TB Andy And His TB
Posted by Slobokan @ 14:27 · 287 words · print
The headline today is a bit misleading.
TB patient does not have most dangerous form
While it's true that Andrew Speaker does not have the "extensively" drug-resistant strain (XDR), he does, in fact, still have a multi-drug resistant strain of the disease (MDR TB).
The U.S. tuberculosis patient who set off international alarms after fleeing across borders does not have the most dangerous form of TB but instead a strain that is easier to treat, his doctors said on Tuesday.
Oh yeah, and it's still very dangerous, and fatal.
Nonetheless, Daley said Speaker has a serious condition and it is important to track down anyone he may have infected.
"It is fatal," he said. "MDR TB is very difficult to treat. The cure rate is nowhere near what we would expect with just standard TB therapy."
The wise and educated Mr. Speaker, who endangered thousands of people by disregarding every warning presented to him, states that he hopes "this news helps to calm the fears of people".
Why would it? While it's true he didn't have the XDR strain, he still exposed thousands of people to the MDR strain which is also fatal.
"From the international panic that was created after my misdiagnosis and the way my case was handle, I can only hope that this news helps to calm the fears of people who were on the flights with me," Speaker said in the statement.
And just for the record. The only reason his family's "reputation, ability to make a living, and good name" have been affected is because he and his family ignored warnings from health officials and he and his wife ran like fugitives when he was asked to quarantine himself.
Posted In: Hebetude
Posted by FlyingWhileAKnucklehead
July 7, 2007 @ 21:35
Very well said. But some of the staff at that Denver hospital are bending backward to make him happy, e.g. a doctor from National Jewish Hospital claimed that MDR TB is much easier to treat than XDR TB, when in reality both are very, very bad news. Also a doctor read another one of Andy's statements to the press, as if we haven't already heard enough from TB Andy.
What is it with every hospital that TB Andy has contact with, they all are walking on eggshells with this guy. He's already talked about suing, but whom could he possibly have reason to sue? Only one person: himself.