Ebola Outbreak

[york away to this!]

Who said it's isolated? Doesn't it take about a week for the symptoms to manifest themself? So the nurse was covered in PPE, for some reason managed to wipe her face with her hand that had fluids on then she went home. For a few days she went about her normal life as the disease took hold. Think about it, how often do you spread your 'germs' each day? Bodily fluids are left on tootbrushes then put back in the holder next to other toothbrushes. You might sneeze and a tiny microscopic bit of fluid lands on another person.

She did this sort of stuff for a few days before she started to show symptoms. So people she came in contact might have got it. But who did she have contact with? Who knows? In the past week, how many people do you think might have been in contact with your body fluids?

I've been at work, I've been to the gym, I've had people viewing my house as part of its sale, I've rubbed my eyes, then handled money to pay for stuff. I've drunk out of pint glasses in the pub that the staff have then handled etc etc

There's a reason why the medical staff are covering everything in chlorine and disinfectant, because everything a patient touches could be classes as highly toxic. There's a reason for that, it's highly toxic and easily transmitted.

But in the pre-diagnosed world, there could be people speading it around right now, not know about it until the weekend when they start to feel in, but then they've already been contacted with too many people.

Think there is a 3 week incubation period. Assuming that one is contagious during the incubation period then if you think about the number of people who could be infected starting from one person over 3 weeks, it is truly mind boggling.

Like I said earlier, according to that I've heard/read, its only contagious when I person has sympoms so a person who is vomiing, bleeding etc is unlikely to be walking around spreading it

...have you ever been outside the ritz at three in the morning?

 

[Lancet Fluke]

I am by no means an aurthoriy on the subject but imagine it means unless there they are heavily infected you won't catch it.

Which brings me back to my orignal point that anyone who is heavily infected ie bleeding, vomitting etc is unlikely to be walking round shaking hands with people.

'Wet and bigger droplets from a heavily infected individual, whi has respiratory symptoms caused by other conditions o who vomits violently,could transmit the virus over a short distance, to another nearby person' WHO website

I'm at work so can't, unfortunalty spend he day discussing this but will pop back to the thread from time to time. But 5Live have had good people on discussing it and the WHO website seems a good place for faq

Well they also said there was pretty much zero risk of the people who were treating the patients who had been flown back from Africa catching it. That has turned out to be an optimistic view of things. I wouldn't be happy shaking the hand of someone who had a low grade fever and was suspected of having Ebola even if the chances of transmission are "likely to be low".

The risks of transmition to europe would have been zero if the nurse had correct ppe and/or followed protacol.

I don't know enough about the American chap to comment on how he caught it

Would have, could have, should have. They can't possibly know for sure exactly how the nurse has manged to contract it despite being fully equipped and fully trained. I mentioned earlier in the thread that I heard some expert in infectious diseases discussing it yesterday and he said he suspected it will have been transmitted to her when she was removing her bio suit. He said that it does get awkward to remove the suits without getting any of the fluid that may be on it on to you. He said it like it is just accepted that this is an awkward part of the procedure. Well if they know this then they cannot say that the risk is virtually zero, yet they said just that. Anyhow, regardless, they said it was not a risk at all and it has turned out that it was a risk so forgive me for not being totally convinced by "likely to be low risk." The word "likely" is particularly disconcerting. Clearly it will be much more easily transmitted if someone is bleeding and honking everywhere but I'd love to know how much of a risk it is if someone coughs into their hands, shakes hands with someone and then they in turn touch their face.

 

[AlgarveBlu]

I see that media whore Katie Hopkins has added more of her invaluable insight into the matter with her latest tweet :-

Referencing a controversial theory on population control, she tweeted: "I rather admire the efficiency of Ebola. From a Malthusian and marketing perspective, it is beyond reproach."

I wonder if the same concept of population control is extended to the British army bravely going out there to assist! What exactly is this woman's purpose in life?

 

[scotty123]

Just heard a boffin say Ebola will not take hold in Europe, it's a 10 deg North and a 10 deg South of the Equator disease
Weird way of putting it but he could be right...hopefully

Did he give reasons why it should only spread "10 deg North and a 10 deg South of the Equator"?

No, he just said it likes that region, it was a bit of a bizarre interview

The same bloke is on BBC News now, the 10deg North and the 10 deg South thing is all to do with FRUIT BATS, app Fruit Bats only live 10 deg North and 10 deg South of the Equator, they are the worse carriers of the Ebola virus, they spread it onto fruit and humans eat that fruit
He looks a Geek but he is answering viewers questions and its fascinating some of the things he is saying

 

[scotty123]

Did he give reasons why it should only spread "10 deg North and a 10 deg South of the Equator"?

No, he just said it likes that region, it was a bit of a bizarre interview

The same bloke is on BBC News now, the 10deg North and the 10 deg South thing is all to do with FRUIT BATS, app Fruit Bats only live 10 deg North and 10 deg South of the Equator, they are the worse carriers of the Ebola virus, they spread it onto fruit and humans eat that fruit
He looks a Geek but he is answering viewers questions and its fascinating some of the things he is saying

His name is Professor John Oxford a renowned virologist

 

[True_Blue69]

Its already been proven that ebola can be transmitted through the air as a study a few years ago proved this with monkeys and pigs. The press just don't want this bit of crucial information to be put out there to try and avoid panic.

Article on it here http://scgnews.com/ebola-what-youre-not-being-told

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Did he give reasons why it should only spread "10 deg North and a 10 deg South of the Equator"?

No, he just said it likes that region, it was a bit of a bizarre interview

The same bloke is on BBC News now, the 10deg North and the 10 deg South thing is all to do with FRUIT BATS, app Fruit Bats only live 10 deg North and 10 deg South of the Equator, they are the worse carriers of the Ebola virus, they spread it onto fruit and humans eat that fruit
He looks a Geek but he is answering viewers questions and its fascinating some of the things he is saying

Apparently fruit bats are seen as a delicacy in some countries as well and presumably eating them is not a good idea if they are natural hosts of ebola. It is surely bollocks to say it won't spread into Europe because it is a 10deg North and the 10 deg South virus. Fruit bats are only the reason for it starting and not the reason for it spreading from human to human?

 

[scotty123]

A British national has died of Ebola in Macedonia, BBC breaking now

 

[scotty123]

No, he just said it likes that region, it was a bit of a bizarre interview

The same bloke is on BBC News now, the 10deg North and the 10 deg South thing is all to do with FRUIT BATS, app Fruit Bats only live 10 deg North and 10 deg South of the Equator, they are the worse carriers of the Ebola virus, they spread it onto fruit and humans eat that fruit
He looks a Geek but he is answering viewers questions and its fascinating some of the things he is saying

Apparently fruit bats are seen as a delicacy in some countries as well and presumably eating them is not a good idea if they are natural hosts of ebola. It is surely bollocks to say it won't spread into Europe because it is a 10deg North and the 10 deg South virus. Fruit bats are only the reason for it starting and not the reason for it spreading from human to human?

I totally agree with you, he was an interesting listen though

 

[tusker]

If Ebola is incurable, then why are we sending medical people over there, a cure will eventually be found in a lab thousands of miles away.

We seem to be increasing our chances of an outbreak in Britain when medics return, just being pragmatic.