Ebola

FMD, this does look bad.

What's next?

Ebatsman?

Yeah this is a bit too f*cking scary :|.

Although this has allayed my fears slightly:

http://www.vox.com/2014/7/23/5930311/ebola-virus-disease-outbreak-africa-facts-guinea

So as long as I don't ever touch anyone ever again, I'll be alright.

Ebola - that's some nasty shit, man.

Yeah, I was joking about it the other month, but it is f*cking nasty and scary.

Ebola and Global Warming. Will we make the next Ashes series?

How come Farky hasn't made claims of a US-lead world depopulation campaign via a "created" killer disease??

skully wrote:Ebola and Global Warming. Will we make the next Ashes series?

How come Farky hasn't made claims of a US-lead world depopulation campaign via a "created" killer disease??

Its early yet.

Big Dog wrote:

skully wrote:Ebola and Global Warming. Will we make the next Ashes series?

How come Farky hasn't made claims of a US-lead world depopulation campaign via a "created" killer disease??

Its early yet.

I blame Rupert Murdoch's media empire.
They own black helicopters, y'know!

Doctor in charge of managing outbreak in Sierra Leone has died of it ... two other senior clinicians unwell, known death toll closing in on 1000. No specific treatment available, just cross your fingers and hope while best supportive care is administered.

... from a trusted source (black helicopter free zone):

CDC Warns Americans Not To Travel To Countries Affected By Ebola Outbreak

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues to receive some extensive coverage, with last night’s national news broadcasts devoting nearly 12 minutes, more than any other topic, to the story. Major US newspapers, wires, and websites also carry one or more stories on the topic, with many quoting CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden.

The CBS Evening News (7/31, story 2, 2:50, Brown) reported that the CDC has “warned Americans today not to travel to the West African nations upon Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone where hundreds have died in the worst outbreak of Ebola ever. We also learned that “arrangements are being made to bring home two American aid workers who contacted the disease in Liberia – Dr. Kent Brantly and hygienist Nancy Writebol.” Meanwhile, the CDC’s Dr. Stephen Monroe was shown saying that “we’re fairly comfortable if a patient were identified here in the US that the normal kind of barrier nursing precautions that would be in place would prevent spread even before the person was confirmed to be a case of Ebola.”

In its lead story, ABC World News (7/31, lead story, 3:20, Sawyer), ABC News chief medical editor Dr. Richard Besser said, “ABC has learned the first patient will be transferred to Emory University Hospital in Georgia which has prepared a special isolation unit in collaboration with the CDC.” Frieden was shown saying, “I’m confident that we’re not going to have wild spread Ebola in the US. What we do need to make sure is if someone arrives in the country and has symptoms, their doctor thinks of Ebola, isolates them, and gets the test which we do here at CDC.”

In a second segment, the CBS Evening News (7/31, story 3, 1:25, Brown) reported that yesterday, “the World Health Organization said the Ebola death toll ... has hit 729.”

In its lead story, NBC Nightly News (7/31, lead story, 4:20, Williams) showed Frieden saying, “We should be able to be very rational about this. You can’t catch Ebola from someone who is not sick and very sick with it. And you can’t catch it by casual contact. It requires really intense contact where there’s exposure to body fluids.” Nonetheless, Frieden said, “This is the toughest Ebola outbreak we’ve ever had to face and Ebola itself is a dreadful and merciless virus.”

On its website, ABC News (8/1) reports that Emory University Hospital officials said that the hospital “has a specially built isolation unit set up in collaboration with the CDC to treat patients who are exposed to certain serious infectious diseases.” They added, “It is physically separate from other patient areas and has unique equipment and infrastructure that provide an extraordinarily high level of clinical isolation. It is one of only four such facilities in the country.”

The Los Angeles Times (8/1, Mai-Duc, Queally) reports in “Nation Now” that Frieden “said Thursday that the decision to evacuate sick aid workers was a ‘very complicated question,’ but that it was up to the aid organizations.” During a conference call, Frieden told reporters, “There is the potential that the actual movement of the patient could do more harm than the benefit from more advanced supportive care outside the country.” But, he said, “we would certainly work with them to facilitate whatever option they pursue.”

In a 1,200-word front-page article, the New York Times (8/1, A1, Nossiter, Cowell, Subscription Publication) reports that the travel warning is “a ‘Level 3’ warning,” the CDC’s “most serious type of travel notice, indicating ‘high risk’ to visitors in the affected countries.”

In a 1,500-word article on its front page, the Washington Post (7/31, A1, Achenbach, Sun, Hogan) reports that Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that in the past, “most...little outbreaks of” Ebola “would be contained because they were in rural areas, where health workers could isolate the people and ultimately get the villages to stop doing the things that propagated it.” However, “this outbreak is trickier, he said, because it covers a larger region and several countries with porous borders and weak health-care systems.”

USA Today (8/1, Szabo) reports that “the National Institutes of Health plans to launch a small, early-phase trial of an experimental Ebola vaccine in September.” However, “even in the best-case scenario, the NIH’s experimental vaccine wouldn’t get to workers in the field for a year", Frieden said.

The Washington Post (8/1, Dennis) reports that “Fauci said that NIH researchers working on a vaccine have seen ‘pretty encouraging’ results on tests in primates.”

CNN (7/31, Willingham) reports that Dr. Fauci “said NIH has been working with the Food and Drug Administration to get the vaccine into early trials as soon as possible.”

Bloomberg News (8/1, Gbandia, Zoker, Koons) reports, “The World Health Organization and the West Africa nations hit hardest by deadly Ebola will pump $100 million into an intensified effort against the disease that will deploy several hundred more health workers.” Additionally, the CDC “plans to add 50 more health workers to its present staff in West Africa" ... Frieden said Thursday.

On its website, NBC News (8/1, Fox) reports that Frieden said, “We at CDC are surging our response along with others. Although it will not be quick and it will not be easy, we do know how to stop Ebola.”

Meanwhile, the AP (8/1, Pace) reports, “Leaders from nations gripped by an Ebola outbreak are pulling out of President Barack Obama’s gathering of African leaders in Washington next week, though the White House says the health crisis won’t impact the three-day summit.”

The Wall Street Journal (8/1) “Washington Wire” blog reports that State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said that the US is trying to put together a meeting between HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, CDC officials, and leaders of countries affected by the outbreak.

All the more reason to stay safely in Australia!!   

LINK

WHO worried; say that the extent of the outbreak has been significantly under-estimated.

The two docs repatriated to the US with Ebola have both survived, either through good fortune and supportive care, or because they also received an experimental therapy, or both. The priest who also received the experimental therapy was not so lucky.

The missionary position sounds positively dangerous.

from the ABC news site:

A British national living in Sierra Leone has tested positive for the deadly Ebola virus, according to Britain's health department.

Some 1,427 people have died in the world's worst outbreak of the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever, that has spread across west Africa since first being identified in Guinea in March.

The number of cases in the region now stands at 2,615.

So, the mortality rate still seems to be hovering around 50% in that environment.

absolutely dire...

Strange chase throughout the markets of Liberia today - a patient 'escaped' and was chased by several health workers in their 'space suits'. Tragicomic.

Over 5000 confirmed cases, mortality rate still hovering at around 50%, and finally the authorities start to get worried and offer some much needed help to nations too poor to help themselves.

Aye. A good example of the proper use of Western aid, and the realization we's is all one big world nowadays.

Would it be like the 'aid' UK is supposed to give to India ?

Indians criticising other countries giving aid. The irony.

criticising ?

DALLAS PATIENT IN STRIFE, CONTACTS NOT YET CLEARED

and the death toll now conservatively sits at around 3500

FIRST REPORTED CASE OF TRANSMISSION OUTSIDE AFRICA

It's going mental in Sierra Leone, with a case fatality rate of 70% in some areas.

'Long way away' though, 'don't panic', 'not our problem'.