Ebola.Should we be worried?

underdog

We could start looking to contain it by not bring people back to Europe for treatment when they are infected. Seems very stupid of the UK and Spain to have done this.

jonnyburgo

I thought it was killer flu and killer measles that we had to worry about, but then I haven't read the papers for a while.

Roland

Last night I had dinner with an expert in this field. He said that the Spanish outbreak was due to procedural failure, and that the Spanish would be paying particular care whilst identifying and checking those that the nurse has had contact with.  The risk remains that Ebola could come into Europe.  Ebola is not easily transmitted, it's not pneumatic like some other plagues have been. The far bigger risk is that panic amongst the general public, and indeed the medical profession, could interfere with our lives.  My friend cited a recent incident when A&E had a patient of West African origin feeling unwell.  In his concern for his own health the Doctor forgot to ask "Have you been to Africa recently?, "Have you had contact with anyone who has?". A scare started until someone remembered to ask, and got the answers "no" and "no".

sinbaadi

I am concerned that it will spread.  It just seems too difficult to contain it within the breakout areas of Africa.
I'm guilty of this myself, but I'm a bit uncomfortable with the reaction to this from "The West".  I wonder if it shows how little we truly care about the millions dying unnecessarily in Africa every year when all it takes for a public outcry and mass media coverage is the prospect of a slither of that reaching our doorsteps.

ICBM

underdog said:

We could start looking to contain it by not bring people back to Europe for treatment when they are infected. Seems very stupid of the UK and Spain to have done this.

I think the reason the British chap who got it was flown back here - at great government expense in an RAF aircraft - was probably to give our top virologists access to a current live specimen, as well as to save his life. Porton Down (originally the MoD Microbiological Research Establishment, ie germ warfare) is working on it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-29083955

I'm quite sure they'll get their funding if it looks like Ebola is a serious risk here.

breakstuff

Apparently there are four hospitals on alert in the UK to provide 'surge capacity' if Ebola spreads here.

Just read on Sky news some experts are saying the UK is the third most likely country outside of Africa to report an Ebola case.

Don't know how they came to that conclusion but scary if true. Maybe best to employ this fellows philosophy.



And not his

Evilmags

VimFuego;373302" said:

the problem isn't ebola per se (though it is nasty) it's the knock on effects. Our healthcare system isn't designed to work when something major happens (local systems struggle even with contained events like major motorway incidents), if you all of a sudden have 100's of people turning up at A&E or their GPs with ebola like symptoms (and these are pretty non specific) then it places huge strain on the system. The care is (as I understand it) not particularly technical (seems to be keep the patient hydrated and clean) but the precautions the care givers have to take are onerous and time consuming. As we saw in Spain, even in a 1st world nation taking these precautions, things go wrong. You may have health care workers refusing to come into work. I personally don't think this is our dinosaur killer event, but it could play havoc with the economy (would you like to get on a crowded bus or train if you thought someone with ebola may be on there) and our healthcare system.

Calling Spain a first world country is stretching things a bit. It actually does not have the facilities recommended for ebola and still repatriated a patient. So the sentimental headlines that generated were more important than public safety? Spain is so behind Europe in science and economics that it holds less than a third of the Nobel prizes that edinburgh university does.

not_the_dj

Be afraid....http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/ebola/11148196/Spain-Ebola-case-Screen-and-sticky-tape-to-protect-against-virus.html

Drew_TNBD

Evilmags said:

VimFuego;373302" said:

the problem isn't ebola per se (though it is nasty) it's the knock on effects. Our healthcare system isn't designed to work when something major happens (local systems struggle even with contained events like major motorway incidents), if you all of a sudden have 100's of people turning up at A&E or their GPs with ebola like symptoms (and these are pretty non specific) then it places huge strain on the system. The care is (as I understand it) not particularly technical (seems to be keep the patient hydrated and clean) but the precautions the care givers have to take are onerous and time consuming. As we saw in Spain, even in a 1st world nation taking these precautions, things go wrong. You may have health care workers refusing to come into work. I personally don't think this is our dinosaur killer event, but it could play havoc with the economy (would you like to get on a crowded bus or train if you thought someone with ebola may be on there) and our healthcare system.

Calling Spain a first world country is stretching things a bit. It actually does not have the facilities recommended for ebola and still repatriated a patient. So the sentimental headlines that generated were more important than public safety? Spain is so behind Europe in science and economics that it holds less than a third of the Nobel prizes that edinburgh university does.

Wages I suppose.

RocknRollDave

not_the_dj said:

Hazmat suits....

Gesungheit *passes a tissue*

stickyfiddle

Bugger all you lot. I live far closer to Africa - there's regular flights in and out here every day!

I live on the 42nd floor. Ebola can't climb stairs, right?

VimFuego

you don't have to worry about ebola at all, ISIS will get you far quicker.

RocknRollDave

stickyfiddle said:

Bugger all you lot. I live far closer to Africa - there's regular flights in and out here every day!

I live on the 42nd floor. Ebola can't climb stairs, right?

That's daleks you're thinking of...and I think even they have sorted the whole stairs thing now.

axisus

ICBM said:

underdog said:

We could start looking to contain it by not bring people back to Europe for treatment when they are infected. Seems very stupid of the UK and Spain to have done this.

I think the reason the British chap who got it was flown back here - at great government expense in an RAF aircraft - was probably to give our top virologists access to a current live specimen, as well as to save his life. Porton Down (originally the MoD Microbiological Research Establishment, ie germ warfare) is working on it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-29083955

I'm quite sure they'll get their funding if it looks like Ebola is a serious risk here.

Porton is part of Public Health England, whom I also work for. The govt have just cut our funding by £50 million a year! We've had stuff like Ebola Lassa etc over here before anyway, that's what we have Cat 4 labs for.

It's not all that contagious as it isn't airborne. The probability is that any one person with it is likely to pass it on to just one other. Admittedly that can add up, but it won't spread like Swine flu did. Talking of which, a flu pandemic is the thing to really worry about, we are LONG overdue one and it could kill as many as 80 million people.

equalsql

chillidoggy said:

Theresa May is hot.

  She will be if she catches ebola  B-)

holnrew

Am I a bad person for thinking that Africa could stand to lose a few million people?

Phil_aka_Pip

holnrew said:

Am I a bad person for thinking that Africa could stand to lose a few million people?

No. So could we. Just depends on which people.

ICBM

axisus said:

Porton is part of Public Health England, whom I also work for. The govt have just cut our funding by £50 million a year!

Idiots. I'd bet you'd get it back and more if they got a case of Ebola in Westminster... personally I'd make it a condition in fact .

Still not sure I'd be inclined to be very quick about doing anything though .

ThePrettyDamned

Phil_aka_Pip said:

holnrew said:

Am I a bad person for thinking that Africa could stand to lose a few million people?

No. So could we. Just depends on which people.

Have you seen Jessica Hyde?

Phil_aka_Pip

ThePrettyDamned said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

holnrew said:

Am I a bad person for thinking that Africa could stand to lose a few million people?

No. So could we. Just depends on which people.

Have you seen Jessica Hyde?

No. Googled it. My not having a telly (or a licence for one) might explain why.