Tuberculosis Patient

[feddoc]

Not like it hasn't happened before.




Doubt it. If Speaker recorded converstations with his doc that indicate that, then we would have heard them by now. In any case, CDC reports that he was told not to travel.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/06/01/tb.flight/index.html

In this link, and in a report on Neal Boortz' site (as of 01 June), there are statements which indicate that a taped conversation was made during which, allegedly, CDC told his father that there was no risk of contamination to others. Supposedly, Speaker has a tape of CDC telling him not to travel. Again, supposedly, they did this because they felt they had to warn him not to travel to cover their own butts.

http://boortz.com/nuze/index.html

I dunno where the truth lies, probably a mixture of what we hear from both sides. I still wonder...if he was so problematic for others, why has his family tested negative?

This reminds me of the asbestos scare of a few years ago. What some folks don't realize is that only a particulate size of 'X' will pass through the breathing system and cause problems while the rest will be expelled.

 

[HeyJoe]

He said, CDC said

Here's a video of Speaker and his wife explaining their version of events to Diane Sawyer and then come the parents and in-laws also telling their version of events. I'll buy their story that they all went to Greece thinking he wasn't contagious (a case of "Get-to-Weddingitis"), but then their story of once they knew he had the bad type TB, they all obviously conspired to get him back to the US (without at least wearing the mask) knowing full well he was supposed to stay put. With a father-in-law working in TB research for CDC, they had all the knowledge and connections anyone could hope for yet they decided to he had to get back because now his life was so at risk. So now they're so concerned (only for him) that it was worth disregarding directions from CDC to stay put and put everyone within coughing distance at risk (case of "Get-homeitis" or rather "Get to Denveritis"). THe fact he went to Canada and drove to new York seems to indicate he knew he'd be sent where he wanted to go at that point.

Wonder if there's a cost liability issue at play...ie who pays for all the medical care for months in Denver versus if he had stayed in Rome? Who's paying for the effort to track down the hundreds of people he exposed? ...and if any of them contract TB?

 

[HeyJoe]

Here's bit more background on his Naval Academy aspirations and why he left after 2 years. With all that has been revealed so far, it strikes me that they (apparently both father and in-law were present) were told CDC preferred that he didn't travel and they cut a letter the next day. The Speaker clan discusses the meeting and they want to go so they rationalize leaving early! so the letter never had a chance to arrive. Once overseas and upon receipt of a second CDC message revealing seriousness of the TB infection, again the clan doesn't hear what they want to hear so again they conspire to do something else chosing indulgence of self over responsibility. It obviously wasn't him acting alone; the whole clan was in cahoots to get their model citizen and pillar of the community back to the states and to best care known. He wasn't willing to take ANY risks to himself but more than willing to expose hundreds of others. Rant off.