I live in the same area as the man in Dallas who has Ebola

[Larkspur]

Yeah, I don't think closing borders would work either. There are far too many medical teams travelling to and from there at the moment treating patients, and medical supplies coming to and from there...YOu can't just abandon those people there because they happen to be in an area with an epidemic

Not to mention the economic impact of closing borders. It would destroy those countries. But maybe people think, "Oh well, they're going to die anyway; as long as we feel safer...." Honestly, flu is more of a risk than Ebola in developed countries. Car accidents are more of a risk. Childbirth is more of a risk.

 

[cookette]

Yeah, I don't think closing borders would work either. There are far too many medical teams travelling to and from there at the moment treating patients, and medical supplies coming to and from there...YOu can't just abandon those people there because they happen to be in an area with an epidemic

Not to mention the economic impact of closing borders. It would destroy those countries. But maybe people think, "Oh well, they're going to die anyway; as long as we feel safer...." Honestly, flu is more of a risk than Ebola in developed countries. Car accidents are more of a risk. Childbirth is more of a risk.

I cant quite wrap my head around this comment....I dont think anyone is wanting to write them off to just suffer through it and let them die off, but if containment can be proven as an effective measure in preventing a pandemic, then I feel no guilt whatsoever at closing the border.

 

[cookette]

I personally don't buy the crap the CDC is spewing for a single moment. I also know in the dental field at least, the average person walking around doesnt understand the impact of "airborne." If i hear another comparison to HIV, Im going to stab my eyeball out. HIV survives a VERY short time outside of an amenable host. Ebola lasts hours.

Cough on your hands with sputum, touch a doorknob, it's still there an hour later. No so with HIV.

There are also two kinds of Ebola. One IS airborne. Not the one in this case, but there's also valid logistical arguments for mutation the longer this runs on.

Do I think we need to all panic and get hazmat suits? Good grief, of course not. Do I think some people arent realizing how serious this could potentially be and poo poo'ing the concerned of the world? Yuhp.

Edited to add: Correction, there are 4 strains, one of which is in non-human primates.

 

[Larkspur]

Yeah, I don't think closing borders would work either. There are far too many medical teams travelling to and from there at the moment treating patients, and medical supplies coming to and from there...YOu can't just abandon those people there because they happen to be in an area with an epidemic

Not to mention the economic impact of closing borders. It would destroy those countries. But maybe people think, "Oh well, they're going to die anyway; as long as we feel safer...." Honestly, flu is more of a risk than Ebola in developed countries. Car accidents are more of a risk. Childbirth is more of a risk.

I cant quite wrap my head around this comment....I dont think anyone is wanting to write them off to just suffer through it and let them die off, but if containment can be proven as an effective measure in preventing a pandemic, then I feel no guilt whatsoever at closing the border.

The point is that while containment might be effective, it carries a huge range of wider effects, so it really is just cutting people off to die. More to the point, possibly, is whether containment would be in any way possible once uninfected people realise they're being abandoned and cut off. How practical do you think border management will be when thousands of people decide to try to flee the area? Saying "Just close the borders" is a total knee-jerk reaction that actually doesn't reflect the real risk of the disease spreading in the developed world, nor make any practical sense.

 

[cookette]

Yeah, I don't think closing borders would work either. There are far too many medical teams travelling to and from there at the moment treating patients, and medical supplies coming to and from there...YOu can't just abandon those people there because they happen to be in an area with an epidemic

Not to mention the economic impact of closing borders. It would destroy those countries. But maybe people think, "Oh well, they're going to die anyway; as long as we feel safer...." Honestly, flu is more of a risk than Ebola in developed countries. Car accidents are more of a risk. Childbirth is more of a risk.

I cant quite wrap my head around this comment....I dont think anyone is wanting to write them off to just suffer through it and let them die off, but if containment can be proven as an effective measure in preventing a pandemic, then I feel no guilt whatsoever at closing the border.

The point is that while containment might be effective, it carries a huge range of wider effects, so it really is just cutting people off to die. More to the point, possibly, is whether containment would be in any way possible once uninfected people realise they're being abandoned and cut off. How practical do you think border management will be when thousands of people decide to try to flee the area? Saying "Just close the borders" is a total knee-jerk reaction that actually doesn't reflect the real risk of the disease spreading in the developed world, nor make any practical sense.

I undestand. As I said, if it could be proven as completely NECESSARY and EFFECTIVE, it would be different. And while it is obviously not that simple, I would support border closure if it meant limiting exposure, I dont give a flip about economic impact if it would equate with more lives lost.

 

[jd83]

Yeah, I don't think closing borders would work either. There are far too many medical teams travelling to and from there at the moment treating patients, and medical supplies coming to and from there...YOu can't just abandon those people there because they happen to be in an area with an epidemic

Not to mention the economic impact of closing borders. It would destroy those countries. But maybe people think, "Oh well, they're going to die anyway; as long as we feel safer...." Honestly, flu is more of a risk than Ebola in developed countries. Car accidents are more of a risk. Childbirth is more of a risk.

I cant quite wrap my head around this comment....I dont think anyone is wanting to write them off to just suffer through it and let them die off, but if containment can be proven as an effective measure in preventing a pandemic, then I feel no guilt whatsoever at closing the border.

I think its just so hard either way. I can see both sides of the argument. Of course closing the borders would be a better preventive measure to it spreading. But at the same time, you cannot get around the fact that closing the borders would be basically sentencing these people to death. Without open borders for medical transits, medical teams, medical supplies, they would have no way of battling this. It's a tough enough battle as it is with all the care thats being flown in.

Aside from the medical aspect, as Larkspur mentioned, closing the borders would decimate these countries on an economical level. If they can't make trades, etc as they do now, how will they be able to survive?

I try to view it from if I were in there situation. Would I want the world to give up on me and abandon our country (if we were in their financial and medical situation) to this crisis? i don't think the disease is at a level that is beyond help to just write them off. They've made some advances with these experimental drugs. Its just a matter of production and distrubition at this point, which will take time, and to see how these new drugs work in aiding care.

 

[cookette]

Yeah, I don't think closing borders would work either. There are far too many medical teams travelling to and from there at the moment treating patients, and medical supplies coming to and from there...YOu can't just abandon those people there because they happen to be in an area with an epidemic

Not to mention the economic impact of closing borders. It would destroy those countries. But maybe people think, "Oh well, they're going to die anyway; as long as we feel safer...." Honestly, flu is more of a risk than Ebola in developed countries. Car accidents are more of a risk. Childbirth is more of a risk.

I cant quite wrap my head around this comment....I dont think anyone is wanting to write them off to just suffer through it and let them die off, but if containment can be proven as an effective measure in preventing a pandemic, then I feel no guilt whatsoever at closing the border.

I think its just so hard either way. I can see both sides of the argument. Of course closing the borders would be a better preventive measure to it spreading. But at the same time, you cannot get around the fact that closing the borders would be basically sentencing these people to death. Without open borders for medical transits, medical teams, medical supplies, they would have no way of battling this. It's a tough enough battle as it is with all the care thats being flown in.

Aside from the medical aspect, as Larkspur mentioned, closing the borders would decimate these countries on an economical level. If they can't make trades, etc as they do now, how will they be able to survive?

I try to view it from if I were in there situation. Would I want the world to give up on me and abandon our country (if we were in their financial and medical situation) to this crisis? i don't think the disease is at a level that is beyond help to just write them off. They've made some advances with these experimental drugs. Its just a matter of production and distrubition at this point, which will take time, and to see how these new drugs work in aiding care.

I agree as to the complete lack of morality in basically just isolating these countries to die off via abandonment. I dont think anyone with even the slightest moral compass could condone sealing them off and saying "Sorry about your bad luck, we'll check back in a couple years!" But Duncan, may he RIP, did no favors in blatantly lying about his exposure. How many other people will lie for it? I understand the motivation, completely. Healthcare is so much more advanced here, of course anyone would want to have access to better healthcare!!

I have no answers, no solutions, no great ideas. Its all a horrible situation no matter how you look at it.

ETA: However, I cannot still cannot condone making decisions SOLELY with their economic impact in mind. I realize that society will still have to exist when this is all said and done, but saving lives will always trump economy.

 

[jd83]

I think if it mutates to airborne, my opinion will change. At that point, the risk of a world wide pandemic would be far greater, and obviously they would have to take more drastic measures to decrease the risk of that happening. And unfortunately, it may be a case of sacrificing lives to save world lives in that type of scenario. Lets just hope things don't progress to that.

 

[Lief]

I recently read that the guy in Texas may not have known he was in contact with ebola until it was too late. Apparently he helped a pregnant woman into a taxi to get to hospital as she was feeling unwell. The woman was sent home and died later at home from ebola. The article said it was unknown if he knew as he had already left by the time the woman died.

I'm not sure how true that is considering stories are constantly changing. It can be quite scary when you sit and think about it but I'm hoping there will be some vaccine or some kind of help before it gets out of control worldwide.

 

[Quartz]

Personally I think there should be a distinction between closing the borders to let people out and letting aid workers in. Everyone should have a reason for leaving and there needs to be medical workers etc moving in and out.

I think the US case highlights part of the problem in that I think there is a naivety as to how it can spread and I think that he probably did not think that he has been in contact with it - my view is that if you are going to try and get into America for healthcare surely you would have said I think I have ebola at the first time you go to a hospital? You would not put family members etc at further risk and leave the hospital. To me it shows a lack of education at grassroots level as to how it spreads which is why it is spreading so badly.

The potential Australian case shows how it should be done, she quaratined herself on return and once symptoms started rang up straight away. That is how it should be done.

I think with becoming airborne of course it could mutate but I think its what we fear. What would the virus itself get from becoming airborne. THe danger really has always been someone turning it into an airborne strain. More likely the danger is it turns from an epidemic to a pandemic virus (which makes much more sense) that means it is always there. There are other hemorrhagic fevers that exist all the time in Western Africa but their death rate is around 10%

 

[Baby.Love12]

I live in San Antonio...not far from you. I promise it is blown up way worse than it needs to be.

A) Unless you and your children are interacting with his bodily fluids, or anyone else showing symptoms...you're fine. You can only get it from direct contact by someone who is symptomatic.

B) Our medical care in the US is about 2387575837465901 times better than the medical care in Africa where this virus is a serious epidemic. It is easily contained here, whereas the poor people in Africa have no choice but to wait it out and hope they don't die from it.

Don't worry, you'll be fine

I live in san antonio also I have never met anyone on here that lives in the same city.

 

[Desi's_lost]

I think it comes down to this. I have small children. Millions of us have small children. How hard is it really for someone to travel internationally, sneeze on the ground at a mall, and a child to end up putting their hands in it? It isn't hard at all. They can sit there are tell us this and that but I will not soon be forgetting that they said its unlikely anyone with Ebola would travel because they'd be too sick. Bullshit. Every other day, a new case is popping up somewhere in the world. It's not fair to put the WORLD at risk.

Truth be told, it's the worlds fault. We should have acted MONTHS ago. We were arrogant and selfish. But now it's too late. It's popping up everywhere. It needs to end. I'm not saying don't send in aid workers but the borders need to close.

 

[Pearls18]

I think it comes down to this. I have small children. Millions of us have small children. How hard is it really for someone to travel internationally, sneeze on the ground at a mall, and a child to end up putting their hands in it? It isn't hard at all. They can sit there are tell us this and that but I will not soon be forgetting that they said its unlikely anyone with Ebola would travel because they'd be too sick. Bullshit. Every other day, a new case is popping up somewhere in the world. It's not fair to put the WORLD at risk.

Truth be told, it's the worlds fault. We should have acted MONTHS ago. We were arrogant and selfish. But now it's too late. It's popping up everywhere. It needs to end. I'm not saying don't send in aid workers but the borders need to close.

People only give a shit now because it's affecting the western world, previously when it was just in Africa few gave a damn, it wouldn't surprise me if effective treatment or prevention comes out of it now the rich, scared, white people could be at risk (and now a profit could be made from it).

 

[Abz1982]

It may not be right next to us, but really, its not something to be flippant about.

The is in our news today:

WHO deputy head Bruce Aylward said the world's response is not keeping up with the disease, adding it is accelerating in almost all settings

He said the virus is 'entrenched' in the capital cities of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea - the three worst-hit nations

They are currently doing another clinical trial of a vaccine.

 

[jd83]

I think it comes down to this. I have small children. Millions of us have small children. How hard is it really for someone to travel internationally, sneeze on the ground at a mall, and a child to end up putting their hands in it? It isn't hard at all. They can sit there are tell us this and that but I will not soon be forgetting that they said its unlikely anyone with Ebola would travel because they'd be too sick. Bullshit. Every other day, a new case is popping up somewhere in the world. It's not fair to put the WORLD at risk.
Truth be told, it's the worlds fault. We should have acted MONTHS ago. We were arrogant and selfish. But now it's too late. It's popping up everywhere. It needs to end. I'm not saying don't send in aid workers but the borders need to close.

They said a symptomatic person wouldn't travel because they'd be too sick. The cases that have popped up out of Africa were after they had already flown, and became symptomatic days later. The distinction was made more about a clearly ill person with Ebola being too sick to travel, as once they are sick with it, they really are very ill. As in needing hospitalized, not wanting to go fly somewhere. it was more to put people's minds at ease that the likelihood of flying with an infected person who was showing symptoms is extremely low, as they'd be too sick to go anywhere.

Obviously that's not the same as people travelling while in the incubation period not having symptoms yet, and not being contagious yet, which is still a very real risk. I'm hoping they do more with the airport screening they've been working on putting in place for flights coming from there.

 

[Abz1982]

I think it comes down to this. I have small children. Millions of us have small children. How hard is it really for someone to travel internationally, sneeze on the ground at a mall, and a child to end up putting their hands in it? It isn't hard at all. They can sit there are tell us this and that but I will not soon be forgetting that they said its unlikely anyone with Ebola would travel because they'd be too sick. Bullshit. Every other day, a new case is popping up somewhere in the world. It's not fair to put the WORLD at risk.

Truth be told, it's the worlds fault. We should have acted MONTHS ago. We were arrogant and selfish. But now it's too late. It's popping up everywhere. It needs to end. I'm not saying don't send in aid workers but the borders need to close.

People only give a shit now because it's affecting the western world, previously when it was just in Africa few gave a damn, it wouldn't surprise me if effective treatment or prevention comes out of it now the rich, scared, white people could be at risk (and now a profit could be made from it).

I don't think that is fair TBH.. Before, when it was 'contained' its wasn't such a threat. Just because its outside of those countries now doesn't mean its just a threat to 'white' people. Its a threat to everyone! They probably did think that it could be contained, but now it is clear it cannot!

Don't play the race card.

Of course people are scared of it being brought back to their country! My OH has just come back from EG........he flew via Nigeria and yes, I was scared.
He also came via Frankfurt and if it was there I would have been equally as scared.

 

[jd83]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-ominous-math-of-the-ebola-epidemic/ar-BB8lB50

Anyone else see this story with projections for how many will be affected if they can't get it under control? Crazy! Looking like at its current rate of spread, could be up to over a million infected by 2015.

 

[Abz1982]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-ominous-math-of-the-ebola-epidemic/ar-BB8lB50

Anyone else see this story with projections for how many will be affected if they can't get it under control? Crazy! Looking like at its current rate of spread, could be up to over a million infected by 2015.

There is a game called Plague, on phones. OH had it last year. You can chose how something mutates and you see how fast it spreads. It may be only a game but its a smart one,. and given international travel and how closely people live in some areas then its likely to spread.

!

 

[Pearls18]

I think it comes down to this. I have small children. Millions of us have small children. How hard is it really for someone to travel internationally, sneeze on the ground at a mall, and a child to end up putting their hands in it? It isn't hard at all. They can sit there are tell us this and that but I will not soon be forgetting that they said its unlikely anyone with Ebola would travel because they'd be too sick. Bullshit. Every other day, a new case is popping up somewhere in the world. It's not fair to put the WORLD at risk.

Truth be told, it's the worlds fault. We should have acted MONTHS ago. We were arrogant and selfish. But now it's too late. It's popping up everywhere. It needs to end. I'm not saying don't send in aid workers but the borders need to close.

People only give a shit now because it's affecting the western world, previously when it was just in Africa few gave a damn, it wouldn't surprise me if effective treatment or prevention comes out of it now the rich, scared, white people could be at risk (and now a profit could be made from it).

I don't think that is fair TBH.. Before, when it was 'contained' its wasn't such a threat. Just because its outside of those countries now doesn't mean its just a threat to 'white' people. Its a threat to everyone! They probably did think that it could be contained, but now it is clear it cannot!

Don't play the race card.

Of course people are scared of it being brought back to their country! My OH has just come back from EG........he flew via Nigeria and yes, I was scared.
He also came via Frankfurt and if it was there I would have been equally as scared.

Lol this is the attitude I'm talking about exactly, so when it was contained, I.e. Only killing Africans, it wasn't something to be worried about right? But now it's not just killing Africans, now we're going to do more about it yeah? I was just being deliberately controversial with the white thing, but I will most definitely play the nationality card, most people didn't care when it was poor Africans dying. End of. I'm not talking about being scared perse that's each individual's business as to how scared you feel (with the media's help) but the general attitude and definitely the actions of governments and medical science were blasé about the ramifications until it got closer to home, understandable to an extent but still morally deplorable.

 

[felix555]

Absolutely agree with Marinewag!