The Ebola Virus

[Pushka]

I think the point is obvious; They shouldn't go off half coughed. Remove the ambulance and fumigate before even knowing if the patient has Ebola? Yeah ok.

But the day will come when a patient does come in with Ebola and it hasnt been handled properly, as in what happened in Texas. And after confirmation it is too late, isn't it.

 

[harvyk]

But the day will come when a patient does come in with Ebola and it hasnt been handled properly, as in what happened in Texas. And after confirmation it is too late, isn't it.

As a guess, the ambo's would already be properly cleaned between each patient. Ebola isn't the only really really nasty disease out there, there are many bugs which someone could catch which is far more easily transmitted than Ebola.
The thing with Ebola is that everyone imagines it's like in the movie outbreak (which apparently started off relatively accurate, but then got "hollywooded" after the first screen test), in which if someone coughs in a movie theater then everyone in that theater will die. The reality is that it actually requires direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, and that isn't as easy to do as "no news" is making out.

Yes, people whom deal with Ebola patients wear protection, this is to prevent accidental exposure whilst caring for the person since doing so in close contact it is likely that bodily fluids would come in contact, however it is not airborne, it can't become airborne, it is actually very difficult to catch it, it's just if you do catch it, the odds are you will die from it. (thus the protection).

During this epidemic, fear has been spread by two groups, the first is the media groups (news limited, I'm looking directly at you), nothing sells newspapers / advertising clicks that the threat of mass human extinction, and the name Ebola sounds really really scary. The second group whom should be told to shut their mouths is politicians of all political colours. The ones whom want to get their face on TV so whom will question our readiness, or worse claim that we don't have any protection against "terrorists with Ebola". (Serious Ms Lambie, link that phrase with one more scary sounding thing like they are arriving by boats and you'd have had the political scary sounding stuff trifecta) and yet whom don't have the first clue about the virus.

I am certainly no expert, and I might have drunk from the same jug of koolaid as the people developing a cure for Ebola / working on our emergency plan whom every so often do radio interviews (thus the source of my knowledge), but the way I figure it is they have done far more research that a news limited journalist looking to get an article written in only 20 minutes which is guaranteed to get some clicks for their advertisers.

 

[vetrade]

The reality is that it actually requires direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, and that isn't as easy to do as "no news" is making out.

Yes, people whom deal with Ebola patients wear protection, this is to prevent accidental exposure whilst caring for the person since doing so in close contact it is likely that bodily fluids would come in contact, however it is not airborne, it can't become airborne, it is actually very difficult to catch it, it's just if you do catch it, the odds are you will die from it. (thus the protection).

Maybe you should read Straightman's post #176 on this thread harvyk to bring yourself up to speed on the current thoughts on transmission. Ebola virus is showing signs of "getting smarter".

 

[medhead]

But the day will come when a patient does come in with Ebola and it hasnt been handled properly, as in what happened in Texas. And after confirmation it is too late, isn't it.

I'm just saying the correct action is to Isolate, Assess and then Respond. Someone deciding to fumigate an ambulance before the assessment is carried is just not doing the right thing. Isolate the ambulance and/or undertake the standard infection control measures while assessing. But don't jump to the response first.

Here is an example of isolating and assessing without making a massive song and dance about before knowing all the facts. Sydney: Ebola scare avoided at St Vincent's Hospital - Australia - Newzulu Australia

 

[Pushka]

I'm just saying the correct action is to Isolate, Assess and then Respond. Someone deciding to fumigate an ambulance before the assessment is carried is just not doing the right thing. Isolate the ambulance and/or undertake the standard infection control measures while assessing. But don't jump to the response first.

Here is an example of isolating and assessing without making a massive song and dance about before knowing all the facts. Sydney: Ebola scare avoided at St Vincent's Hospital - Australia - Newzulu Australia

That sounds sensible but from what I read the ambulance was quarantined until the assessment was made. In the case I outlined above, it went on its merry way before the person was assessed and cleared.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Maybe you should read Straightman's post #176 on this thread harvyk to bring yourself up to speed on the current thoughts on transmission. Ebola virus is showing signs of "getting smarter".

Thank link actually does not state what you imply, or at least not the way I read it.

 

[vetrade]

Thank link actually does not state what you imply, or at least not the way I read it.

To quote from the article:
"The authors believe “scientific and epidemiologic evidence that Ebola virus has the potential to be transmitted via infectious aerosol particles both near and at a distance from infected patients.”

The report goes on to note that any action which can be taken to “reduce risk” of Ebola exposure should not wait until a “scientific certainty” develops."

Seems straightforward to me.......if authorities keep telling people Ebola can only be transmitted through very close direct contact when such may well not be the case then they compromise efforts to stop its spread and put many more lives at risk.

 

[harvyk]

Maybe you should read Straightman's post #176 on this thread harvyk to bring yourself up to speed on the current thoughts on transmission. Ebola virus is showing signs of "getting smarter".

Perhaps read this response by the cidrap who's name was falsely linked to the report. -> Response to statements falsely attributed to CIDRAP regarding Ebola transmission | CIDRAP

and here is the absolute number 1 problem right now, people wanting to get their 15 minutes and even linking themselves to "authoritative" places to add legitimacy to their story telling. This person was basically stating that Ebola COULD become airborne, and therefore we should be using respiratory protection just in case.

I was going to say a response based on my own limited understanding of the problem, but perhaps listen to Dr Karls segment on JJJ this morning between 11am and midday (I'm sure you could also download a podcast of it if you don't have a radio handy). He will be bringing a guest along today whom is an Infectious diseases specialist, Dr Grant Hill Cawthorne.

 

[vetrade]

This person was basically stating that Ebola COULD become airborne, and therefore we should be using respiratory protection just in case.

Exactly my point - it COULD be airborne and it is not yet definitively known if that is the case or not - but while there is uncertainty potential victims should not be fed potentially false information regarding how they might be exposed.

Agree that apparently the attributions were incorrect - the report was not the work of the CIDRP, but it is confirmed the authors are "two leading researchers......" from the Uni. of Illinois and CIDRP did publish it. Clearly CIDRP would NOT have published it if they considered it false. The fact that the attributions were incorrectly stated does not mean that the substance of the report was incorrect.

 

[medhead]

There is a big difference between "could" and "could become" in the same way the "potential" and "is" are different.

 

[harvyk]

OK, an interesting key point from Dr Grant Hill Cawthorne,

Ebola can only infect if it gets in via a cut in the skin / ingested or if it gets onto your genitals / anus or eyes. If the Ebola virus gets onto your skin you are ok (provided you don't transfer it to a cut / orifice). The risk comes from the fact that people touch their eyes / mouth almost sub consciously.

With the case in the US with the nurse, it's expected that she was not properly trained in how to take protective suits off at the end of the day or was lax in the procedures.

Ebola is not an airborne virus, what can happen is if an infected person sneezes on you there are droplets in the sneeze, if the droplets landed on your eyes or went into your mouth you could be infected, however once the droplets hit the ground (usually within a few seconds) that's it. This is different to an actual airborne viruses like TB where an infected person can walk into a room, leave the room, and yet the room remains infectious for many hours afterwards.

Patient zero was a girl whom ate a raw bat (apparently it's a delicacy).

An interesting comment made, most comments from Dr's which have been published have been from Dr's who are not specialists in Infectious diseases. He didn't exactly have any kind words for them (pretty much compared it to getting medical advice from gardeners).

Final comment, they will be putting up a podcast, so I'll link to it.

 

[PLANT]

BAT GIRL dannna danna
Lucky Avengers 2 does not have her!
What is the infected count telly up to now please?

 

[Pushka]

So eating a raw bat is what started this recent epidemic? Is that what you are saying?

 

[whatmeworry]

BAT GIRL dannna danna
Lucky Avengers 2 does not have her!
What is the infected count telly up to now please?

~8000 i think but clipboard guy isn't scared of airborne Ebola.

“One of the three people on the medical team are the eyes and ears,” Phoenix Air vice president Randy Davis told the Dallas Morning News. “They know how far to stay away from the patient.”
The crew in hazmat suits have little peripheral vision, smell and hearing, making the one person plainclothes all the more important, according to Davis.
“They also serve that role inside the airplane,” Davis said. “They are the eyes and ears of the our medical team. Someone has to have their full senses working all the time and you cannot do that if they are full inside suit.”

‘Clipboard guy’ at Ebola patient transfer an ambulance employee | New York Post

 

[harvyk]

So eating a raw bat is what started this recent epidemic? Is that what you are saying?

So says the man who's job it is to know what he is talking about re:Ebola.

 

[medhead]

Clipboards protect!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

OK, an interesting key point from Dr Grant Hill Cawthorne,

Ebola can only infect if it gets in via a cut in the skin / ingested or if it gets onto your genitals / anus or eyes. If the Ebola virus gets onto your skin you are ok (provided you don't transfer it to a cut / orifice). The risk comes from the fact that people touch their eyes / mouth almost sub consciously.

With the case in the US with the nurse, it's expected that she was not properly trained in how to take protective suits off at the end of the day or was lax in the procedures.

Ebola is not an airborne virus, what can happen is if an infected person sneezes on you there are droplets in the sneeze, if the droplets landed on your eyes or went into your mouth you could be infected, however once the droplets hit the ground (usually within a few seconds) that's it. This is different to an actual airborne viruses like TB where an infected person can walk into a room, leave the room, and yet the room remains infectious for many hours afterwards.

Patient zero was a girl whom ate a raw bat (apparently it's a delicacy).

An interesting comment made, most comments from Dr's which have been published have been from Dr's who are not specialists in Infectious diseases. He didn't exactly have any kind words for them (pretty much compared it to getting medical advice from gardeners).

Final comment, they will be putting up a podcast, so I'll link to it.

So in short if you take reasonable measures, and pass on the raw bat, you can in all likelihood avoid contracting ebola.

 

[harvyk]

So in short if you take reasonable measures, and pass on the raw bat, you can in all likelihood avoid contracting ebola.

That's pretty much the gist of it...
For those whom would like to hear the full podcast of the Q&A session you can download it here -> http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/science/podcast/scienceontriplej/scienceontriplej20141023.mp3

 

[Pushka]

Wasn't there another epidemic that started from man eating raw animals? Monkeys?

 

[moa999]

Love how Ch.9 has put Contagion on tonight (2011 movie)