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

[Jazzycat123]

We are privileged, so much so we have become unaccustomed to death and it becomes something limited as much as possible to the elderly. Truthfully 100/150 years ago not all of us and our children would have been here, medical advances are such that a lot of things have been eradicated or can be cured. Thats why Ebola scares us so much because it cant at the moment be cured or vaccinated against.

The surprisingly useless response of the CDC in America aside I think the outbreak will be shut down. Clearly Ebola becomes more and more infectious the longer a person has the disease and proper precautions should shut it down. Nigeria did it within 20 cases and Congo did it with 80 (which is what usually happens) so I think America will be no different.

That said even from a selfish perspective the only way we can stop Ebola is in West Africa with a concerted effort by everyone. Hospital beds and proper burials to ensure that the infection rate goes down is the only way. Otherwise shutting it off will cause panic and people to run and it will never go away.

Yeah I am pretty angry about the CDC right now. My sister who is a nurse at the hospital but didnt take care of Duncan and my friend who did and is now in self proclaimed isolation for 14 days said they didn't have the proper equipment for 3 days. They were literally afraid to go in there. She would cry on the way to work because she didn't want to go in because she was so scared. But she knew they and even Mr Duncan depended on her. The CDC finally provided them with what they needed.

 

[Desi's_lost]

What the fuck is wrong with people? Research students from Yale just came back from Liberia…one is now in quarantine for exhibiting potential symptoms. Thats a half hour from my house. What are they sending people over for? If you aren't an aid worker, you DO NOT BELONG THERE. And if you do go, why isn't there a 21 day quarantine mandatory? Are they trying to turn it into an epidemic?

I'm literally afraid to leave the house at this point. This is ridiculous. I don't even have the words for it.

 

[Desi's_lost]

We are privileged, so much so we have become unaccustomed to death and it becomes something limited as much as possible to the elderly. Truthfully 100/150 years ago not all of us and our children would have been here, medical advances are such that a lot of things have been eradicated or can be cured. Thats why Ebola scares us so much because it cant at the moment be cured or vaccinated against.

The surprisingly useless response of the CDC in America aside I think the outbreak will be shut down. Clearly Ebola becomes more and more infectious the longer a person has the disease and proper precautions should shut it down. Nigeria did it within 20 cases and Congo did it with 80 (which is what usually happens) so I think America will be no different.

That said even from a selfish perspective the only way we can stop Ebola is in West Africa with a concerted effort by everyone. Hospital beds and proper burials to ensure that the infection rate goes down is the only way. Otherwise shutting it off will cause panic and people to run and it will never go away.

Yeah I am pretty angry about the CDC right now. My sister who is a nurse at the hospital but didnt take care of Duncan and my friend who did and is now in self proclaimed isolation for 14 days said they didn't have the proper equipment for 3 days. They were literally afraid to go in there. She would cry on the way to work because she didn't want to go in because she was so scared. But she knew they and even Mr Duncan depended on her. The CDC finally provided them with what they needed.

She's one heroic woman. I show my lack of character here but I would have quit.

 

[Desi's_lost]

I was basically meaning that I have seen some forums where there is mass hysteria about it, people saying they will catch it from door handles or from simply being In the same vicinity, that people could be walking around with it infecting everyone else and that quite simply is not true. I meant good hand hygiene and common sense to protect ourselves from catching it not so much the health workers as I am aware they are at a much bigger risk of getting it than the general public, it was just me saying that I personally am not getting into a tizz over it or allowing myself to be scare mongered by the media that it's going to wipe out the planet, I have read loads about it online and I know I am highly unlikely to get it just keeping a rational head on.

Have you seen anything about if clorox wipes/wet ones/hand sanitizer actually kills ebola in particular? Until today, i've tried my damnedest to stay away from it because I simply can't keep a rational head about it.

 

[Missnurse]

Hand sanitisers are not enough to clean your hands regardless of what illness is going about be it flu d&v or whatever, only proper hand washing using recommended techniques with soap and hot water is enough to get rid of bacteria, hand sanitisers should only be used as an extra and I am saying this from my nurses training at university, not just made up lol

With regards wipes etc I have no idea, it was tuffie wipes which were used when I was on placement in my local hospital that were used to clean down mattresses commodes etc but I'd imagine for Ebola patients there would be a different set of procedure for the things used by them. By the time a person is showing the contagious symptoms they would be quarantined (one hopes) by that point so not touching door handles in loos or sitting next to someone on a bus etc.

Of course I understand others fears about I was simply outlining my view point and my feelings about it

 

[Pearls18]

If anyone is in the UK and worried watch ITV's Tonight show on itv+1 at 8.30, it's a very rational overview of what happens if someone was to fly into the UK with Ebola, the biggest comfort to me (not that I've been worried tbh) is the fact it isn't contagious while you're not having symptoms, it's very much put things into perspective. Basically, an epidemic will not happen in a country like ours, I really hope it is gotten controlled of in Africa though, I can't imagine how awful it is to experience the disease let alone without the comforts and medicines we have to get through illnesses.

I massively respect the people, volunteers and workers, who have gone out to help in Africa, I will be saving my concerns for them, if they can keep a level head about it it would be irrational of me not to.

 

[Jazzycat123]

I was basically meaning that I have seen some forums where there is mass hysteria about it, people saying they will catch it from door handles or from simply being In the same vicinity, that people could be walking around with it infecting everyone else and that quite simply is not true. I meant good hand hygiene and common sense to protect ourselves from catching it not so much the health workers as I am aware they are at a much bigger risk of getting it than the general public, it was just me saying that I personally am not getting into a tizz over it or allowing myself to be scare mongered by the media that it's going to wipe out the planet, I have read loads about it online and I know I am highly unlikely to get it just keeping a rational head on.

Have you seen anything about if clorox wipes/wet ones/hand sanitizer actually kills ebola in particular? Until today, i've tried my damnedest to stay away from it because I simply can't keep a rational head about it.

Nope, none of that stuff will protect you. Ebola is a harsh virus and is very hard to kill. There are 5 strains. One is a primate only strain. One is actually airborne but supposedly not the one going around. The other 3 are the one that is going around and other two are almost identical. We actually have the less lethal one. It scares me to think if it had been the airborne strains.

 

[Quartz]

I was basically meaning that I have seen some forums where there is mass hysteria about it, people saying they will catch it from door handles or from simply being In the same vicinity, that people could be walking around with it infecting everyone else and that quite simply is not true. I meant good hand hygiene and common sense to protect ourselves from catching it not so much the health workers as I am aware they are at a much bigger risk of getting it than the general public, it was just me saying that I personally am not getting into a tizz over it or allowing myself to be scare mongered by the media that it's going to wipe out the planet, I have read loads about it online and I know I am highly unlikely to get it just keeping a rational head on.

Agree. One of the biggest issues is the burial rituals that they have and I read today they think at least 50% of the cases in Guinea and Sierra Leone come from that (it was at least the way that it was caused in the first place) and that wont happen over here.

Also not everyone who comes in contact with it will get it the idea that everyone will somehow get it just does not make sense. Even the black death in the 1300s was only a maximum of 50% (I am not saying that isnt high its just that it wont wipe out the planet).

Also I have read half of the supposed ebola cases and most of them dont have that much basis in being a believable cases! It just so much paranoia has meant the slightest temperature and people think the worse. God knows how we are going to cope with the winter flu season!

 

[Jazzycat123]

She was open about her fever, asked advice from those screening (CDC related) and was given the all-clear to travel, so in this case I would be leaning towards no.

ETA: I'm sorry about your friend, that sounds very stressful for her and her family/friends.

yeah the CDC said they didn't give her permission and now they are changing their story. I dunno what to believe anymore. The CDC has made this worse six ways from Sunday.

Yeah, I keep reading changes to this story too, so not sure what to make of it now. Latest seems to be that they told her she could travel with that low grade of a fever, but also seeing stories that say they never said one way or the other about travel and she interpreted that to mean she was allowed to...I don't know. CDC has been changing their story enough to make me question whose at fault here for sure, but regardless of fault, there's no way she should have been in Ohio visiting family when she was on a watch period, and then traveling back home. That part doesn't change as negligent behavior on her part.

Well, legally, according to how our laws are written she did nothing wrong. Ethically, meh, one could question. I guess it depends on your view point. I asked my sister if she knew her and she said nope. My mom is a doctor there but she is usually in the Neonatal unit and only twice a week because she is semi retired so she knows none of them. She did say she had a patient refuse to have her baby delivered there and they actually had to transport her by ambulance to another hospital while in labor because she was scared that Duncan was there.

 

[Pearls18]

I was basically meaning that I have seen some forums where there is mass hysteria about it, people saying they will catch it from door handles or from simply being In the same vicinity, that people could be walking around with it infecting everyone else and that quite simply is not true. I meant good hand hygiene and common sense to protect ourselves from catching it not so much the health workers as I am aware they are at a much bigger risk of getting it than the general public, it was just me saying that I personally am not getting into a tizz over it or allowing myself to be scare mongered by the media that it's going to wipe out the planet, I have read loads about it online and I know I am highly unlikely to get it just keeping a rational head on.

Have you seen anything about if clorox wipes/wet ones/hand sanitizer actually kills ebola in particular? Until today, i've tried my damnedest to stay away from it because I simply can't keep a rational head about it.

Nope, none of that stuff will protect you. Ebola is a harsh virus and is very hard to kill. There are 5 strains. One is a primate only strain. One is actually airborne but supposedly not the one going around. The other 3 are the one that is going around and other two are almost identical. We actually have the less lethal one. It scares me to think if it had been the airborne strains.

It's not just that it's a "harsh" virus, anti bac stuff doesn't even protect from D&V, if your house is ravaged with a stomach bug no amount of anti bac-ing hands will do it, you've got to keep hand washing. No idea why but I've known that for years. My friend is a nurse and she said you use anti bac for MRSA and handwash for c-diff (she looked after lots of old people!)

 

[Missnurse]

As marinewag says anti bac does diddly squat unless used in conjunction with proper hand washing techniques I usually go by the 5 moments for hand hygiene when working with patients.

 

[Laylagirl]

My comment about shutting off the originating country, as I said was in due to my ignorance of the disease and that I know that closing off borders cannot be done... And the truth is, and I am not speaking out of my own personal feelings about people, but the truth about the United States (government, not the public) is that the only reason our media is making a large deal over hear for us is because now it's on it's way in to the US, whereas before when lots were dying in those other countries, how much did they do to help? I'm sure the US sent in resources to help but with the help of the people from those countries, properly disposing of dead body's, proper hygiene...etc... It's hard to really help more. I'm not by any means saying that I don't care about these other countries at all. But it's hard for people like us to just avoid panic when the media portrays things is such a manner that we feel as though we need to keep our own loved ones closer to us and feel threatened by others who come and go from our countries. Obviously we can't close borders..

Also, cnn reported that a few patients who had and recovered from Ebola received blood from another recovered patient, yet mr. Duncan did not... Apparently, his blood type was not a match... Which I find strange..

I don't know what will happen, but as I've already said, I'm afraid for the outcome if this doesn't get under control.. If that makes me a bad person, I really don't know what else to say.. Maybe I just don't know enough about this...

 

[misspriss]

Also, cnn reported that a few patients who had and recovered from Ebola received blood from another recovered patient, yet mr. Duncan did not... Apparently, his blood type was not a match... Which I find strange..

Why do you find that strange? Blood transfusions have to compatible types or it can cause all kinds of issues.

Though blood type O is considered the universal donor for whole blood, type AB is the universal donor for plasma, according to the Red Cross. According to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where Duncan was being treated, Duncan did not receive any kind of blood transfusion because his blood type was not compatible with any of the donors.

 

[Sarahkka]

My comment about shutting off the originating country, as I said was in due to my ignorance of the disease and that I know that closing off borders cannot be done... And the truth is, and I am not speaking out of my own personal feelings about people, but the truth about the United States (government, not the public) is that the only reason our media is making a large deal over hear for us is because now it's on it's way in to the US, whereas before when lots were dying in those other countries, how much did they do to help? I'm sure the US sent in resources to help but with the help of the people from those countries, properly disposing of dead body's, proper hygiene...etc... It's hard to really help more. I'm not by any means saying that I don't care about these other countries at all. But it's hard for people like us to just avoid panic when the media portrays things is such a manner that we feel as though we need to keep our own loved ones closer to us and feel threatened by others who come and go from our countries. Obviously we can't close borders..

Also, cnn reported that a few patients who had and recovered from Ebola received blood from another recovered patient, yet mr. Duncan did not... Apparently, his blood type was not a match... Which I find strange..

I don't know what will happen, but as I've already said, I'm afraid for the outcome if this doesn't get under control.. If that makes me a bad person, I really don't know what else to say.. Maybe I just don't know enough about this...

It might make you feel better to know that there are lots of things we can do to help. If you go onilne to Doctors Without Borders or the Red Cross, you can find masses of information about what is being done and what else needs to happen. Taking a good look at photos from some of the African nations may help quell paranoia and raise compassion. Just on our national news site, there are a handful of photos showing people dying on the side of the road, a mother and toddler lying on a dirty mattress, even the aid clinics are basically tent structures. Those aid agencies have been begging for help and attention for MONTHS. Conditions are deplorable, so sterilization is very difficult. It will make an enormous difference once adequate aid arrives.
We are going to have a few cases here, but very few people are actually at risk. Worrying about an exposure and refusing to leave one's house isn't a rational response (by the way, I do realize that some people suffer from conditions like health anxiety and are well aware that their response isn't rational, but can't help it - I am not meaning those people). And I am meaning in general, just as an example of several posts on here and many many more I have read on FB.
I know that sometimes it can help to have an outlet and feel like we're doing something. Donate to one of the aid agencies, find out what's being done for the orphans of Ebola and contribute - there are all sorts of real, positive actions that will make a difference and that does so much more than getting caught up in the hysteria on the internet and in the news media.
I think it's great that you are re-thinking your original post and trying to learn a bit more about the issues, by the way.

 

[HBGirl]

When DD was in ICU a child was brought in with unexplained abdominal bleeding. They were pretty quickly putting in requests for travel info. This child was in the bed next to DD. Even then I was not worried. Its hard to catch.

 

[Gnomer]

The population of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia is what, around 20 million, give or take. The death toll since Guinea confirmed it had 50 cases of ebola in march is estimated at 4,500.
Now, consider the medical facilities and sanitisation of these countries. Consider the cultural practices when family members become ill and die. Consider the knowledge they will have on infection prevention, the resources they will have to help prevent infection spreading.
Compare this with more developed countries. In the USA and the UK we are surrounded by amazing medical facilities. We have knowledge. We have medicine. We become ill, we go to a doctor. We do not have the same cultural practices that the effected countries have.

Not for a minute am I meaning to take anything away from this absolute disaster, it's tragic and my heart goes out to those affected in the three majorly hit countries in west Africa. But, 4,500 known deaths in places with a population of 20m, with none existent sanitation and medical facilities (by our standards) is an relatively small amount on the grand scale of things. It is devestating in the countries it's currently effecting, and the potential for it to become even widespread in them countries is huge. But only in them countries.

It is not going to travel to the US and take out half the population in the first six months. It's going to be far easier to contain, treat and manage should it travel to a developed country.

The frenzy it's kicked up amongst some of my American friends (not all, might I add. I have around 30 Americans on my Facebook, and it's less than half that are in ebola panic) would make you believe this is far far far worse than it is, and the whole of Africa is now nothing but diseased people exploding on the streets.

Again, it's horrendous and shouldn't be happening. We should have been in Western Africa, treating and educating them MONTHS ago. There is absolutely no point in getting ourselves in a tizzy, screaming for closing borders and stopping flights (because that won't make an ounce of difference. You'd have to stop ALL flights from all over the world).
The more it's left to fester in west Africa the worse it will be for us.

 

[Larkspur]

Just checking in on this thread. How is everyone feeling about this now?

I see Thomas Duncan's fiancée and family come out of quarantine on Monday. Does it make people feel better to see that even people living in close quarters with an infected person are actually not likely to catch it... Let alone simply sharing a subway, or a state!

 

[Sarahkka]

I think the statistical unlikelihood has sunk in for me. I was a little nervous for awhile as my husband is a paramedic who works flights and the airport, but they had training which took them through the possibility of an Ebola exposure: it was tiny! Like incredibly unlikely.
I'm back to worrying about reasonable things like traffic and flu season!