John K Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 This is possibly as random a topic as the discussion on hoovering cats at last night's Cotswolds meet...Is anybody concerned about the latest Ebola outbreak?I first read about it fifteen years back and it was described as a possible 'eraser event' and now the 'official' media is downplaying it a bit.I suspect the truth is in the middle.But the TV is saying it is not as contagious as for example Flu or SARS as it is transmitted by bodily fluids.But doesn't a cough or sneeze spread bodily fluids...Any bacteriological* warfare experts out there..? *Just remembered its a virus LOL... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyonspride Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I suspect the media was "playing it up" a lot back then, they love nothing more than a bit of mass hysteria! After all the flu/etc outbreaks we've had recently, nobody takes any notice anyway....... Until someone close to them falls over dead. Those who don't come close to it, they wander about spreading gossip about how it's "just a cold". If something BIG ever hit this country, we (as in UK) with our crazy media and product advertising driven ideas of cleanliness and hygiene, we'd be completely screwed. BUT I think the thing that will eventually get us, is something spread by cute/fluffy animals, because 90% of us seem adamant that anything cute/fluffy can't possibly be "dirty" and then once it hits our schools, the very poor hygiene education we give our children will cause it to reach all of our doorsteps within a few weeks. People may laugh or find entertainment in zombie apocalypse movies, but take away the animated corpses and they paint a pretty accurate picture. "28 days later" is scary because it could actually happen, we already have infectious diseases that do that to animals, it's only one (very large) jump away from spreading to humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAFKARM Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Yes, i'm concerned. My other half is a doctor in A&E so likely to catch it first... i think theres a fair bit of scaremongering though - an athlete testing negative isnt really news... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Ouch regards the other half... That is genuinely a front line role. I'm moderately interested as I'm a regular international flier. Me thinks I will be doing lots of hand washing at the airports, they are great places to pick up infections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 It is a concern, however where this is worst, the standards of hygiene are not good. It was only when it reached a relatively modern city that there was real panic. What is clear is that it is terrible and will spread across the world unless action is taken. I don't think it will be like the apocalyptic event that Hollywood depict because the modern health care are equipped for dealing with victims in isolation wards etc, so the spread will be individuals, unlike Africa. What is also clear is that now this has the potential to be something that affects other countries not just Africans, the US have got a drug ready to start using on humans. That was convenient. What I don't understand (and this is not racist) but why do so many of the new virus start in Africa (AIDS) or the far East (SARS)? Is it climate, hygiene, behaviour? Already in other African states they are temperature checking the plane passengers coming back from Sierra Leone, Liberia etc , but the UK have no measures to do anything. Listening to a spokesman for the UK Airports, they have no isolation units or staff trained to do anything yet. I hope we will if it gets worse. I also have fears for my Daughter who qualified as a Doctor this month, she is working in intensive care at the moment but they are not in any way fearful of what might happen as they have dealt with Legioners and other virulent things so seem to be taking it in their stride. Media loves death destruction and famine so will always whip things up a level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 What I don't understand (and this is not racist) but why do so many of the new virus start in Africa (AIDS) or the far East (SARS)? Is it climate, hygiene, behaviour? Hygiene and behaviour IMHO. In Africa it is common for people to live in close proximity to livestock. Also illness can be too easily attributed to 'bad jujuj' (no offence intended if I got that wrong) where a bad spirit is the cause and the family tends to crowd round the victim to offer support rather than going into isolation. In the Far East it is also folk living with livestock, but then we can add population density to the mix. And in neither of the above do you exactly find anti septic hand sanitisers in the toilets... If this gets into the slum areas of Hong Kong it will get messy v. quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooch Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Did my Defence studies MA thesis on Chemical and Biological terrorism, so did a fair bit of reading on this topic and can comment on those terms. Ebola is a really horrible virus, but it's big (in virus terms) and very fragile and is one of the few diseases that can transmit species-to species. This one is supposed to have originated in chimps and fruit bats.... which makes the mind boggle as to how the first transmission took place to humans. While it is highly contagious you have to be quite up close and personal to transmit person-to-person and it is killed by anything from UV to soap so would be hard to transmit via a sneeze. For that reason, it's never going to be 'weaponised' i.e. used for terrorism or, for instance contaminating water supplies because the level of filtration and chemical would stop it before it ever got into a waterpipe. I remember seeing some pictures of ebola victims at the latter stage of the disease during my research and I can see why the news broadcasts are showing either unwell africans or body bags. When they talk about one of the symptoms being 'internal bleeding' every orifice pours with blood - it is horrific. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Excellent, first bit of common sense reading I have had on this so far... Many Thanks. I first read about it in a Darren Brown style semi scifi novel called "The Hot Zone" and that made it out to be hyper contagious. Transmitting between ape cages 20 mtrs apart... Lot happier now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John K Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 Actually what is the world coming to... I would rather trust my medical future and get advice from some 'random Joe' (no offence Mooch ) on a Kit Car Forum than the mighty and once respected BBC... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Ashcroft Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 This one is supposed to have originated in chimps and fruit bats.... which makes the mind boggle as to how the first transmission took place to humans. They were saying on Jezzers show yesterday that bats are eaten by humans over there and if you consume anything infected it's game over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooch Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 They were saying on Jezzers show yesterday that bats are eaten by humans over there and if you consume anything infected it's game over. And chimps, too - they call it bushmeat. Donner Kebab, anyone??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M444TTB Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I want worried before I read Mike's post. Now even less so. I'm about to by a new bicycle for using on the road, so my life expectancy took a nose dive from that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooch Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I want worried before I read Mike's post. Now even less so. I'm about to by a new bicycle for using on the road, so my life expectancy took a nose dive from that! +1 House Point for risk management, Matt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenandmean Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Me thinks I will be doing lots of hand washing at the airports, they are great places to pick up infections. Slightly off topic but can anyone explain why public toilet doors always open inwards so you can push it with your foot or elbow on the way in (when it doesn't matter) but have to grab the handle on the way out (when it does matter) knowing a great deal of people have not washed their hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyonspride Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 Slightly off topic but can anyone explain why public toilet doors always open inwards so you can push it with your foot of elbow on the way in (when it doesn't matter) but have to grab the handle on the way out (when it does matter) knowing a great deal of people have not washed their hands. I think that's just so you don't slam the door open into someone's face. But yeah, given that most people don't seem to wash their hands, it seems utterly pointless washing your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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