I try not to judge, but I’m also utterly confused as to why the parents wouldn’t immediately have brought the child in for the shot after finding the bat, visible bite or not…
To tell the truth I wouldn’t have thought about it. A stray deranged dog or racoon would raise alarm bells, but we set bats here at night always, and didn’t consider the risk. Oops
Bats have tiny teeth and it’s possible to be bitten without there being any visible mark. You should always go for treatment if you have had an interaction with a bat. Better safe than dying one of the worst ways possible.
The indication for testing according the CDC is a bite.
The rabies test is cheap. Could have tested the kid or the bat, but again why would they do it if there’s no indication for exposure. This was the first case in the province of someone being infected with rabies inside their own home since 1967.
When you hear hoofbeats you don’t think it’s zebras.
Sounds possible. Bats are mammals, maybe it sneezed, covered, but didn’t wash it’s hands, gave the kid a high five, and then the kid wiped a booger out of his eye with it.
I looked at the CDC website before posting Aunt. It says the only indication for treatment is a bite or a scratch from species known to carry rabies. It doesn’t say anything about testing for mere exposure.
I guess I see the counterpoints.
It’s a kid.
The duration of the exposure is unknown.
Whether there was any contact is unknown.
Bat.
Bites or scratches can be invisible.
Bires or scratches could be mistaken.
What’s the scuttlebutt here, your saying in this situation to test the kid or administer a vaccine?
I’m certain the medical staff 's determination of The credibility of a fact attested to by a child is not a factor.
We’re also assuming this kid isn’t a straight up victim of healthcare inequality. The article is light on details. Perhaps the parents considered this, searched the web, searched for bites or scratches, and the cost of seeking care felt too great for this family? I didn’t catch if this happened in a civilized nation with universal health.
Fuck, this story is terrifying. Reminds me in some ways of when a kid dies in a hot car.
You can’t test the kid. What I’m saying is a lot of people in here are quick to judge the parents, but clearly even to medical professionals the situation is not cut and dry.
As I mentioned in another comment, I’ve been there. I have been through PPE, and I had to seriously advocate for myself to the ER doctor for him to go consult an infectious disease specialist before they agreed.
If no one has ever told them that some bats carry rabies how would they know to Google anything when they find a bat in the house? It’s not something that is taught in school and I’ve never seen or heard a PSA talking about it in Ontario.
It isn’t protocol for the hospitals to give the shot for a bat in the room. Probably would have gone to the hospital and been turned away.
And it’s easy after the fact to say oh should have done this. As they say hindsight is 20/20.
I try not to judge, but I’m also utterly confused as to why the parents wouldn’t immediately have brought the child in for the shot after finding the bat, visible bite or not…
To tell the truth I wouldn’t have thought about it. A stray deranged dog or racoon would raise alarm bells, but we set bats here at night always, and didn’t consider the risk. Oops
No scratches, no bite. Why would they?
Bats have tiny teeth and it’s possible to be bitten without there being any visible mark. You should always go for treatment if you have had an interaction with a bat. Better safe than dying one of the worst ways possible.
Most commonly they bite you while you’re sleeping, so you don’t know
My thinking would be why risk not getting checked out? Unfortunately worst case scenario happened this time :(
The indication for testing according the CDC is a bite.
The rabies test is cheap. Could have tested the kid or the bat, but again why would they do it if there’s no indication for exposure. This was the first case in the province of someone being infected with rabies inside their own home since 1967.
When you hear hoofbeats you don’t think it’s zebras.
As soon as a rabies test comes back positive, you have a death sentence.
You can’t test the kid, only the bat. So if they didn’t catch it testing is a no go.
There’s like eleven kinds of blood tests for rabies. None of them work on people, or is it by the time they work it’s too late?
By the time it’s detectable it’s too late.
How do you think the child got rabies in this situation?
Obviously they overlooked a scratch or a bite. Rabies isn’t airborne.
This you?
Maybe it drooled into their open mouth or something. Or onto their hand and later they picked their nose.
Sounds possible. Bats are mammals, maybe it sneezed, covered, but didn’t wash it’s hands, gave the kid a high five, and then the kid wiped a booger out of his eye with it.
Poor kid, never had a chance.
Heartbreaking
That’s literally the health institutions protocol now a days. Though for kids it depends how credible the kid is about not being exposed.
I looked at the CDC website before posting Aunt. It says the only indication for treatment is a bite or a scratch from species known to carry rabies. It doesn’t say anything about testing for mere exposure.
I guess I see the counterpoints.
It’s a kid. The duration of the exposure is unknown. Whether there was any contact is unknown. Bat. Bites or scratches can be invisible. Bires or scratches could be mistaken.
What’s the scuttlebutt here, your saying in this situation to test the kid or administer a vaccine?
I’m certain the medical staff 's determination of The credibility of a fact attested to by a child is not a factor.
We’re also assuming this kid isn’t a straight up victim of healthcare inequality. The article is light on details. Perhaps the parents considered this, searched the web, searched for bites or scratches, and the cost of seeking care felt too great for this family? I didn’t catch if this happened in a civilized nation with universal health.
Fuck, this story is terrifying. Reminds me in some ways of when a kid dies in a hot car.
You can’t test the kid. What I’m saying is a lot of people in here are quick to judge the parents, but clearly even to medical professionals the situation is not cut and dry.
As I mentioned in another comment, I’ve been there. I have been through PPE, and I had to seriously advocate for myself to the ER doctor for him to go consult an infectious disease specialist before they agreed.
I try not to judge, but I am going to make an exception in this case.
Bad parents plain and simple. That child deserved better.
Some people aren’t educated in these things.
Tell that to the dead child who deserved better than ignorant parents that didn’t even care enough to do a Google search.
Ignorance is not an excuse.
If no one has ever told them that some bats carry rabies how would they know to Google anything when they find a bat in the house? It’s not something that is taught in school and I’ve never seen or heard a PSA talking about it in Ontario.
It isn’t protocol for the hospitals to give the shot for a bat in the room. Probably would have gone to the hospital and been turned away.
And it’s easy after the fact to say oh should have done this. As they say hindsight is 20/20.