Editorial: Still wrong Ebola Rx

1.  What does Betsy McCaughey identify as a problem in her commentary?

Beyond more training and more protective gear for hospital staff, the CDC is also encouraging states to designate certain hospitals for Ebola preparation.

2.  What solutions does she offer?

A safer strategy would be to expand capacity at the nation’s four bio-containment hospitals, which have treated Ebola patients successfully without the virus spreading to a single health-care worker.

3.  How does infection expert Sean Kaufman view the CDC’s guidelines for protective gear in treating Ebola patients?

Sean Kaufman, an infection expert at the bio-containment facility that successfully treated Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol (both infected in Africa) and is now treating Vinson, called the guideline “absolutely irresponsible and dead wrong.”

4.  What point did Rep. Michael Burgess make about CDC head Thomas Frieden?

At a House committee hearing last Thursday, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) held up a photo of CDC chief Frieden in Africa wearing a protective suit that covered him head to toe. Burgess compared it to the flimsy guideline that the CDC had issued for nurses and doctors here.

5.  Ms. McCaughey concludes her commentary by recommending: “The best Ebola strategy is to protect our local hospitals, health-care workers and patients by relying on the nation’s bio-containment facilities. That’s what they were built for.”
a) Do you agree with her recommendation?

Yes, I do agree.

b) Ask a parent to read this commentary and answer this question.

My dad does agree, but also suggests that they also help other facilities and not just our local facilities.

Summary Homework: Pit Bull Discrimination Is Never OK -- Especially For A Superhero Therapy Dog

Aladdin is a rescued pit bull and is now a volunteer therapy dog for hospitals, schools, libraries, etc. In April 2013, he arrived at an animal shelter in New Jersey. He was skin and bones with broken legs, a broken tail and several bruises. "He loves dressing up. To him, that's a sign that he's going to work," says his owner, Michele Schaffer-Stevens, who has been caring for Aladdin for about a year and a half now. Michele was called in to look at Aladdin. She took him home to her three children and her three pit bulls. It took Aladdin time to trust and be comfortable around Michele and her children. Obviously Aladdin has been through a history of getting beaten and abuse. 

Michele Schaffer-Stevens recently encountered a disturbing situation at the Virtua due to the breed of the dog they didn't want to have it as a therapy dog. This led to other therapeutic dog owners to refuse to volunteer at the Virtua. For example, "Judy Hutnik, said in an email to other therapy dog owners -- shared with HuffPost -- that her German shepherd Desi will no longer visit the hospital because 'even though Desi and I love volunteering at Virtua, I have decided that doing what is right is more important than all the hard work we have gone through to be a part of Visiting Paws. If loving dogs like Aladdin are not given a fair chance at becoming therapy dogs at Virtua because of their BREED, then Desi and I wish to remove ourselves from the program.'" Another dog owner decided to stop volunteering at the Virtua, "Sometimes you just have to take a stand for what is right. And I have and will continue to share my decision with everyone I know in the therapy dog and rescue community as we cannot allow this to continue." Dogs should not be hated or dislike due to its breed. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/30/pit-bull-therapy-discrimination_n_5901888.html