then took four more flights within Europe, flying from Paris to Athens on May 14; from Athens to Thira Island on May 16; from Mykonos Island to Athens on May 21; and from Athens to Rome on May 21.

Answer 2

what that man did was just as irresponsible as a person with an std going around having unprotected sex. he has a drug resistant form of TB. That means there is a good chance he had TB before and did not follow his doctors orders by taking the antibiotics properly. Now the TB has built up an immunity to the medications. TB can kill you if it is not treated. I feel horrible for anyone he came in contact with and potentially infected. Including his wife. I hope he did not kiss her at their wedding.

I am taking back what I wrote earlier. I just watched the interview with Diane Sawyer. It sounds like he truely did not know he was at risk. I think maybe the CDC is so confused about all these new superbugs coming down the pike they do not know what to do either. If they really wanted him back in the US they should have made a way for it to happen. What else was he going to do? Walk home? To some extent the CDC should be held responsible.

Answer 3

Sorry but I can't agree with you.
Prior to his having gone to Europe his doctors had discovered the disease and advised him not to travel as he should receive immediate treatment. There was a concern that he may infect others with this horrible disease.
Once they realized he had gone to Europe the CDC advised folks there. He was found and detained however he left and found a flight to Canada as he could not fly american or european airlines as he had been marked for detention.
Once in Canada he rented a car a drove across the boarder where a border agent let him pass even though he knew the man was to be detained.
Seems to me his doctors and the CDC as well as some law enforcement folks all tried to help this guy but he did not want help.
Frankly the man did not care that he could pass this disease on to may people and possibly have one of them die.
He should be jailed rather than quarantined in a very good hospital for treatment.
Incidentally his father works for the CDC and the boarder guard has been disciplined.

Answer 4

I agree even posted a question about anyone else thinking the way he's being treated is wrong!

Regardless of the outbound flight - weather they really told him to stay or merely implied it -- the govt could have provided travel back to the US for him and his family. There are Navy bases and at least one Army base in Italy (several more in Europe!) where they could have arranged a flight or even for quarrantine at Landsthul until he could be flown home. I thnk a lot of this is hype and a way to facilitate further governmental control in personal lives. Scary.

Even the docs on tv are saying he's no more contagious than the flu at this point and are optimistic about his treatment since it was caught this early.

Answer 5

The passengers on that plane should file a class action lawsuit against him and possibly the airline.

Answer 6

He went through hell just to get back home; and then they want to keep you locked up like a prisoner in quarantine with a lock on the outside of the door...