Ebola

[ls99]

IMHO entirely plausible.

Edit add: the quote is from Emed TV

Ebola Incubation Period

The Ebola incubation period is the period of time between infection with the Ebola virus and the appearance of symptoms associated with the disease. The Ebola incubation period can be as short as 2 days or as long as 21 days.

 

[audreyh1]

IMHO entirely plausible.

Edit add: the quote is from Emed TV

Ebola Incubation Period

The Ebola incubation period is the period of time between infection with the Ebola virus and the appearance of symptoms associated with the disease. The Ebola incubation period can be as short as 2 days or as long as 21 days.

I am really not worried about infected people from Africa traveling to Central America, and infecting people from Central America who then travel north to get cross the US border.

 

[LOL!]

Just today a person is isolated in NYC being tested for ebola.
Mount Sinai patient who traveled to West Africa tested for Ebola virus | 7online.com
Seems things are a bit more complicated than two known carriers of ebola who are citizens are back, more persons will surely be here in a short time.

Might as well have the US medical system figure out how to treat the problem. The sooner the better.

Edit add: maintaining fear of what if, is too late. Clear and effective thinking and doing will save the day.

If I was a non-US citizen with a visa to the US and felt I was coming down with ebola, I think the first thing I might do is book a flight to the US or other first world country because if I do have ebola, said country is going to do everything in their power to take care of me. That is, they would not let contagious me roam the streets.

 

[ls99]

I am really not worried about infected people from Africa traveling to Central America, and infecting people from Central America who then travel north to get cross the US border.

That is OK. There are plenty of other malaises the illegal migrants have that can do one in.

In any case time will tell. Hope I loose on my prediction.

For the record, when I was legally obtaining my immigration visa to the US, I had to undergo an extremely detailed medical exam, Xrays, blood tests to name a few, by a doctor selected by the US Legation. The results were than examined bay a separate doctor selected by the US Legation pre paid.

Only when the medical exam results were stamped, homogenized, square rooted, and god knows what else, was I issued an entry visa which was only valid for a 30 day time frame. If I would have missed the time frame, an entirely new medical would have had to performed.

Another words I am not a happy camper that folks can come in willy nilly and then taxpayers foot the bill for whatever their little hearts desire.

 

[timo2]

Anyone else deeply uncomfortable with the idiotic decision to bring known, infected Ebola patients into the US? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

No. There are plenty of other people we don't know about that could be here with it. Besides, influenza is way worse for spreading in populations and we already have that.

 

[LOL!]

Besides, influenza is way worse for spreading in populations and we already have that.

But we have vaccines for many strains of influenza and know how to make vaccines for new strains. That is a big, big difference between influenze and ebola.

And not to make brewer1-5 worry more, but there are those viruses that are like combos of rabies and ebola such as bas-Congo virus.

And a true story: A sibling of mine is a physician that flies often. They have been the "doctor-on-the-plane" a few times. On a flight, a guy had the flu and did some projectile vomiting onto some other passengers. Who would want touch or treat him?

 

[brewer12345]

But we have vaccines for many strains of influenza and know how to make vaccines for new strains. That is a big, big difference between influenze and ebola.

And not to make brewer1-5 worry more, but there are those viruses that are like combos of rabies and ebola such as bas-Congo virus.

And a true story: A sibling of mine is a physician that flies often. They have been the "doctor-on-the-plane" a few times. On a flight, a guy had the flu and did some projectile vomiting onto some other passengers. Who would want touch or treat him?

Frankly, I plan on staying out of airplanes and public places/transportation.

If it becomes clear that something ugly and transmissible has gotten loose, the kids will stay home from school, the doors will be locked on my house, the supplies of food in the basement will be broken open, and nobody is coming in or going out. Since I no longer live in a major coastal population center, hopefully I have some time once "whatever" gets loose.

But since wiser posters and moderators assure me that none of this will ever happen, I don't have to worry about any of this I am sure.

 

[M Paquette]

Seems much agitation over the doc with ebola back in the US. Meanwhile back of (at) the ranch, ahem, Texas border thousands are pouring over the border with slight if any difficulty carrying all sorts of nasty diseases, surely ebola is one of them.

Just today a person is isolated in NYC being tested for ebola.
Mount Sinai patient who traveled to West Africa tested for Ebola virus | 7online.com

Yeah, but NYC is in North Texas...

 

[ls99]

Yeah, but NYC is in North Texas...

Far enough to speak a different language.

 

[ERD50]

...
Of course America is famous for really stupid decisions, so I guess there is no reason why we should break that string now.

Ha

I don't think it is clear that this is a stupid decision. Sure, we should all be concerned, but it certainly is plausible (and likely, IMO), that we learn more about the disease and its treatment and therefore gain from this approach.

Sure there are risks - but I feel better knowing that this is getting lots of public exposure. I think mistakes are more common when everyone gets lazy and no one is looking. I really doubt that the infection will spread from this particular incident, but of course anything is possible.

-ERD50

 

[Gumby]

Frankly, I plan on staying out of airplanes and public places/transportation.

If it becomes clear that something ugly and transmissible has gotten loose, the kids will stay home from school, the doors will be locked on my house, the supplies of food in the basement will be broken open, and nobody is coming in or going out. Since I no longer live in a major coastal population center, hopefully I have some time once "whatever" gets loose.

But since wiser posters and moderators assure me that none of this will ever happen, I don't have to worry about any of this I am sure.

I think this poster offered some wise advice.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/confidence-57398.html#post1099664

 

[brewer12345]

I think this poster offered some wise advice.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/confidence-57398.html#post1099664

I would offer you some other advice, but I know better than to argue with a mod/admin/whatever.

 

[growing_older]

So, just to be clear, additional information is slowly leaking out.

Both US patients appear to have caught the virus not from other patients, but from other health care workers who were apparently infected but not yet showing symptoms. No matter how careful you are with patient to doctor contact, if you don't protect doctor to doctor contact in the period between an exposure and symptoms, the disease can spread.

Apparently health care workers who are not yet aware they have been infected are a possible source of further infections. Does this mean full isolation protocol for health care providers at all times? Is this part of anyone's plans?

While the much vaunted US health care system may indeed help these patients, their likely recovery is probably due to an experimental (never been tried) serum of antibodies which was administered in Africa and which showed marked improvement in a matter of hours. The US hospital is providing basic supportive care only. There is no specific treatment for Ebola other than the experimental serum already administered.

When these patients do recover, they will remain possibly contagious afterward for up to months. They should require isolation during that time to prevent spreading the infection.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Everyone is so spun up about these two cases...they are not the ones to worry about. There WILL BE cases here...no doubt about it. There will be folks who think they might have it and jump on the first non stop flight back home...the general public be damned.

The lesson here is to have a good supply of survival items (food/water) to endure sheltering in place for a while. My original backup was to be able to hunker down for 3 months, but that plan is being changed to be able to survive for a year. Any longer than that and I won't want to be around anyway.

I honestly think that with the burgeoning population in the world, it's only a matter of time before some really nasty virus takes out a whole messload of people.

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

 

[eytonxav]

This thread is the litmus test for ERF doomsday preppers

 

[sheehs1]

I have concerns both ways. Am thankful they were able to bring Americans back home for treatment. On the other hand, I don't know that we know all there is to know about Ebola.

My first question would be "How did they come in contact with it". Probably not answerable. However, if, indeed, it is only spread by body fluids (as they say) and presuming they were very careful then how did they get it?

Even if it was doctor to nurse or doctor to health care workers, just which body fluids did they come in contact with? I would think most are careful enough for even that not to happen.

I'm not convinced it's just via body fluids.

 

[sheehs1]

I am wondering if the virus will still be communicable after the patient recovers.

Interesting point. If there is no cure then "where does it go"?. Can they really measure 1 virus particle that escapes?

 

[growing_older]

Even if it was doctor to nurse or doctor to health care workers, just which body fluids did they come in contact with?

In the case of Ebola, bodily fluids include sweat. In a sufficiently hot climate, I would expect that any physical contact would possibly involve sweat. Also, Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever, so there is likely to be more possibility of contact with blood than many other diseases.

People can be exposed to Ebola virus from direct physical contact with body fluids like blood, saliva, stool, urine, sweat etc. of an infected person and soiled linen used by a patient.


It can be spread through contact with objects, such as needles, that have been contaminated with infected secretions.

 

[timo2]

It is the carriers you don't know about that are worrying. The ones we know about are getting proper treatment I carried a deadly, Ebola-like virus into Colorado - The Denver Post

 

[M Paquette]

For ERs with too much time on their hands:

Five Threats More Terrifying Than Ebola Arriving in the U.S. - Bloomberg

 

[timo2]

For ERs with too much time on their hands:

Five Threats More Terrifying Than Ebola Arriving in the U.S. - Bloomberg

FINE! play the asteroid card!! Then here is a 'half full' view 7 Reasons The World Isn't Totally Screwed Right Now

 

[robnplunder]

For ERs with too much time on their hands:

Five Threats More Terrifying Than Ebola Arriving in the U.S. - Bloomberg

I liked it.

900 death so far against world population of 7 Billion .... a mere 6+ earthquake in China killed more than 600 people (and counting) in one day.

People panicked on SARS, too. At the end of the day, the total death toll was less than 1000.

 

[Brat]

After learning that Ebola can be communicated through sweat I now understand the utility of those cover-the-body robes common in Africa and the Middle East. You don't want to come in contact with a sweaty body on the bus or in the markets.

 

[Fermion]

I liked it.

900 death so far against world population of 7 Billion .... a mere 6+ earthquake in China killed more than 600 people (and counting) in one day.

People panicked on SARS, too. At the end of the day, the total death toll was less than 1000.

Only a few kids have ever died by putting their head through fence slats and yet regulations now require I have to space my slats no more than 4" apart.

Why such regulations when it is far more likely that an asteroid will hit an Ebola patient and splatter me with fluids?

 

[unno2002]

[FONT=&quot]I opine it was a political smoke-screen decision. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"… all Ebola virus species have displayed the ability to be spread through airborne particles (aerosols)… "[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/pdf/fact-sheet.pdf[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The ebola "noise" is helping to keep subdued the myriad of diseases being brought into this country by the invasion along our southern border.[/FONT]