Although there were some health advances in 2014, such as increased hospital standards as a result of the Affordable Care Act and drug giant CVS’s decision to stop selling cigarettes, all was not well in America and other nations.
For example, despite healthcare legislation and reform, many Americans remain uninsured. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been quite busy this year as a result of the Ebola and Influenza outbreaks.
Ebola
Known by the CDC as one of the largest disease outbreaks in history, the Ebola Virus was discovered in March 2014 in West Africa and has since killed more than 7,500 people. This very serious, often deadly disease made national headlines as numerous doctors, nurses and medical supplies were flown across seas to countries such as Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
In September, the first Ebola case was confirmed in the United States by the CDC. Thomas Eric Duncan flew by plane from Liberia to Dallas, TX. and showed no symptoms of the disease upon leaving Liberia. He developed symptoms approximately four days after arriving in the United States. After seeking out medical attention at Texas Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, Duncan died on Oct. 8.
Two days after the death of the U.S.’s first Ebola patient a health care worker, Nina Pham, at Texas Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for Duncan tested positive for Ebola. Since her diagnoses, she has recovered and been discharged. A second health care worker who also provided care for Duncan tested positive for Ebola. Amber Vinson traveled by air from Dallas to Cleveland when she was diagnosed. Since then, she no longer carries the virus and has been discharged.
Health officials said the outbreak of the disease in the U.S. fueled paranoia. According to the CDC, the first week of October flooded in more than 800 calls from concerned Americans. Later that month, President Obama addressed the nation by stating “Here’s the bottom line. Patients can beat this disease. And we can beat this disease. But we have to stay vigilant. We have to work together at every level – federal, state and local. And we have to keep leading the global response, because the best way to stop this disease, the best way to keep Americans safe, is to stop it at its source – in West Africa.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the National Institute of Health (NIH) said the U.S. has created stricter guidelines for those entering the country.
“There are exit screenings at the origin of flights from West Africa to the United States and there is now entry screenings. We’re aggressively working on an accelerated program of trying to determine if the vaccines we have now in clinical trial will turn out to be safe and effective because it is conceivable.”
Influenza Virus
In early December, Flu.gov, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services stated that based on early data, the upcoming Influenza Virus (flu) season was predicted to be severe. In 2014, the way in which the flu virus changes has impacted the U.S. like never before. Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC said this year’s flu vaccine isn’t as effective due to the mutation of the current virus.
“We could have a season that is more severe than most with more hospitalizations and more deaths,” said Frieden.
Fifty-two percent of the 85 samples collected and analyzed from Oct.1 to Nov. 22 were a different strain than the traditional flu. The most common strand is H3N2.
By mid-December, Director of the Marion County Public Health Department, Dr. Virginia Caine, began restricting hospital visitation.
“The flu is a contagious virus that can cause significant illness and, in certain cases, lead to hospitalization or death,” said Dr. Caine. “These restrictions serve as a necessary step to help protect patients, visitors and hospital staff from exposure to the flu virus.”
A release from the Marion County Public Health Department stated, “From Nov. 30 through Dec. 6, Marion County reported 2.69 percent of all hospital emergency department visits countywide, or 291 total visits, with the chief complaint of influenza-like illness (ILI). This is compared to 1.04 percent of emergency department visits, 107 total, for ILI during the same week in 2013.”
Although vaccinations are said to not be as effective as past years, patients are still encouraged to receive the vaccine. The Indiana State Department of Health provides a weekly update on flu activity at in.gov.
For more information on Ebola and the seasonal flu, visit cdc.gov or flu.gov.
