What do you think of the attorney with TB who ignored doctors’ warnings not to fly on commercial flights?
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009 at
4:38 pm
Does it make you any more nervous to fly now not knowing what you’re being exposed to and having to rely on other people’s common sense?
Had read extensive about the case involving the litigation lawyer who had contracted a rather resistant strain of TB, or Tuberculosis, then flied to Europe for Honeymoon and then returned to US despite of the warning of not to return so to prevent further spread of the germ.
To summarazie his behavior in one word: SELFISH.
It was a rather tragic series of event for those involved, all from a selfish act of this one man who was supposed to be educated and actually probably had sound advice from his father-in-law, ironically a CDC (Center for Disease Control) specialist on TB. My sympathy for those who were exposed to this bacteria. It also illustrated how fragile our world was and how a disease could easily and quickly be spread globally quickly through act of a few individuals.
I would know. As a medical professional, I was exposed to this bacteria before and am constantly exposed to various pathogens day in and day out in my line of work. I also would know. As a physician, I am currently treating a guy who was just diagnosed with active TB 2 weeks ago.
Tuberculosis is a major health concern for years. Due to the lack of vaccination, the ease of spread, the undetectible nature of early diseases, and the difficulty in the treatment, it had been a headache for medical professionals for years. Over last 50 years, we had the antibiotis to at least get some control of the disease. It was on the blink of elimination at least in this country until the 80’s when AIDS became a major problem, and with AIDS came TB. It was further fueled by the use of illicit drugs. At present, TB could be found in certain populations in US, primarily in the jail system, where drug use and AIDS were not uncommon.
The problem of this particular case involving the Atlanta lawyer was that he had traveled, despite of warning not to, not just once but twice to multiple countries. During his travels, he probably had encountered a large number of unsuspecting individuals, each at various probability of contracting the disease. You would have to consider everything from the person’s age and health status as well as the place and length of exposure, as well as what our fine lawyer was doing at the time – coughing a storm in an enclosed cabin of the airplane , running on treadmill in the gym, kissing cute kids on the street, etc.
I found it rather ironic and actually almost hysterical that, first, this particular patient was not just a lawyer but a litigation lawyer and, second, his father-in-law is the CDC expert in TB. What was the chance of that ever happening in the world, one would wonder.
I would hate to say it, but this particular litigation lawyer probably would be suing the victims of the exposure were he representing them in the courtroom. Why not? To sue a rather wealthy lawyer who obviously had enough money for a long honeymoon in Greek Island and with a good chance of winning some money would be every trial lawyer’s dream. I could even imaging his advertisement in local Atlanta newspaper as well as on late night televisions and even internet advertising for such lawsuit.
Why not?
For one, he had done something malicious. He had knowingly exposed a large number of people to a rather deadly disease with difficult to treat regimen. What about his claim that he was never told he could not leave on airplane? I seriously doubt that. One might ask, why would the US border patrol be placed on alert for a rather innocent case of infection? My patient with TB certainly was nowhere on the alert list. Such list would be for diseases CDC was concerned about, and they obviously was concerned about this case long before it had arrived onto the scene. Besides, it would be awfully stupid for his father-in-law not to advise this lawyer what to do. I am pretty sure that the in-law would say something like, you guys should hold off on the wedding until your disease is treated and you are safe to go on to the wedding. As far as I am concerned, the father-in-law had dual role. As the expert in TB prevention, he would know better to let someone with active TB with potential of spread to leave the country in public transportation. A misjudgement such as that may cost his job as well as his reputation, not mention sacred lives of many people and the authority of CDC. He would never risk that. As the father of the girl who was to marry this man with TB, it would be safe to assume that he had given better advice for this guy than alleged. There had to be a whole lot of story we are not told. Where was the alleged "tape" of conversation between the Speakers family and the CDC on permission to leave? Where was his medical chart? There were too many unanswered questions at present. Nonetheless, as far as I was concern, the lawyer lied.
For two, the lawyer lied further when he entered both France and Canada. With my recent trip to China, I would know that, before unboarding the plane and going through immigration of each country, a health declaration form had to be filled out stating whether one might have contagious disease. A "Yes" answer would no doubt initiated quarantine until the disease was proven not to be a threat to the population. While there were no such form for each country in Europe, there certainly had to be one filled out in Paris airport and another at Montreal airport. We know he lied, because he was freely let go not once but twice. The man who was supposed to be defending the truth the law – a lawyer – flatly lied.
Thirdly, the lawyer lied yet again. He exhibited the most selfish behavior by leaving to go to a wedding. Why could he not chance his wedding somewhere in US? Then, while in Rome, he was scared that he might die if he were to remain outside US, and that was why he wanted to return. While it was known that he did know about the resistance of TB until he was in Rome under house arrest, surely he did not expect any other form was TB to be that much less serious. Why would most of the CDC knew about this case, with files showing the father-in-law was more extnsively involved than previously suspected? He lied.
Fourthly, where did this guy get this resistant form for TB? If I were to get TB, this certainly would not be the form I was likely to contract. There had to be some major answering needed to be done.
Lastly, the lawyer apologized. Wow. To apologize after wuch malicious act and expect forgiveness would be like having someone apologize to a victim after stabbing him repeatedly. It was a simple ploy to get public sympathy and nothing more. I doubt that he truely mean what he said. The victims would be angry, scared, with their lives disrupted and had to worry about not only their own health but also possibly further spreading this disease to their loved ones. There would be no monetary compensation for that. To expect a simple apology would make things better would be foolish.
My conclusion was that this guy was guilty of harming all those people, not just on the airplane but in Europe. What about the poor border patrol who allowed him back in US from Canada and ended up losing his job? Who would be responsible for that? My answer: The lawyer. What about the cost of the TB testing for all those exposed as well as cost of medical bills – from doctor’s visits to treatment for the anxiety and prophylaxis? My answer: The lawyer. And if someone did come down with TB either here in US or in Europe, who would be responsible? The lawyer.
However, all that was not as importnat as what this case illustrated. With the advant of global traveling, it would be easy for a disease to be spread from one part of the world to another. The lawyer’s behavior was typical of someone with such disease – to run away as far as possible for his own preservation – in his case, to run from Rome where he would be safely quarantined so not to further expose other people, to Prague where he could board the plane to Montreal, then drive back across the border all the way down to US before his capture and eventual placement in the facility in Denver. You could expect someone to behave the same way with other diseases.
That was why the CDC Quarantine policy was necessary. As much as controversy on the legality of the power to quarantine someone by such agency as well as depriving someone of their right to the court system, let’s face it, the legal system took way too long. It would be weeks or even months before the court would issue such rule. On top of that, you would naturally expect that patient to appeal, and this could go on for months. At the mean time, a large number of people might be exposed, and the disease would be out of control. CDC should retain the right to quarantine any suspecting individuals, provided that their case be reviewed by multiple physicians as soon as possible to estalibhs whether the individial might pose a threat to public health.
Remember SARS? It had affect China primarily but also affected Hong Kong and Taiwan and a few other Asian nations. I remembered SARS and how scary it was. I read the stories of people dying – father, children, commoners, medical professionals, all affected, all dying. During that time, there was a case of possible SARS in the neighboring hospital – someone who had left the airplane in Houston with SARS symptoms and immediately taken to the neighboring hospital and placed in isolation. I knew the infectious disease specialist on that case and had heard extensive on the care, because I was concerned that my hospital might have to take on other potential SARS patients should the occasion arised. It was fortunate that SARS never had a foothold in US. Part of the success was the aggressive policy placed on all passenger from east Asia. We were lucky.
However, what about other diseases? Ebola? Genetically engineered Smallpox? Anthrax? Plague?
Plague, of course, returned to the book I recently read on my vacation. Within the book, it had discussed possible small pockets around the world where there may be highly contagious form of plague withint Asia and Russia. It also mentioned that, during the Cold War, the Soviet government had considered studying it as a biological weapon. So, how easy would it be for someone to travel from Russia to Europe and then to US, infection the entire plane and then the entire American Continent? Or perhaps it could enter through China then West Coast? The Black Death in 1300’s illustrated how easily this disease could spread through the whole world, so why not drug resistant TB or Ebola or SARS or whatever other disease we might encounter?
And through the few selfish invidivual, 70-80 percent of human population could be wiped out.
That’s the ramification of this selfish behavior.
OMG!!! That’s so wierd, and so like…..Life, wow that’s such and eye-opener! Thanx
He should have to pay for them finding the other people on the plane and any other expenses that his poor choice caused!!! Then put him in jail for endangering the lives of many people!!! If everyone would quit being so selfish and only thinking of themselves it would be a better world!!!
JERK!
I’ll already knew the air in planes was deadly, but this IS a bit much. This isn’t about common sense, it is about good citizenship. Risking the exposure of so many people goes beyond good common sense into the realm of irresponsibility. I hope his local bar association has a frank discussion with him.
Oh, it’s getting worse! The jerk is a lawyer???
I think the people on the planes should sue him. Also the border corssing guard between Canada and the U.S. should sue him. And anyone he came into contact on his trip should sue him (any one at restaurants or anything).
Obviously, we can’t allow people who have been identified as having a communicable disease (dangerous strain) to make their own decision about whether or not they will act in the best interest of everyone else.
He should sue himself.
Didn’t he see that episode of "House?"
And it’s not just TB we need to worry about. If they think anyone on an airplane has something infectious, like meningitis, they will guarantied the whole plane.
And the air is recirculated, so anyone’s germs gets spread all over the plane.
DON’T FLY IF YOU ARE SICK!
well, i don’t view him as bad as the parents of the little mcann girl that still have their other two children and are still walking around without any charges aganist them.but,then i’m kinda strange that way.i feel more for a poor defenseless child.
when I first heard this I was stunned and very pissed off. I think this man is extremely selfish and extremely ignorant. I am a frequent flier and do understand that a lot of times the planes are germ pools but to have something so serious and know about it but still continue with your plans regardless of what risk you put the public in, well I think the man should be jailed. It is bad enough normal, healthy adults may have been exposed to this virus but I am praying that no children have been exposed or someone with a compromised immune system. These are innocent bystanders and if someone did contract it from this man and ends up dying from it, well I believe this man should be charged with murder. It should be no different than a person who knows they have HIV and sleeping with another person unprotected and that person not know that they were being exposed. People have gone to prison for a long time for that. No difference in the situations in my mind.
we get exposed to people with diseases all the time that they may or may not be aware of. does that mean that they can’t board buses along with the healthy people or that they have to walk on the other side of the street?
TB is a treatable disease. Some people do not get treatment because of the stigma that is attached to it. They don’t seek help because they are afraid people would treat them negatively if their condition is known.
The solution is not to ban sick people from services that would have been available if they were not sick. the solution is to provide health care for all so that whatever condition we may have, we can cure it. whatever infection we can pass on, we can treat and stop the spread. whatever we don’t even have, we can prevent ourselves from ever contracting.
the solution lies not in excluding the sick but including them in our efforts to make everyone’s lives healthier and better.
they should burn him so it dont get passed a round any more than it has…. people like that should be able to breed… just too stupid be here on earth
it seems the attorney was a professional as he enhanced the source of income for the doc by assuring some patients of his category……..
Since this idiot is a personal injury lawyer, I hope all those affected by his complete ignorance for others’ health is sued to the poor house. He steals money from those who are injured by collecting up to half of what is owed to the injured person. I sincerely hope his life is changed for good or bad for this complete disregard for all other people’s health. Personal injury lawyers are the scum of the earth & he certainly has proven this common assumption.