Ebola Crisis Update

Ebola moves into crisis mode with revelations from nurses about hospital procedures

With the Ebola virus moving into crisis mode, a nurses' union has cataloged a list of failures at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, and President Barack Obama has convened a meeting of his team to coordinate the government's response to the Ebola outbreak.

A second Texas Health Presbyterian nurse, Amber Joy Vinson, tested positive for Ebola on Tuesday, the day after she flew back to Dallas from Cleveland, where she had traveled for the weekend. There were 132 passengers on her October 13 return flight, Frontier Airlines flight 1143, from Cleveland to Dallas-Fort Worth.

Meanwhile, National Nurses United, the nation's largest nurses' union, held a press conference on October 14 to announce a series of protocol failures during the care of the first patient, Thomas Eric Duncan.

The union organized a group phone call in which healthcare workers shared the procedures in an anonymous manner, so that they would not be subject to discipline by their employers.

According to union spokeswoman RoseAnn DeMoro, Duncan was left for hours in the emergency room with up to seven other patients before being put in isolation. Supervisors walked in and out of his room without protective gear. Some of the protective gear left caregivers' heads, necks and lower legs exposed.

DeMoro also said that Duncan's lab specimens were transported through the hospital's pneumatic tube system instead of being handled separately, which potentially contaminated the entire system. Some nurses who treated Duncan were allowed to do other patient care duties even though Duncan produced "copious amounts of diarrhea and vomiting."

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that it is considering moving Vinson to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Although Vinson was not experiencing symptoms at the time of her flight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking all passengers to call 1-800-CDC-INFO. Among the passengers were three students from Belton.

"After 1 pm EST, public health professionals will begin interviewing passengers about the flight, answering their questions and arranging follow-up," the agency said in a statement. "Individuals who are determined to be at any potential risk will be actively monitored."

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Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill to legalize marijuana

Redheaded Blackbelt

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Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana