The first lawsuit that I'm aware of concerning the Ebola outbreak got its start recently.
The last person who was being monitored for signs of Ebola, was officially released from quarantine today. The worker who was being watched, was a member of the hospital staff who had contact with contaminated waste material.
More information on both under the squiggly shepherd's crook virus.
A lawsuit was filed last week. A US surgeon, Hrayr Shahinian, filed the $500 million suit as a class-action. The lead attorney says that the surgical gowns, made by Kimberly-Clark, had failed industry tests that belied the manufacturer's claim that the gowns would shield people from blood, body fluids and microorganisms. The attorney states that Kimberly-Clark continued to claim that the gowns were impervious to Ebola and other infectious diseases, when it knew that that claim was false. Kimberly-Clark has marketed millions of gowns and theoretically could have exposed numerous health care workers to the risk of exposure.
At one point Texas Health Presbyterian was using the gowns but it's not known if they were worn by Pham and Vinson the two nurses who became infected with Ebola. The CDC has also purchased these gowns.
The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court, alleges that the multinational company knew for at least a year that its Microcool Breathable High Performance Surgical Gown had failed industry tests of impermeability to blood and microbes, but it continued to claim the product provided the highest level of protection against diseases including Ebola.
Many of the gowns tested had "catastrophic" failures, according to the lawsuit, which called Kimberly-Clark's actions "utterly reprehensible."
"We are aware of individuals that have contracted various diseases while wearing the gown, but we are not at liberty to disclose what those are at the present time," said Michael Avenatti, the lead attorney in the case.
Avenatti said the Texas hospital where two nurses contracted Ebola once stocked the gowns but he didn't know whether those workers or an infected nursing assistant in Spain had worn them.
"We are still investigating," he said.
Kimberly Clark says that it stands behind i"the safety and efficacy" of its product. A spokesperson for Kimberly-Clark would not comment because of the ongoing litigation.
http://abcnews.go.com/...
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In Dallas there was a low-key announcement that the final worker who was being monitored following an Ebola exposure, was released. Apparently the media doesn't think that there's a story behind the success at quarantining Ebola and ending the outbreak. The sense of relief and triumph that the residents of Dallas must be feeling, isn't worth covering with more than a few sentences.
Of course, the elections are over, too. So perhaps Ebola isn't as newsworthy. as it was prior to November 4th. Though we still do have an Ebola patient in the hospital and a few people undergoing various levels of quarantine. We're still checking arrivals at airports, we still have quarantine regulations in place in some states, the epidemic is raging in West Africa, some people are still demanding travel restrictions. But seems like a lot of the hysteria has decreased drastically in just a few days. Or is that just me?
Congratulations, Dallas!
“We feel very comfortable that everyone who could have been exposed to Ebola has been monitored and found to be asymptomatic,” said Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.
“No one is under investigation now,” he added.
The outbreak is ending without the swarming mass of media representatives who flocked to Dallas in late September, when the first Ebola case was diagnosed in the United States.
Instead of calling a media briefing, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins simply put out a statement Thursday acknowledging that the Ebola episode was ending. He had been the calming voice throughout the outbreak as local officials tried to reduce public panic.
“Thanksgiving comes early to Dallas County because … we are Ebola-free,” Jenkins’ statement said. “It continues to be a time of healing for those most affected and they stay in my thoughts and prayers.”
http://www.dallasnews.com/...