Communicable Disease and Homeland Security: An Assessment of the US 2014 Ebola Incident

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 775-791
Author(s):  
Eric R. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Individual Rights ◽  
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Infected People ◽  
The Us ◽  
Policies And Practices

Abstract During October 2014, the US experienced several cases of Ebola viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF). These occurrences arose from infected people entering the US including as well, physicians and nurses contracting the disease in the course of rendering medical care to the infected. The extent of the outbreak, as limited as it fortunately was, revealed problems in preparedness and the technical protocols followed in dealing with such a virulent disease pathogen. It may even serve as a warning that US policies and practices in dealing with hyper-infectious and seriously communicable disease have fallen short and require technically critical reassessment in how the US should or may need to respond to such incurable pathogens that enter the country, regardless if a natural or a terrorist mediated event. The issue of individual rights against quarantine also arises. This paper offers examination and suggestions for official responses to safeguard the health and rights of all.

scholarly journals Performance of national COVID-19 ‘symptom checkers’: a comparative case simulation study

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. e100187
Author(s):  
Fatma Mansab ◽  
Sohail Bhatti ◽  
Daniel Goyal
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Simulation Study ◽  
Bacterial Pneumonia ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Basic Tenet ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Case Simulation ◽  
Pandemic Response ◽  
Key Features

ObjectivesIdentifying those individuals requiring medical care is a basic tenet of the pandemic response. Here, we examine the COVID-19 community triage pathways employed by four nations, specifically comparing the safety and efficacy of national online ‘symptom checkers’ used within the triage pathway.MethodsA simulation study was conducted on current, nationwide, patient-led symptom checkers from four countries (Singapore, Japan, USA and UK). 52 cases were simulated to approximate typical COVID-19 presentations (mild, moderate, severe and critical) and COVID-19 mimickers (eg, sepsis and bacterial pneumonia). The same simulations were applied to each of the four country’s symptom checkers, and the recommendations to refer on for medical care or to stay home were recorded and compared.ResultsThe symptom checkers from Singapore and Japan advised onward healthcare contact for the majority of simulations (88% and 77%, respectively). The USA and UK symptom checkers triaged 38% and 44% of cases to healthcare contact, respectively. Both the US and UK symptom checkers consistently failed to identify severe COVID-19, bacterial pneumonia and sepsis, triaging such cases to stay home.ConclusionOur results suggest that whilst ‘symptom checkers’ may be of use to the healthcare COVID-19 response, there is the potential for such patient-led assessment tools to worsen outcomes by delaying appropriate clinical assessment. The key features of the well-performing symptom checkers are discussed.

scholarly journals Stampidine prevents mortality in an experimental mouse model of viral hemorrhagic fever caused by lassa virus

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatih M Uckun ◽  
Alexander S Petkevich ◽  
Alexei O Vassilev ◽  
Heather E Tibbles ◽  
Leonid Titov
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Model ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Lassa Virus ◽  
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Experimental Mouse Model ◽  
Experimental Mouse

Evidence-Based Patient Decontamination: An Integral Component of Mass Exposure Chemical Incident Planning and Response

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam D. Leary ◽  
Michael D. Schwartz ◽  
Mark A. Kirk ◽  
Joselito S. Ignacio ◽  
Elaine B. Wencil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Chemical Toxicity ◽  
Department Of Homeland Security ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
The Us ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Health Demands

AbstractDecontaminating patients who have been exposed to hazardous chemicals can directly benefit the patients’ health by saving lives and reducing the severity of toxicity. While the importance of decontaminating patients to prevent the spread of contamination has long been recognized, its role in improving patient health outcomes has not been as widely appreciated. Acute chemical toxicity may manifest rapidly—often minutes to hours after exposure. Patient decontamination and emergency medical treatment must be initiated as early as possible to terminate further exposure and treat the effects of the dose already absorbed. In a mass exposure chemical incident, responders and receivers are faced with the challenges of determining the type of care that each patient needs (including medical treatment, decontamination, and behavioral health support), providing that care within the effective window of time, and protecting themselves from harm. The US Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Homeland Security have led the development of national planning guidance for mass patient decontamination in a chemical incident to help local communities meet these multiple, time-sensitive health demands. This report summarizes the science on which the guidance is based and the principles that form the core of the updated approach. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1–7)

Dengue Fever: A Viral Hemorrhagic Fever of Global Concern

2020 ◽  
pp. 99-163
Author(s):  
Bennet Angel ◽  
Neelam Yadav ◽  
Jagriti Narang ◽  
Annette Angel ◽  
Vinod Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Dengue Fever ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Global Concern

scholarly journals EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION: AT ZERO HOUR

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-23
Author(s):  
V. Balamuralidhara ◽  
Vaishnav A.M. ◽  
Bachu V. ◽  
Pramod Kumar T.M.
Keyword(s):  
Homeland Security ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Test Device ◽  
Department Of Homeland Security ◽  
The Public ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Us Fda

The Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) authority plays a vital role in US FDA. They provide the authority/permission to use the unregistered products/registered product with unregistered route to treat the life threatening damages to the patients in world in some emergency conditions. The aim of this work is to give an overview on EUA in life threatening conditions and there challenges in getting the permissions under regulations with example of E-bola virus. The e-bola is a virus. It is a hemorrhagic fever deadly disease caused by one of the E-bola viral strain, which is wide spread in West Africa. The -Secretary of the Department of homeland security (DHS), determined, pursuant to section 319F-2 of the Public Health Service Act, that the Ebola virus presents a material threat against the United States population sufficient to affect national security. Issuance of EUA by the FDA Commissioner requires several steps under section 564 of the FD&C Act. The FDA Commissioner, can only issue the EUA, if criteria for issuance under the statute are met. This study’s highlights the importance of the EUA in emergency when there is no medicine for disease/virus in the world. For example the FDA has issued a EUA to use the ReEBOV which is the Rapid Antigen Test device designed by Lusys lab co. Pvt. Ltd. for detecting the Zaire Ebola virus.

The Securitization of the US–Canada Border in American Political Discourse

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 929-951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark B. Salter ◽  
Geneviève Piché
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Homeland Security ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Prevention Act ◽  
The Us ◽  
Copenhagen School ◽  
Intelligence Reform ◽  
Securitization Theory ◽  
Security Games ◽  
Terrorism Prevention

Abstract. In this paper, the authors analyze the empirical process of securitization of the US–Canada border and then reflect on the model proposed by the Copenhagen School. We argue that securitization theory oversimplifies the political process of securitizing moves and audience acceptance. Rather than attributing securitization to a singular speaker addressing a specific audience, we present overlapping and ongoing language security games performed by varying relevant actors during the key period between the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) in December 2004 and the signing of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) in June 2005, showing how multiple speakers participate in the continuing construction of a context in which this issue is increasingly treated as a matter of security. We also explore the language adopted by participants in the field, focusing on an expert panel convened by the Homeland Security Institute. We conclude that in the securitization of the US–Canada border there are inconsistencies between truth and discourse, as well as significant distinctions between official and bureaucratic discourses, further emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive model of securitization.Résumé. Dans cet article, les auteurs font l'analyse du processus empirique de la sécurisation de la frontière Canado-Américaine à travers la réflexion sur le modèle proposé par l'École de Copenhague. Nous soutenons que cette théorie de sécurisation simplifie trop le processus politique de son initiation et de l'acceptation de l'auditeur. Au lieu d'attribuer la sécurisation à un orateur, s'adressant à un public particulier, nous présentons les jeux de langage continuels effectués par plusieurs acteurs pendant la période suivant la Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) en décembre 2004, jusqu'à l'approbation de la Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) en juin 2005. Nous maintenons que plusieurs orateurs participent dans la construction continuelle du contexte dans lequel l'affaire est de plus en plus comprise dans le cadre de sécurité. Nous explorons aussi le langage employé par les participants dans le champ, observant surtout un groupe d'experts convoqué au Homeland Security Institute. Nous concluons que dans le cas de la sécurisation de la frontière Canado-Américaine il existe des incohérences entre le discours et le réel, ainsi que des distinctions significatives entre les discours officiels et bureaucratiques, mettant l'accent sur l'importance d'un modèle compréhensif de sécurisation.

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