People Are Now Apparently Faking Ebola To Get Faster Medical Treatment

[KamaAina]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/woman-fakes-ebola_n_6003744.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000618

Authorities in Columbus, Ohio, received a call around 9 p.m. Thursday, according to NBC's WCMH, claiming a local woman was suffering from Ebola-like symptoms. ABC's WSYX reported it was also claimed the woman had recently traveled to West Africa, where the Ebola outbreak has lead to almost 9,000 cases and 4,500 deaths.

Hazmat crews were sent to the woman's home, and she was taken to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Isolation Unit, Columbus' WBNS reported....

Jose Rodriguez of Columbus Public Health said the woman did not exhibit Ebola symptoms and had not traveled to West Africa, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Tracy Smith, a battalion chief with the local Fire Division, said the woman may have devised the story because she "simply wanted faster treatment for a different illness."...

“The more widespread the tragedy, the more attention it gets in the press over a long period of time, the more likely it is that powerless individuals will see a way of establishing control in the worst kinds of ways,” Jack Levin, a criminologist at Northeastern University and author of many books about violence, previously told The Huffington Post. He said more Ebola hoaxes will likely happen in the coming months.

[Journeyman]

1. If provable, charge 'em for the extra services and get their insurance to deny the claim. . .

That'd cure that particular sickness.

[KamaAina]

2. If they have insurance

that is.

[liberal_at_heart]

5. well maybe if we had a decent health care system people wouldn't feel the need to fake it.

[Skittles]

11. the gal is a private contractor for the pentagon

just so you are aware

[Hoyt]

3. Pull out a big fat needle . . . . . . .

[Fred Sanders]

4. The American media is laughing all the way to the bank and is oblivious to the damage they are

causing by their fear mongering and science denial.

[Ykcutnek]

6. Quarantine 'em all for 20-some days, waiting until day 19 to read the test results.

That will nip this in the bud pretty quickly.

[Cali_Democrat]

7. That's what happens when you have a for-profit healthcare system

Obamacare is good, but it's only a start.

We need single payer eventually.

[liberal_at_heart]

8. I have to laugh at some of these responses. Should we get out the pitchforks and hunt this person

down? First the ebola victims themselves were the villains for flying. Then the nurses were the villain for flying. Now someone needing medical attention and fakes ebola so they can get the medical attention they should be receiving without having to fake ebola. Just how many villains are we going to make out of this story? Geez, people sure can be vindictive when they are scared.

[Skittles]

10. do you relieve all people of responsibility to behave in a reasonable manner?

I am not SCARED but people behaving like idiots is maddening AND NO I DON'T THINK THE CDC DO NO WRONG which I assume will be your assumption

[frazzled]

9. A person--not "people"

This article instantiates only one person who pretended to have ebola, and gave no indication that anyone else has done this. It just says that people tend to do stuff like this during health crises.

But, what do you expect from the madcap headline editors at Huffington Post (oops, I don't even think they have editors). They're hyping the hoax story even as they accuse the media of hyping the ebola story.

[jimlup]

12. this has got to be the most freakout of freakouts the

repuks have had lately.

It is hard to tell from here but I would hope that observers would be able to precieve this childish freakout for what it is.