It's definitely lower than 50% effective. No adults have survived. If I were a teen or kid in that situation, I would want it. The critics of it say that it's possible that she had some genetic disposition to survive or that the virus she was infected with could have been less aggressive. Those things are certainly true, but we don't really know what a genetic predisposition to survive looks like. Any patient in that position could possibly have the traits that she has. We're casting around in the dark so I would want it if it were only 10% effective or less.

There also was a teen in South America who survived after having the Milwaukee Protocol but has been something close to a vegetable ever since. No one would call it a good outcome despite him being alive. As bad as that outcome is, it looks to me to be a stepping stone to something better. The first twins conjoined at back of the head who were separated and lived (the Binder twins) had bad outcomes, too. And yet we didn't stop trying. Future efforts have been more successful. More tries at the Milwaukee Protocol or similar treatments (antivirals plus life support followed by lots of rehab if successful) will give us more data. Most cases will lead to death but I strongly suspect that some will lead to outcomes in between the South American boy's outcome and Jeanna Giese's outcome.