Ebola virus outbreak

Doctor Jimbob

That's a great song for a friday morning.

Spring Onion

Doctor Jimbob wrote: »

That's a great song for a friday morning.

Doc, there is only 1 doctor for every 100,000 people in Liberia.
Shouldn't you be volunteering?

Doctor Jimbob

Spring Onion wrote: »

Doc, there is only 1 doctor for every 100,000 people in Liberia.
Shouldn't you be volunteering?

I think I'd do more harm than good :pac:

Putinovsky

Spring Onion wrote: »

Doc, there is only 1 doctor for every 100,000 people in Liberia.
Shouldn't you be volunteering?

Wouldn't want to be accused of being a 'bleeding heart liberal' by doing something as 'soft' as volunteering to help people desperately in need

littlemac1980

Here's a pretty good article which claims that the implementation of travel bans would only delay the international spread of the disease by only a few weeks:

http://theweek.com/article/index/269589/a-travel-ban-wont-save-you-from-ebola

"For starters, the most reliable study modeling the effect of the ban concluded that even if the world managed to scale back air traffic flows by 80 percent, it would delay the international spread of the disease by only a few week"

The study referred to is available here, and (I have only scanned it so far) appears quite comprehensive and informative. I'm looking forward to reading it thoroughly - and I'm sure there are plenty of the serious posters here who will find it interesting, useful and informative. I look forward to reading your comments:

http://currents.plos.org/outbreaks/article/assessing-the-international-spreading-risk-associated-with-the-2014-west-african-ebola-outbreak/

FlashR2D2

realweirdo wrote: »

You can be sure that the same people who are saying "let's not panic" now will be screaming from the rooftops "why didn't someone do something?" if it does make it to Ireland. Only it will be too late.

Some people are confusing panic with legitimate concern and this particular outbreak of ebola for those familiar with it, is one to be legitimately concerned about. Anyone who wouldn't be clearly doesn't understand it.

If left unchecked it will lead to over 100,000 infections in Africa. Which increases exponentially the threat of a worldwide infection. This battle will be won or lost in Africa.

I just realised, you are right, I am putting on my chem suit now as a matter of urgency and am heading out to the woods for the next year. You all listen up now, we are all doomed I tells ya.

Spring Onion

http://www.unicef.org.uk/landing-pages/ebola-crisis-donate/?gclid={SI:gclid}&gclid=CKPPn56AosECFfMZtAodJx0ARA

Spring Onion

http://www.redcross.org.uk/ebolavirus?gclid=CM_yrr6AosECFSuWtAodGCQAWA

Spring Onion

http://www.goal.ie/NewsDetails/454

littlemac1980

This appears to be a very good link with details of the exponential growth pattern of the Virus outbreak.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-ominous-math-of-the-ebola-epidemic/2014/10/09/3cad9e76-4fb2-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html?

There are also graphics and videos including one which statistically compares this Virus to other common well-known and deadly viruses. Link here : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/health/how-ebola-spreads/

nokia69

Spring Onion wrote: »

what are you on about?

We have been studying viruses for over 100 years, and we've never seen a human virus change the way it is transmitted.

HIV has infected millions of humans since the early 1990s. It is still transmitted among humans by introduction of the virus into the body by sex, contaminated needles, or during childbirth.

Hepatitis C virus has infected millions of humans since its discovery in the 1980s. It is still transmitted among humans by introduction of the virus into the body by contaminated needles, blood, and during birth.

Why would ebola be special??? Because there is a thread in AH?

and I never said it could change the way its transmitted

I said it could change the rate at which it kill people which could be even worse

go back and read my post again, you tard

Spring Onion

nokia69 wrote: »

and I never said it could change the way its transmitted

I said it could change the rate at which it kill people which could be even worse

go back and read my post again, you tard

I did.

The question put to you was: "What are the chances of it mutating and becoming airborne?"

You replied "very little but the the virus is now changing/evolving faster than ever, so who knows what could happen"

Care to retract?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=92551352&postcount=1253

nokia69

Spring Onion wrote: »

I did.

The question put to you was: "What are the chances of it mutating and becoming airborne?"

You replied "very little but the the virus is now changing/evolving faster than ever, so who knows what could happen"

Care to retract?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=92551352&postcount=1253

retract what

there is little or no chance of the virus becoming airborne

and since there are more people than ever with the virus by a very long way, the virus is changing faster than ever

Spring Onion

nokia69 wrote: »

retract what

there is little or no chance of the virus becoming airborne

and since there are more people than ever with the virus by a very long way, the virus is changing faster than ever

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=92552328&postcount=1266

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=92552024&postcount=1262

zero chance.

My name is URL

Just read a comment elsewhere

'Ebola has been in the US for less than 2 weeks and people are wearing masks. HIV has been here for over 30 years and people still don't wear condoms'

youtube!

All I know is I have never seen the word "exponential" used so often, it's a bloody great word though I have to say!:D

P.Walnuts

Slightly confused by how it is transmitted, so it is not airborne but transmitted through a variety of bodily fluids.... lets just say an infected person sneezes or coughs, that would be saliva vapour exiting the body (I assume) if that vapour is inhaled could that transmit the infection?

And if so is that not the definition of airborne?

My name is URL

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Slightly confused by how it is transmitted, so it is not airborne but transmitted through a variety of bodily fluids.... lets just say an infected person sneezes or coughs, that would be saliva vapour exiting the body (I assume) if that vapour is inhaled could that transmit the infection?

And if so is that not the definition of airborne?

Airborne really just means easily transmittable through aerosolized fluids, which ebola is not when it comes to monkeys and humans (pigs are a different story). It doesn't necessarily mean that the virus isn't present whatsoever in those fluids.

littlemac1980

Here's a useful article about why the Virus won't go airborne:

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/will-ebola-go-airborne-2014-10

realweirdo

I think it becoming airborne is the least of people's worries, as it probably won't.

The bigger worry is of people carrying it around unknowingly for a couple of weeks. And also that there wouldn't be enough trained medical staff or isolation units in the west. Let's face it, our hospitals struggle to cope with flu in winter, so how will it manage with ebola?

Contact tracing will be key to defeating it in the west.

ceadaoin.

FullblownRose wrote: »

I thought they'd test them and know sooner, though...

The virus is only detectable in blood once a person starts showing symptoms. The people in Spain are still asymptotic so there's no point testing them yet. I think it's just the high risk ones who have been hospitalised, as a precaution.

HI, Fullblownbrose,


saw this on CBS site, regarding how Doctors test for Ebola


'A number of tests can be used to diagnose Ebola within a few days of the onset of symptoms, which can detect the virus's genetic material or the presence of antibodies against the pathogen.

The most accurate of these is likely the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, a technique that looks for genetic material from the virus and creates enough copies of it that it can be detected, Hirsch said. "PCR is a really definitive test," Hirsch said. It can pick up very small amounts of the virus.

However, this test can be negative during the first three days an infected person has symptoms, said Dr. Sandro Cinti, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of Michigan Hospital System/Ann Arbor VA Health System.

"Somebody could be in the hospital for three to five days before a diagnosis [of Ebola] is confirmed," Cinti told Live Science. "The important thing is keeping the patient isolated until you can get to a diagnosis." Meanwhile, doctors will be running tests to rule out other diseases, such as malaria, which can be detected more quickly than Ebola, he said.'

They mention another test called ELISA.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-doctors-test-for-ebola/

Meglamonia

Ignorance has a large part to play,the people in Liberia don't believe that Ebola is real and continue to eat bushmeat and keep monkeys as pets ffs.

ceadaoin.

There is a 'probable' case in Paris in a woman recently returned from Liberia. This is not the same person involved in the false alarm yesterday.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ebola-outbreak-paris-authorities-investigate-probable-case-9787026.html

Smiles35

This one's a false alarm

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/ebola-outbreak-full-scale-alert-as-aircraft-passenger-jokes-i-have-ebola-you-are-all-screwed-9786224.html

littlemac1980

Here's a video of the people in Hazmat suits escorting the guy from the plane who made the joke that he had Ebola.

In fairness those look like some seriously good suits.

But that whistling sound (around the 2 minute mark)??? WTF is that?

It has to be one of the creepiest things I've ever heard.

Doctor Jimbob

littlemac1980 wrote: »

Here's a video of the people in Hazmat suits escorting the guy from the plane who made the joke that he had Ebola.

In fairness those look like some seriously good suits.

But that whistling sound (around the 2 minute mark)??? WTF is that?

It has to be one of the creepiest things I've ever heard.

It's the sound of EBOLA ESCAPING :eek:

ProfessorPlum

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Is there not a slight difference between contagious and infectious? Ebola isn't very contagious because it's not airborne. However, it is very infectious because it only takes a small amount of virus to enter your body to make you sick. So once you do come into contact with infected material it's easier to become infected than with other viruses.

Infectious means it's caused by a micro organism, contagious means that it can be passed from person to person

Jake1 wrote: »

HI, Fullblownbrose,


saw this on CBS site, regarding how Doctors test for Ebola


'A number of tests can be used to diagnose Ebola within a few days of the onset of symptoms, which can detect the virus's genetic material or the presence of antibodies against the pathogen.

The most accurate of these is likely the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, a technique that looks for genetic material from the virus and creates enough copies of it that it can be detected, Hirsch said. "PCR is a really definitive test," Hirsch said. It can pick up very small amounts of the virus.

However, this test can be negative during the first three days an infected person has symptoms, said Dr. Sandro Cinti, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of Michigan Hospital System/Ann Arbor VA Health System.

"Somebody could be in the hospital for three to five days before a diagnosis [of Ebola] is confirmed," Cinti told Live Science. "The important thing is keeping the patient isolated until you can get to a diagnosis." Meanwhile, doctors will be running tests to rule out other diseases, such as malaria, which can be detected more quickly than Ebola, he said.'

They mention another test called ELISA.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-doctors-test-for-ebola/

And this is the same reason the asymptomatic people can't spread this disease. In order to be able to spread disease, the person must be shedding virus. As we see from above, even early in the symptomatic stage of the disease it can be difficult to detect virus, so it's going to be impossible for that person to pass on virus to another. Could there be an outlier that could manage to attain higher than normal viral loads while remaining asymptomatic? Well anything is possible I suppose, but it would be so unlikely that I'm not going to worry about it.

ceadaoin.

My name is URL wrote: »

Airborne really just means easily transmittable through aerosolized fluids, which ebola is not when it comes to monkeys and humans (pigs are a different story). It doesn't necessarily mean that the virus isn't present whatsoever in those fluids.

From the CDC

Although coughing and sneezing are not common symptoms of Ebola, if a symptomatic patient with Ebola coughs or sneezes on someone, and saliva or mucus come into contact with that person’s eyes, nose or mouth, these fluids may transmit the disease.

fedor.2.

Meglamonia wrote: »

Ignorance has a large part to play,the people in Liberia don't believe that Ebola is real and continue to eat bushmeat and keep monkeys as pets ffs.

Man, I'd love a pet monkey. What adventures we could have.