2014 Global Ebola Outbreak

[Feenix]

Ebola has been in the States for a week and people are already wearing masks. AIDS has been in the States for decades and people still aren't wearing condoms.

 

[Teelie]

It's because Ebola has obvious, apparent and very quick symptoms. You can unknowingly have HIV for decades before AIDS occurs.

 

[Bim]

I'm disappointed there was no red flag issued at all over the fact the man came from a country with an Ebola outbreak.

Agreed. From the moment the man said he had traveled to Africa, that should have caught their atention, and they should have quarantined and tested him for it.

 

[LuvSupes]

It seems he is a Liberian citizen not a US citizen, he just came to visit family and friends.

 

[Breogan]

Apparently to get out of the country he lied on his Screening Form. (I can sympathies with why he did, but damn!)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/w...ackage-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

When Mr. Duncan flew out of Roberts International Airport in Monrovia, the Liberian capital, on Sept. 19, he answered “no” to a question about whether he had had contact with any person who might have been stricken with Ebola in the past 21 days, the maximum period of incubation for Ebola, Mr. Kesselly said.

“He lied on his form,” Mr. Kesselly said. “If he had answered truthfully, he would have been sent to secondary screening immediately and not allowed to leave.”

 

[Teelie]

That doesn't change anything. There shouldn't even be flights allowed to or from Liberia (or any other country dealing with an epidemic) until the situation is under control unless they plan on quarantining anyone who leaves.

edit: So lying about it apparently all it takes to fool security.

 

[Marvolo]

It seems he is a Liberian citizen not a US citizen, he just came to visit family and friends.

This is harsh but we shouldnt be letting non US citizens from West Africa into this country during this outbreak. I dont care if he has family here.

 

[Doctor Evo]

Ebola and beheadings. It's turning into the 17th century again.

What does Ebola have to do with the seventeenth century?

 

[Breogan]

edit: So lying about it apparently all it takes to fool security.

Well if the symptoms are not detectable at first, all you can do is go on their word if they had been in contact with someone contaminated.
That's all they have.
So going by that, your mistake was calling it "security".

He knew. That is it, he lied. ..meanwhile in Texas

 

[Howlett]

I'm pretty surprised over the level of people seriously freaking out over this. If there even is any kind of outbreak, with our hospitals, medicine and technology, there's no way it will be anywhere near as bad as it has been in Africa.

And that's IF it even spreads and effects more people. I might understand the worry a little bit if it spreads to more than just this one case.

 

[Marvolo]

I'm pretty surprised over the level of people seriously freaking out over this. If there even is any kind of outbreak, with our hospitals, medicine and technology, there's no way it will be anywhere near as bad as it has been in Africa.

And that's IF it even spreads and effects more people. I might understand the worry a little bit if it spreads to more than just this one case.

People are freaking out more because the hospital knew he had been in West Africa and didnt check him and then sent him home which resulted in over 100 people coming into contact with him and possibly being contaminated and each of those people likely came in contact with people and those people came in contact with people etc etc etc. Its a failure and one that could cost people their lives.

If even one person dies because of that hospital's complete and utter **** up then its a tragedy. The man was also in contact with children. At the very least the parents of those children are scared sick.

So while Im not scared...yet, I am pissed.

 

[Howlett]

People are freaking out more because the hospital knew he had been in West Africa and didnt check him and then sent him home. Its a failure and one that could cost people their lives.

If even one person dies because of that hospital's complete and utter **** up then its a tragedy. The man was in contact with children.

Oh, that part is bad, and shouldn't have happened.

I'm talking about everyone else in the country freaking out that this one case of ebola is apparently the end of the world and the "OMG WE'RE ALL ALREADY DEAD NOW THAT THE EBOLA IS HERE!!!!"

I realize that fear sells and that's why the news is reporting it this way and reporting it to death, but it's beyond ridiculous.

 

[Anita18]

Oh, that part is bad, and shouldn't have happened.

I'm talking about everyone else in the country freaking out that this one case of ebola is apparently the end of the world and the "OMG WE'RE ALL ALREADY DEAD NOW THAT THE EBOLA IS HERE!!!!"

I realize that fear sells and that's why the news is reporting it this way and reporting it to death, but it's beyond ridiculous.

Yup. Meanwhile, if you read about the conditions in Africa, it's exceedingly clear why an epidemic wouldn't happen here. People are dying in clinics that wouldn't measure up to even a barn in America. They are taking away bodies and too overwhelmed to clean after them properly. There is blood, vomit, and feces all over the floors and people are walking over it. They have no choice, they don't have the resources.

THAT is how you get Ebola, when you come in contact with body fluids all over the ground where you walk and touch. That is what they mean. You don't get it by sitting next to someone just coming down with the fever.

The vast majority of the US has running water and bleach in stock at your corner store. Many of these places in Africa don't even have that. Even on a basic household cleanliness level, we would be far better prepared.

 

[Teelie]

Well if the symptoms are not detectable at first, all you can do is go on their word if they had been in contact with someone contaminated.
That's all they have.
So going by that, your mistake was calling it "security".

He knew. That is it, he lied. ..meanwhile in Texas

Spoiler

With security like it is now and how they track where people are coming from it could not be hard to see his plane ticket list "Liberia" as place of origination. I don't just mean denying him access into the U.S. from Liberia, I mean to any country while there is still a strong and likely possibility of contamination spreading.

Obviously we can't trust people to be honest so security needs to be tighter on anyone coming or going from a hotspot.

 

[Breogan]

This helps: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/u...column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

The four family members who are living there are among a handful who have been directed by the authorities to remain in isolation, following what officials said was a failure to comply with an order to stay home. Texas health officials hand-delivered orders to residents of the apartment requiring them not to leave their home and not to allow any visitors inside until their roughly three-week incubation periods have passed.

 

[Enriquespy]

"Sorry boss, can't go to work next three weeks, too busy incubating ebola and stuff...
yes, mandatory...
...yes, x-box all day, this is the life..."



Only funny if none of them are actually infected.

 

[Kane52630]

Oh, that part is bad, and shouldn't have happened.

I'm talking about everyone else in the country freaking out that this one case of ebola is apparently the end of the world and the "OMG WE'RE ALL ALREADY DEAD NOW THAT THE EBOLA IS HERE!!!!"

I realize that fear sells and that's why the news is reporting it this way and reporting it to death, but it's beyond ridiculous.

It is...I live in the DFW area I haven't seen the hysteria anywhere whatsoever.

 

[Red Mask]

This new site doesn't believe isolation works:

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/sealing-off-west-africa-wont-stop-ebola-2014-10

 

[terry78]

Some are saying the fear stems from it possibly mutating.

 

[Teelie]

Some are also watching too many movies.

 

[IncognitoWalrus]

I think books like The Hot Zone overplay the threat, while the news media is underplaying it.

We still need to treat Ebola seriously. Our health system might be better than those in Africa, but we cannot assume it will not be as dangerous here. We have to remember that people run the system, and people are fallible. No matter how many protocols we have, somebody is always bound not to follow them. To avoid carelessness, we can't be too confident.

 

[Flint Marko]

People are freaking out more because the hospital knew he had been in West Africa and didnt check him and then sent him home which resulted in over 100 people coming into contact with him and possibly being contaminated and each of those people likely came in contact with people and those people came in contact with people etc etc etc. Its a failure and one that could cost people their lives.

If even one person dies because of that hospital's complete and utter **** up then its a tragedy. The man was also in contact with children. At the very least the parents of those children are scared sick.

So while Im not scared...yet, I am pissed.

I agree. I'm not even close to getting into hysterics and I don't feel as if most people in the country should, but it is a bit sobering when you consider just how hard certain people dropped the ball.
From what I understand though, and I could be wrong here, Ebola isn't all that contagious unless you rub the person's blood directly on your face or they cough in your mouth or something like that. So this isn't a contagion-style infection where most people who came in contact with the guy will get sick.
Still, it is alarming.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

Well, I guess I won't be seeing any water, milk, or bread at the grocery store for a while.

 

[Guts]

What does Ebola have to do with the seventeenth century?

 

[IncognitoWalrus]

I agree. I'm not even close to getting into hysterics and I don't feel as if most people in the country should, but it is a bit sobering when you consider just how hard certain people dropped the ball.
From what I understand though, and I could be wrong here, Ebola isn't all that contagious unless you rub the person's blood directly on your face or they cough in your mouth or something like that. So this isn't a contagion-style infection where most people who came in contact with the guy will get sick.
Still, it is alarming.

You are correct it requires contact with fluids, but it is also known that Ebola could infect you by entering even the smallest wound. You'd have to make sure your hands are covered up VERY well if you are coming into contact with it.

Once you have contact with the fluid, it is very easy for Ebola to enter your system.