Researcher At Vamc In San Francisco Dies

[hedgey]

Moderators, please move this to the right forum!

I saw this mentioned on the news last night - here's a link to an article on military.com:

http://www.military.com/news/article/infection-kills-san-francisco-va-lab-worker.html

I read articles about it in a few places. Weirdly, they're administering antibiotics to the slews of people he might have infected, but this is a virus... he was working on a vaccine.

Anyway, kinda made me feel like a two-legged lab rat.

Really sorry to learn of his death, though. Only 25, close in age to my own kid. Sorry for his family & friends.

Scary, too. My kid can barely work the washing machine. Plus, my kid's bestie is spending another summer interning at the VAMC, doing TBI intake evaluations. That kid can barely balance a checkbook... shudder.

Sorry, just had a bad attack of "Cripes!!! They're all kids!!!"...

Well, still, sorry for that kid in SF.

[retiredat44]

I had blood (the pancreas disease and complications while trying to drains a huge 5 inch cyst) infections, and they caused, then fought mine with bags, and bags, and bags, all lining the rails of the bed frame. above me...etc..etc.. through IV's... for months while I laying wasting away in a hospital bed.. they could not figure out how to kill the infections, as it took a long time to figure out how to kill the infections..

How that infection got into his blood I have no idea... he may have had another condition which acted as a conduit to his internals..

an open cut, an injury, or disease..

I bet all the other people working there are freaked out wondering how at risk they are..

being so young,, makes it more of tragedy when some people never live longer... at least when you get a bit older at least I feel like I have been here a long while...

The people who work in health care really do work hard... they accept a lot of risks...

Edited May 5, 2012 by retiredat44

[71M10]

I feel for this researchers family.

Apparently the VA can't even get it's lab safety protocols right. What is scarey is if he picked this up in his lab (most likely situation), what other pathogens are being circulated into the population from incorrect/un-enforced lab protocols?

Best regards,

[john999]

Worry about these damn staff infections. You go into the hospital and get the infection and it is very hard to prove how you got it and if the hospital is at fault. Meanwhile they cut off your leg.

[Pete53]

The VA often employs people who are not up to snuff. They have a lot of excuses but the fact is not only can they not protect us but they can't protect each other. In the land where money is King a lot of shortcuts are taken.

[john999]

Here we are supposed to have the best health care there is and yet if you as a 100% vet turn yourself over to VA care you will probably be dead in 6 months. My VAMC has gotten into trouble for poor sterilization techniques over and over and I am almost afraid to let them clean my teeth for fear of infection. If the public knew how there dollars were being spent they would be at the gates of the palace with pitchforks. This may be a little bit political, but as vets and taxpayers we support a whole nest of parasites in and outside of government.

John