Ebola outbreak, and other potential epidemics

[clv101]

I wonder if the US are putting pressure on Caribbean and Central America counties to ban travel. I'd say the biggest risk to US would be Ebola becoming established in poor, neighbouring countries.

[biffvernon]

...what with Cuba shaming the world by its disproportionate generosity.

[fuzzy]

Cuba has had many epidemics of serious tropical diseases since WWII. They asked the russians to confirm if the US was using bioweapons on them but russian testing said nyet.

[UndercoverElephant]

http://www.politicalears.com/blog/shock ... -not-real/

By Nana Kwome (Ghana Nurse)

People in the Western World need to know what’s happening here in West Africa. THEY ARE LYING!!! “Ebola” as a virus does NOT Exist and is NOT “Spread”. The Red Cross has brought a disease to 4 specific countries for 4 specific reasons and it is only contracted by those who receive treatments and injections from the Red Cross. That is why Liberians and Nigerians have begun kicking the Red Cross out of their countries and reporting in the news the truth.

It gets better...

Reason 1: This vaccine implemented sickness being “called” Ebola was introduced into West Africa for the end goal of getting troops on the ground in Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. If you remember America was just trying to get into Nigeria for “Boko Haram” #BULLSHIT but that fell apart when Nigerians started telling the truth. There ARE NO GIRLS MISSING.

...and...

3000 troops are being sent in to make sure that this “poison” continues to spread, because again it is only spread through vaccination.

Ah, yes, those ebola vaccinations we've all heard so much about!



And the last bit?

Ask yourself: If Ebola really was spread from person to person, instead of controlled spread through vaccination – then WHY would the CDC and the US Government continue to allow flights in and out of these countries with absolutely no regulation, Or At All?

[biffvernon]

China was doing a lot to help, something that doesn't seem to have been reported in our media.

Ah, BBC News now reporting the big effort that China is making.

Meanwhile MsF is telling it like it is: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/develo ... war-309259

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29656417

[biffvernon]

http://www.msf.org/article/ebola-crisis ... tober-2014

there is an unrelated outbreak of Ebola in DRC

[clv101]

Is anyone keeping count of how many CONFIRMED Ebola cases follow all the news stories reporting "Ebola-like symptoms"? Still 2 in US, 1 in Spain?

[UndercoverElephant]

Meanwhile MsF is telling it like it is: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/develo ... war-309259

But Brice De Le Vingne believes that the end of the epidemic hinges on one condition. "We will see the end of the epidemic when we have developed a vaccine,” he said.

“But the development of a vaccine depends on private companies, who want to make a profit. In order to encourage them, we simply have to promise them orders. That is the job of the international community. [...] We do not have the luxury of time," Le Vingne added.

Ha! So the epidemic/pandemic won't end until there's a vaccine. Sounds about right. But we don't have the luxury of time? Unfortunately, vaccines can't just be churned out like romantic novels. By their very nature they take time to develop and test, which costs money. So who is going to pay for it? Well, if the developed world is going to pay for it, and it is going to take several months (optimistic guess) to develop, then what will be the situation next summer? Answer: a pandemic sweeping across Africa and various other poor parts of the world, and continually threatening the developed world (again, optimistic guess). So what would happen to the new vaccine? Answer: it will be given as a priority to health workers in the worst-affected areas and after that it will be given to people in the developed world to make sure that the pandemic doesn't get a hold here. Only after the entire population of the western countries that paid for the vaccine are themselves vaccinated will there be widespread vaccinations of people in poor parts of the world.

That's my guess anyway.

It is worth noting that of all the viral haemorrhagic fevers, there is currently a proved, established vaccine for only one (yellow fever). Many viruses defy our best efforts to develop a vaccine. There is no vaccine for AIDS, for example.

[boisdevie]

Ah, the old 'us clever Westerners will develop a vaccine' ploy and then we'll all have a Disney style happily ever after. And so it goes - we can fix anything with technology.

[Mean Mr Mustard]

We knew when I started this thread on July 2nd that the only way to contain an outbreak of ebola is to contain it at the start, before it has a chance to get out of control. It is now completely out of control, literally. There is nothing we (as a country) can do to prevent this virus devastating the three affected countries. The entire focus of the effort now should be to try to ensure that however bad it gets in those three countries, it remains contained within their borders. If this does not happen then what follows will be the defining event of all our lives - we are going to witness a global catastrophe of almost unimaginable proportions and there is no guarantee that all of the people taking part in this debate will live to see the end of it.

I think this is worth repeating, UE....

Over at Denver airport, confusion reigns between Frontier airlines and the CDC, seven flights since the return flight, and then grounded and stripped / deep cleaned. Hope the workers wore protection...

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_2 ... bola-plane


I read somewhere else today that they were also tracing Amber Vinson's outgoing flight as the CDC threshold was being reconsidered. Presumably a different aircraft. Assuming all flights were fully booked, that's 8x132 plus crews, say 50 = 1100 emails going out...

Meanwhile, another Presby on the loose...

A Texas health worker who may have had contact with specimens from the first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States has been isolated on a cruise ship

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/ ... F520141017

[UndercoverElephant]

Meanwhile, another Presby on the loose...

A Texas health worker who may have had contact with specimens from the first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States has been isolated on a cruise ship

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...

[PS_RalphW]

This is precautionary and voluntary isolation, and the ship returned to port to let the guy off. He is already 19 days past contact, so hopefully it is just doing what should have been done 3 weeks ago.

[clv101]

I'd almost like to see a ban on all media reports containing phrases: "Ebola-like symptoms" and "may have had contact with Ebola". Reportting should focus on CONFIRMED cases!

[Mean Mr Mustard]

This is precautionary and voluntary isolation, and the ship returned to port to let the guy off. He is already 19 days past contact, so hopefully it is just doing what should have been done 3 weeks ago.

Granted. But each of these isolated moronic behaviours caused by lack of control and direction - discharging the patient, pressure washing the vomit, confining to infested quarters, (after a delay), inadequate PPE and mismanaged isolation zones, then exposed staff moving about on crowded transport, the clipboard dude, are each more clicks of Russian Roulette threatening an outbreak in the US. And all which would accompany that.

Meanwhile, West Africa burns, and more people there - some infected - will surely be making plans to leave for destinations unknown.

[biffvernon]

About wearing personal protection:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/abby-norm ... 98486.html