Ebola virus outbreak

Fallschirmjager

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-ebola-questions-20141007-story.html#page=1

Some scientists saying it might transmit more easily..that's not good....

My name is URL

FullblownRose wrote: »

I agree that the school is worse for giving in to the other parents but don't you think those parents might have been a bit racist to start with, or at least a bit stupid?

I don't agree, as some have said, that media reports have fuelled hysteria. I think people like those parents really don't need an excuse to behave stupidly, and the media reports will not incite most ordinary, right minded folk to extreme or paranoid action. I really don't think the media has been unduly frightening about Ebola.

Yeah, I don't think the media is to blame. I don't really even feel they've been sensationalist while reporting on it. They certainly haven't given reason for people to believe that everyone that comes from affected countries are a risk!

I was a bit harsh towards the people in WA after reports that they were hiding bodies, and attacking hospitals. I put it down to lack of education and public health awareness but it seems that people from one of the most highly educated nations on Earth aren't impervious to it either.

Doubt it has very much to do with race. Just panicked people wrongly thinking they're taking the proper steps to protect their kids.

Fallschirmjager

FullblownRose wrote: »

I agree that the school is worse for giving in to the other parents but don't you think those parents might have been a bit racist to start with, or at least a bit stupid?

I don't agree, as some have said, that media reports have fuelled hysteria. I think people like those parents really don't need an excuse to behave stupidly, and the media reports will not incite most ordinary, right minded folk to extreme or paranoid action. I really don't think the media has been unduly frightening about Ebola.

I'm old enough to remember the first appearance of aids...was exactly the same. Dentists were worried, always remember some guy putting a dentist drill in water and turning it on to show all the blood...fuk me must have been a dentist from the old west...there were parents pulling kids out of schools, surgeons who were refusing to work on patients..you name it it appeared..

jamesbondings

I'm away on erasmus in Spain at the moment.... Any word on if it has been contained here or should I be worried? I plan on contacting the college to see what their protocol is on such an issuebut iI will not be staying here if it hasn't been contained!

FullblownRose

My name is URL wrote: »

Yeah, I don't think the media is to blame. I don't really even feel they've been sensationalist while reporting on it. They certainly haven't given reason for people to believe that everyone that comes from affected countries are a risk!

I was a bit harsh towards the people in WA after reports that they were hiding bodies, and attacking hospitals. I put it down to lack of education and public health awareness but it seems that people from one of the most highly educated nations on Earth aren't impervious to it either.

Doubt it has very much to do with race. Just panicked people wrongly thinking they're taking the proper steps to protect their kids.

I guess they do at least have the right motives in wanting to protect their kids even though I don't agree with their aproach.

Red Pepper

My name is URL wrote: »

Yeah, I don't think the media is to blame. I don't really even feel they've been sensationalist while reporting on it.

Of course the media is to blame. The hype and coverage of ebola completely outweighs the actual risk. Ebola has always been the superstar disease.

FullblownRose

Fallschirmjager wrote: »

I'm old enough to remember the first appearance of aids...was exactly the same. Dentists were worried, always remember some guy putting a dentist drill in water and turning it on to show all the blood...fuk me must have been a dentist from the old west...there were parents pulling kids out of schools, surgeons who were refusing to work on patients..you name it it appeared..

Yes, I can vaguely remember being warned by an adult to be careful about public toilet seats for that reason.

It's the fact that this is new, and unknown, just like AIDS seemed to be back then.

ceadaoin.

This could just be another false alarm. If the person had been in contact with the ebola patient would he not have been monitored? Why would he end up in a clinic? It says there are other patients inside so if it does turn out to be ebola then that's another set of people that need to be isolated. With the flu season coming up I can see lots of people panicking if they get sick seeing as the initial symptoms are similar to the flu.


Frisco is in Texas.

FRISCO — Crews are preparing to transport a patient exhibiting "signs and symptoms of Ebola" from a Frisco CareNow.

The CareNow is located in the 300 block of Main Street. Patients are currently being held inside the clinic as crews at the scene examine staff and others inside the building.

"The patient claims to have had contact with the Dallas 'patient zero,'" according to a statement from Dana Baird-Hanks, a spokeswoman with the city of Frisco.

Police and fire units have surrounded the facility, taped off a gray SUV and isolated other patients at the facility.

Outside the building, people in hazardous material suits readied an ambulance for transport of the patient.

Officials say a conference will be held at 3:30 p.m.

http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/health/2014/10/08/patient-frisco-ebola-suspect/16922477/

FullblownRose

Red Pepper wrote: »

Of course the media is to blame. The hype and coverage of ebola completely outweighs the actual risk. Ebola has always been the superstar disease.

I haven't read anything id call hype- nothing thats factually incorrect.

Smidge

ceadaoin. wrote: »

This could just be another false alarm. If the person had been in contact with the ebola patient would he not have been monitored? Why would he end up in a clinic? It says there are other patients inside so if it does turn out to be ebola then that's another set of people that need to be isolated. With the flu season coming up I can see lots of people panicking if they get sick seeing as the initial symptoms are similar to the flu.


Frisco is in Texas.



http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/health/2014/10/08/patient-frisco-ebola-suspect/16922477/

Having read that, its not such a stretch of the imagination to understand how things went with people in the affected African countries.

So someone who claims to have been in contact(and they probably have as who, other than a crackpot, would claim otherwise?)shows up in a clinic showing symptoms.
The authorities close off the clinic and isolate the people who were there for whatever reason, inside the clinic where there was a "possible" Ebola patient.
So now these other patients are stuck in this clinic thinking "Wtf am I doing here? I only have a tummy bug and a sore throat and now I'm trapped in a possibly infected Ebola place?"

So when people start getting sick, especially since winter illness season is upon us, are they going to go to the clinic?
Feck that. They are stopping at home!!!!
But what if it isn't just a winter dose and is actually Ebola????
The fear of contracting it from being stuck in a place where someone who may have had it will give the perfect conditions for a tinder box of infection.

Red Pepper

FullblownRose wrote: »

I haven't read anything id call hype- nothing thats factually incorrect.

hype = coverage. Does the risk warrant the media exposure? Absolutely not.
The public should be worrying way way more about smoking or being overweight or the flu than the ebola virus but you wont see daily media updates on those killers. Ebola’s pre-eminence in the media probably has a lot to do with the primal fear it inspires and the popular-culture context from which it comes. Ebola is like a great white shark, some people are really scared about getting bitten by one but the chances are extremely low.

FullblownRose

Red Pepper wrote: »

hype = coverage. Does the risk warrant the media exposure? Absolutely not.
The public should be worrying way way more about smoking or being overweight or the flu than the ebola virus but you wont see daily media updates on those killers. Ebola’s pre-eminence in the media probably has a lot to do with the primal fear it inspires and the popular-culture context from which it comes. Ebola is like a great white shark, some people are really scared about getting bitten by one but the chances are extremely low.

Coverage is not hype, far from it. In its current incarnation, and spreading the way it has, its an unprecedented situation.
You read the stories and make what you want of them , dont tar everyone with the same brush as some hypothetical, headless- chicken style, panicking types and don't complain about the media reporting news.

Red Pepper

FullblownRose wrote: »

Coverage is not hype, far from it. In its current incarnation, and spreading the way it has, its an unprecedented situation.
You read the stories and make what you want of them , dont tar everyone with the same brush as some hypothetical, headless- chicken style, panicking types and don't complain about the media reporting news.

Yes coverage is hype. Coverage creates fear. Does the risk warrant the coverage relatively speaking?

nyarlothothep

ceadaoin. wrote: »

This could just be another false alarm. If the person had been in contact with the ebola patient would he not have been monitored? Why would he end up in a clinic? It says there are other patients inside so if it does turn out to be ebola then that's another set of people that need to be isolated. With the flu season coming up I can see lots of people panicking if they get sick seeing as the initial symptoms are similar to the flu.


Frisco is in Texas.



http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/health/2014/10/08/patient-frisco-ebola-suspect/16922477/

Or maybe they didn't account for him, human error etc. This virus does appear quite virulent as opposed to difficult to catch which raises big question marks about its transmissability. Not suggesting it's airborne, I can't see that happening but there could be other factors at work. I would say that apathy is the main issue here, I keep saying it but ban flights to these countries, lock down their borders entirely with military cordons if needs be, though they should still receive all the assistance they can get.

FullblownRose

Red Pepper wrote: »

Yes coverage is hype. Coverage creates fear. Does the risk warrant the coverage relatively speaking?

Only *maybe* in people who are prone to fearfulness, who ought to be avoiding the news in general if they are!

ceadaoin.

Red Pepper wrote: »

Yes coverage is hype. Coverage creates fear. Does the risk warrant the coverage relatively speaking?

Liberia is close to collapse, it's so bad that ebola could become endemic in those areas. Just because it's not a direct risk to you right now doesn't mean you don't need to know about it. Thousands of people have been infected in Africa and cases are now cropping up elsewhere. This is unprecedented and of course it's newsworthy. I don't know about Ireland but the coverage here in the US hasn't been excessive at all.

If you go into all out fear and panic mode from news coverage then you are probably likely to panic and worry anyway. If not this, it would be ISIS or an asteroid coming close to the earth. Probably best to avoid the news altogether.

Perhaps the news coverage might prompt people to donate to organizations like medecins sans frontiers, is that not a good thing? I think everyone agrees it needs to be brought under control in West Africa.

If you don't want to know you can always change the channel and watch some more coverage of George Clooneys wedding or whatever is going on this week.

JONJO THE MISER

Five US airports to fever screen travelers from Ebola-stricken areas.
Why are we not doing the same here?

Red Pepper

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Liberia is close to collapse, it's so bad that ebola could become endemic in those areas. Just because it's not a direct risk to you right now doesn't mean you don't need to know about it. Thousands of people have been infected in Africa and cases are now cropping up elsewhere. This is unprecedented and of course it's newsworthy. I don't know about Ireland but the coverage here in the US hasn't been excessive at all.

If you go into all out fear and panic mode from news coverage then you are probably likely to panic and worry anyway. If not this, it would be ISIS or an asteroid coming close to the earth. Probably best to avoid the news altogether.

Perhaps the news coverage might prompt people to donate to organizations like medecins sans frontiers, god knows they need it.

If you don't want to know you can always change the channel and watch some more coverage of George Clooneys wedding or whatever is going on this week.

I covered economic collapse in this post;
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=92531536&postcount=835

However the media are not reporting about the poor west Africans and the collapse of their economies. They are reporting about how we should isolate them and take care of ourselves. NGOs have been screaming for help for several months but the media did not cover that until very recently when the risk to the west became more real. I have seen very little calls for donations of any kind. The media coverage in the USA skyrocketed this week once they got their 1st confirmed case.

ceadaoin.

The person being transported to the hospital is an employee with the Dallas County Sheriff's Office who was in Duncan's apartment, NBC 5 has confirmed.

This is pretty bad. It's the person who served the quarantine papers on the family. I presume he didn't have close physical contact with the occupants. Lots of officials were seen entering and leaving the apartment without protection. One of them even said during a press conference he was still wearing the same jacket he wore there because there was no risk. :eek:

Hopefully he is just being over vigilant.

JONJO THE MISER

Pefrect storm, there all saying there was no risk, they could be proven wrong.

hmmm

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Hopefully he is just being over vigilant.

Hopefully it's something else, but can any of these people not just pick up the phone and ring the medical centres without walking in and potentially exposing god knows how many? I don't visit my doctor if I have a suspect cold/flu, let alone Ebola.

Streetwalker

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Pefrect storm, there all saying there was no risk, they could be proven wrong.

In all likelihood the risk is low but personally I'm fairly worried.

Gael23

This is not good. As hmm said there needs to be a way of keeping patients out of doctors waiting rooms

Red Pepper

Streetwalker wrote: »

In all likelihood the risk is low but personally I'm fairly worried.

about what?

ProfessorPlum

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Five US airports to fever screen travelers from Ebola-stricken areas.
Why are we not doing the same here?

They're only screening passengers arriving from affected countries in West Africa. Is also of dubious value, as a fever is very easy to mask with a couple of paracetamol or ibuprofen. If we started it here for everyone, we be swamped with false positives with a very good chance of missing the genuine case. The US CBP will also be distributing educational 'to do' leaflets. That's probably a better idea.

Smidge

ceadaoin. wrote: »

This is pretty bad. It's the person who served the quarantine papers on the family. I presume he didn't have close physical contact with the occupants. Lots of officials were seen entering and leaving the apartment without protection. One of them even said during a press conference he was still wearing the same jacket he wore there because there was no risk. :eek:

Hopefully he is just being over vigilant.

Is this the same person who presented to the clinic in Frisco or another person?

Holsten

Spreading like wildfire across west Africa, gone into UK, France, Spain, Germany, now a death in US.

Kinda scary.

ceadaoin.

Smidge wrote: »

Is this the same person who presented to the clinic in Frisco or another person?

Sorry, it's the same person. If it does turn out to be ebola then it raises the question of how he got it. He didn't have any contact with the original patient. The family supposedly weren't showing any symptoms when he was with them. That can only mean he was infected from the contaminated apartment somehow,and I doubt he was touching soiled towels and bed sheets, or from the asymptomatic relatives.

And if he suspected ebola why go to a public clinic?

It was idiotic to enter there without protection and he wasn't the only one. Ebola is BSL4 for a reason.

Streetwalker

Red Pepper wrote: »

about what?

I can only guess you haven't read the thread title.

Red Pepper

Streetwalker wrote: »

I can only guess you haven't read the thread title.

are you scared of getting ebola yourself? do you know how miniscule those chances are?