Joe Doakes emails from Como Park:
I had an appointment at Health Partners yesterday. First question the receptionist asked: “Have you traveled outside the country in the last two weeks?”
Why does it matter if I went anywhere? I live in Minnesota, home to the largest tuberculosis outbreak in the nation, centered in the Hmong population, and the largest measles outbreak in the nation, centered in the Somali population. There’s nothing to stop somebody from Madagascar, home to the largest outbreak of antibiotic resistant plague in the world, from coming here and bringing the disease along.
I don’t need to travel outside the country to encounter deadly infectious disease. I have free delivery, all over town. And if I don’t like it, the Governor said I can leave.
Joe Doakes
Ayep.
I bet they’re guessing you don’t have close contact with the populations you mention–the reality of ethnic enclaves means that though there may be epidemics in those enclaves, the rest of us are far less likely to be infected. I’ve learned lately that even in Rochester, we’ve got sub-populations that are actually afraid to go into adjacent neighborhoods because of the racial and ethnic rivalries.
Fight the overly idealistic stupidity about immigration. It’s everywhere. http://bit.ly/2zMcswW
You are very right, Joe. The subtext here is even more disturbing. The business of asking about overseas travel started in earnest during the Ebola virus scare. Health Partners (and it is not the only entity doing this) shouldn’t be asking receptionists to obtain medical histories. The medical provider (usually an MD, but not always) should be the one asking that question, as well as any related ones. My suspicion is that the Federal overloads of medicine will impose sanctions on any clinic not asking the question, therefore it defaults to the clerical class to ask and record the answer. You might be coming in because of a sprained ankle and you get asked an irrelevant question.
This was directed by the CDC, Joe (et.al.) during the scare about Ebola (as golfdoc) notes. To be clear, one of the loudest panicky voices was that of our President.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/trump-ebola-tweets/
You may not like MotherJones, I get that, but it IS what Trump tweated. So, Joe, if you want to look for a source of the Ebola panic, look no further than Tweeter-in-Chief. That’s why you got asked the question.
As far as the measles outbreak, isn’t it mostly the right-wing which is advancing the untrue, fully discredited meme from a disgraced doctor that vaccinations cause autism? Are you suggesting vaccination for poorer people in the US or at least vaccination for those who have family who have recently immigrated?
It seems to me your post is rather ham-fistedly anti-immigrant, pointing out the origin when it’s needless. The fact that these happened in the MN is all that mattered, or what point are you trying to say by pointing out that it was in the Somali community or that Tuberculosis is in the Hmong community. Is it possible that they simply are a tight-knit community, is that a bad thing? What about the fact that they are Hmong or Somali is relevant here?
Also, Joe, the measles outbreak ended in August.
Pardon me, Pen, but it strikes me that every time I give blood–and I am the owner of 16 gallon pins that I’ve earned–I am reminded of a nice little parasite that causes Chagas’ disease. Significant time spent in the tropics, especially away from the ocean and away from mosquito control programs, can result in one’s deferral as a donor.
In the same way, most of the ~ 160k deaths per year from measles are among those from the tropics, and, AHEM, just because the outbreak ended in August doesn’t mean squat. Epidemics naturally play themselves out simply because people get the immunity they’ve refused by getting the disease–while many around them whose immunity is insufficient (vaccines are not 100%) suffer the consequences.
So yes, the origins of the diseases, and the people that carry them, matter. We used to recognize this and require vaccination for those showing signs of a disease, or we would outright send them back. This is as it should be–we have enough disease in this country without importing it!