The Ebola virus

[white trash sparkles]

I am reminded of the movie outbreak when I think about the current situation of the Ebola virus in west Africa. It is a hybrid strain and is apparently airborne because of this (typical ebola is usually only transmittable through blood and fluid, this strain is different).

I could definitely see this becoming a world wide pandemic given the unusual nature of the virus and the fairly sloppy control efforts.

Who else is a bit scared?

[hellocupcake]

Where did you read that it's airborne?

[tamithomas]

I personally think this whole Ebola "Scare" has been fear mongered and spun way out of control. The media is not helping by reporting every single person as a suspect who has cough as potential Ebola suspect. Only two cases are known of in the US and they're at a hospital isolated from the world. Ebola has been around for ages and it hasn't spread globally. It's not about to out of the blue now. The patients in the US are isolated in hospitals.

[tamithomas]

well that was a cluster fuck of a repetitive post, sorry lol. Wrote it in a hurry.

[CoralCat]

I personally think this whole Ebola "Scare" has been fear mongered and spun way out of control. The media is not helping by reporting every single person as a suspect who has cough as potential Ebola suspect. Only two cases are known of in the US and they're at a hospital isolated from the world. Ebola has been around for ages and it hasn't spread globally. It's not about to out of the blue now. The patients in the US are isolated in hospitals.

I agree with this, all the mdeia has basically jumped on it and exxaggerated to make it a bit more interesting it seems.

Anyways, I tend to try not to worry I'm getting an illness otherwise if I get to worried I basically start to imagine or exaggerate some of the symptoms I think so yeah and I don't want to speak too soon but it doesn't seem to be much of a threat to me, no one even close to my area has been treated but maybe if I lived near someone who was being treated I'd a be a little worried

[lauralovescats09]

This whole current state we are in scares me I mean Ebola, people dying, north California is in a serious serious drought, rain in August I mean I was talking to my friend I feel like the end is near. Maybe all these Hollywood movies are getting to me but I'm terrified something could happen leaving the people to survive on what little food & water we may have left.

[HattieChaos]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... ng-disease

Ebola is a horrific disease that kills more than half of people infected by it, though with specialist western treatment that death rate would likely fall a little. It’s unsurprising that the prospect of catching it is a scary one. The relief is that it’s not all that infectious: direct contact with bodily fluids of a visibly infected person is required, meaning that, compared with many illnesses, it’s easily contained.

Even in the midst of the current outbreak – the worst ever – the spread of the disease has not been rapid in west Africa: around 400 new cases were reported in June, and a further 500 or so in July. This is a linear spread, meaning each person at present is infecting on average around (actually just over) one additional person.

Far more worrying are diseases that spread exponentially: if one infected person spreads the disease to two or more on average, the illness spreads far quicker and is a much more worrying prospect, even if mortality is considerably lower.

The 800-plus deaths from Ebola in Africa so far this year are indisputably tragic, but it is important to keep a sense of proportion – other infectious diseases are far, far deadlier.

Since the Ebola outbreak began in February, around 300,000 people have died from malaria, while tuberculosis has likely claimed over 600,000 lives. Ebola might have our attention, but it’s not even close to being the biggest problem in Africa right now. Even Lassa fever, which shares many of the terrifying symptoms of Ebola (including bleeding from the eyelids), kills many more than Ebola – and frequently finds its way to the US.

[go_further]

I also have watched too many documentaries but Im pretty sure its airborne. I don't have time to find the link now but there was a study with pigs and monkeys (?) separated in different cages no contact and they got the disease. I really think its population control but idk

[bunnybutt420]

People in the West need to calm the hell down about this.

1. Even if Ebola is found in your Western country (hi America), your Western country is more then likely to be equipped to handle and control a small outbreak. That's why we should be focussing our efforts on the developing nations who don't have the same technology/access to medical advances that we have in the West.
2. Ebola is difficult to catch and it is NOT airborne. Ebola is spread via bodily fluids. You cannot get ebola from drinking water/eating certain foods.. more ridiculous misconceptions.
3. If you do contract ebola, this notion that you are going to die a very slow and painful death isn't necessarily true. There are many known survivors, one of many (a doctor) (http://time.com/3270016/ebola-survivor-kent-brantly/) is submitting his blood/bodily samples to help find a cure.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
^ Here's the World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet on Ebola in simple English.

The only reason Ebola is all over the news/media is because it is creating panic, thus generating sales and views. We all pay more attention to the news when there's some kind of an imminent threat but you need to start wondering, is this really a huge threat to life as we know it or are the media overblowing a small, topical story to scare us shitless.

[white trash sparkles]

People in the West need to calm the hell down about this.

1. Even if Ebola is found in your Western country (hi America), your Western country is more then likely to be equipped to handle and control a small outbreak. That's why we should be focussing our efforts on the developing nations who don't have the same technology/access to medical advances that we have in the West.
2. Ebola is difficult to catch and it is NOT airborne. Ebola is spread via bodily fluids. You cannot get ebola from drinking water/eating certain foods.. more ridiculous misconceptions.
3. If you do contract ebola, this notion that you are going to die a very slow and painful death isn't necessarily true. There are many known survivors, one of many (a doctor) (http://time.com/3270016/ebola-survivor-kent-brantly/) is submitting his blood/bodily samples to help find a cure.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
^ Here's the World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet on Ebola in simple English.

The only reason Ebola is all over the news/media is because it is creating panic, thus generating sales and views. We all pay more attention to the news when there's some kind of an imminent threat but you need to start wondering, is this really a huge threat to life as we know it or are the media overblowing a small, topical story to scare us shitless.

Not true. In Liberia most of the Ebola outbreak occurred from eating bush meat (monkey meat). Also Ebola can be contracted just by having ebola infected bodily fluids
Have contact on your skin. Sanjay Gupta demonstrated that the other day in segment on C.N.N.

[Rosewynn]

I am more worried about getting Enterovirus as I have a compromised immune system. I agree, everyone needs to simmer down about Ebola. When I go out I am wearing a mask because of the Enterovirus and people keep coming up to me asking me if I have Ebola. It's really freakin' annoying, especially considering if I was I would need a hazmat suit - what the hell is the mask only going to do?

[bunnybutt420]

People in the West need to calm the hell down about this.

1. Even if Ebola is found in your Western country (hi America), your Western country is more then likely to be equipped to handle and control a small outbreak. That's why we should be focussing our efforts on the developing nations who don't have the same technology/access to medical advances that we have in the West.
2. Ebola is difficult to catch and it is NOT airborne. Ebola is spread via bodily fluids. You cannot get ebola from drinking water/eating certain foods.. more ridiculous misconceptions.
3. If you do contract ebola, this notion that you are going to die a very slow and painful death isn't necessarily true. There are many known survivors, one of many (a doctor) (http://time.com/3270016/ebola-survivor-kent-brantly/) is submitting his blood/bodily samples to help find a cure.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
^ Here's the World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet on Ebola in simple English.

The only reason Ebola is all over the news/media is because it is creating panic, thus generating sales and views. We all pay more attention to the news when there's some kind of an imminent threat but you need to start wondering, is this really a huge threat to life as we know it or are the media overblowing a small, topical story to scare us shitless.

Not true. In Liberia most of the Ebola outbreak occurred from eating bush meat (monkey meat). Also Ebola can be contracted just by having ebola infected bodily fluids
Have contact on your skin. Sanjay Gupta demonstrated that the other day in segment on C.N.N.

My entire post is not true?

Stop watching TV shows that are designed to get you riled up and panicked about the new fashionable disease and do some of your own research.

There is a huge difference between foodbourne illnesses and viruses spread by bodily fluid.
The bush meat you are talking about? The virus ebola comes from the people preparing the meat and coming in contact with the animal's fluids (ie. the monkey's blood, tissue ect)

Again, I would like to point you to some facts from some different sources:

1. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
2. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/infographic.pdf
3. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... k-epidemic
4 .http://www.redcross.ca/what-we-do/globa ... nfographic

[justanopinion]

You know this disease has been around since the 1920s? It usually kills around 100 people per year in Africa but because conditions have been so bad there has been an outbreak + the disease has developed and is harder to kill. The media isn't giving the real facts about the disease.

[white trash sparkles]

I am more worried about getting Enterovirus as I have a compromised immune system. I agree, everyone needs to simmer down about Ebola. When I go out I am wearing a mask because of the Enterovirus and people keep coming up to me asking me if I have Ebola. It's really freakin' annoying, especially considering if I was I would need a hazmat suit - what the hell is the mask only going to do?

The Entereovirus is Polio. As long as you've had a Polio vaccine as a kid you should be fine. The only reason why children are getting polio in this day in age is because of the anti vaccine crap (vaccines cause autism ect).