Ebola Virus Discussion

[Banul 3,831]

If you're living in the U.S. or any other sufficiently developed nation, I doubt that you have anything to fear. More people in the U.S. have been married to Kim Kardashian than have been infected with Ebola. It's terrible for the countries that are struggling with it right now, but there isn't a reason to panic about it coming here. 

[User0815 264]

I'm not too worried about it, sure its like 100 miles from where I live but whatever. If I die I die.

[Soldier Surplus 232]

THANK YOU EBOLA CHAN

My my, this thread certainly has some interesting... discussions. There are a lot more "CALM THE F DOWN GUISE JEEZ" rather than "we gun die omg" than one would expect. Now I'm curious what the hell happened before fire nation mods attacked

 

I personally wouldn't worry out myself, as all I need to do is washing my hands and not touch any medical professionals or anyone bleeding to death, I'm good.

no Idea, maybe overreacting and head ache. 

[Starshine 16,330]

 

 

I've noticed that barely anyone washes they're hands before eating (unless there's something visible on them), which I don't understand. Those people are probably screwed.

It's humanity for you: We either underestimate the real threat or overblown the fictional ones

[Jeric 46,835]

I once posted a Sci-Show video on the Ebola outbreak showing why the US should not be concerned.

 

Now, I've heard many on talk radio and on Facebook push for an isolationist approach lately. This is a my response via the other Green brother

 

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,463]

I once posted a Sci-Show video on the Ebola outbreak showing why the US should not be concerned.

 

Now, I've heard many on talk radio and on Facebook push for an isolationist approach lately. This is a my response via the other Green brother

 

Is... Is he trying to calm us down or make us panic more? I really can't tell... Like one minute he says that lately there is about an 80% chance of survival but then goes on to talk about 50k-60k new cases a day by December... Sorry maybe I just missed something but could someone clarify that for me? I mean, is he talking about the US? Is he talking about worldwide? Is he talking about some foreign country? And yes, I know, one of the things he was talking about was not just letting it slide because it is a foreign issue, I'm not trying to say that, I just want to find out what he means. If someone could sum that up for me so I could catch on that would be fantastic.

 

Recently saw this, figured I'd share, while it isn't as in-depth on all the percentages and everything it is a good way to know what is the current situation;

Also found this on the WHO website;

 

Is it safe to travel to West Africa on business or to visit family and friends?

The risk of a tourist or businessman/woman becoming infected with Ebola virus during a visit to the affected areas and developing disease after returning is extremely low, even if the visit included travel to the local areas from which primary cases have been reported. Transmission requires direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected living or dead persons or animal, all of which are unlikely exposures for the average traveller. In any event, tourists are advised to avoid all such contacts.

 

Note how it says that the risk of exposure is low EVEN in areas that have primary reported cases. If they say you have a low chance of infection there, then there is a much lower chance that here you will be at risk. I am linking the website here as well, so you can look into it more, but I will say this; Avoid anyone you think might be infected, avoid letting yourself near any open wounds or other bodily fluids, and be sure to keep yourself clean and as healthy as possible. You will be fine, so long as you know what to do and how to do it.

 

Link to website; http://www.who.int/csr/disease/ebola/faq-ebola/en/  <-- That is specifically for Ebola, and has a ton of information to help you understand exactly what is going on. Hopefully this will help explain somethings to everyone

Edited October 22, 2014 by KokuraiNoSenshi

[Scootadress 360]

Someone is definitely at fault, since they knew this was a huge problem and allowed it to spread worldwide instead of keeping it isolated. It's not some common flu, it's a deadly disease that almost no one is even prepared to deal with. I don't think you understand the severity of this.

 

Besides-even by blocking all flights or something more severe, you're bound to hear more incidents here. Its weird, but still. It'll pass, nothing huge we didn't stop before.

 

The hospitals NEED to be currently prepared, so we can stop it before it gets more out of control. The problem isn't not having enough quarantine space, it's about not having trained professionals that are trained specifically for ebola. Technology can not help with that, you need pure human brainpower and education. It can't happen quickly.

Don't blame EVERYTHING on the 'professionals' . It started because regular people decided to go against regular protocol. I mean, its highly recognized that the people living in West Africa didn't bother with the quarantine that the professionals did attempt to set up. They even went behind their back to continue. People can only help so much if they make it easier. Then again, there are things that have a death rate higher than Ebola and no one TRIES to prevent. (I.e:People living in the south not using nose plugs, people eating unregulated meat without getting it checked. Lets face it:Brain Eating Amoeba kill more, the rates are higher too. At LEAST Ebola has a 70 percent death rate-90 in poor. These bastards kill 99 percent of the time. If you DO get Rabies..and not vaccinate..you will die. ) I guess no one bothered with Ebola because not many died. Its not as big of a global scare-at the time, as other things. Edited October 22, 2014 by Scootadress

[Invincible 2,090]

One of the most terrifying ways to go, and a personal phobia of mine, is slowly succumbing to a fatal disease such as Ebola. Seriously, the things this virus can cause are so shocking, so horrifying, i would not wish it upon my worst enemy.

[Twilight The Creator 298]

I don't understand why ebola jokes can be funny. Someone explain?

Edited October 23, 2014 by trxyic

[Gone Airbourne 21,969]

Crazy to see this post from when it was made and people saying oh don't worry it is in other countries. Look at the present time now huh? Well I am not worried about it... There has been so many hectic things going on these past few years I am simply no longer worrying anymore. If its my time to die then so be it. There are so many things out there that can kill you anyways. Every day you are alive and breathing you should be thankful for.

 

I feel really sad for all the lives lost in those other countries who do no have adequate medicine and care as we do. We are fortunate and take it for granted.

[Lunia 332]

Not really worried seeing how it's like every few years there is always this big new disease that everyone worries about, but one thing I 

 

hate is how everyone keeps making jokes about it. Some jokes are fine, but some are just messed up

[Barbaloot 197]

People telling other people not to panic: I am of the firm belief that panic is actually a good thing in the case of viruses and such. H1N1 didn't spread too far, and I'm quite sure it had a lot to do with the panic of an outbreak. So let them panic. It'll make the chances of a catastrophe that much smaller.

[Shanks 10,811]

People telling other people not to panic: I am of the firm belief that panic is actually a good thing in the case of viruses and such. H1N1 didn't spread too far, and I'm quite sure it had a lot to do with the panic of an outbreak. So let them panic. It'll make the chances of a catastrophe that much smaller.

When people panic they tend to do a lot of things they wouldn't normally do out of fear if they are in enough of a panic, things that really aren't good like rioting for example. The Swine Flu scare never got that far because the Swine Flu was never a threat and a lot of people caught on to that. It was just a marketing ploy to push more vaccines on people. Ebola on the other hand is very different, the media seems to be downplaying it instead of hyping it and there are yet to be any quarantines or anything like that when there probably should have been. I don't think people should panic but I do think they should be very suspicious of the fact that the Swine Flu was played up and yet this which could potentially kill thousands maybe even millions of people is being downplayed. 

[verycreativeusername 1,800]

I don't understand why ebola jokes can be funny. Someone explain?

Because some people have a dark and/or a politically incorrect sense of humor (like me) and find these sorts of jokes funny. It's pretty simple: Some people find Ebola jokes funny, some people don't care, and some will be offended. A lot of the time whether or not you find a joke funny depends on your sense of humor.

 

Hope that helped.

[ARagY 1,152]

I'm not going to state whether I'm concerned or not, only that my brain melts every time I hear both sides of the argument. 

 

On side 1 you have "It's not THAT dangerous, we promise, it's VERY hard to pick up. Unless of course, someone coughs, sneezes, bites, spits, kisses, shares food with you, or they bleed on you". Although recently I was informed that it's not contagious until symptoms occur such as fever. 

 

Well by golly, that totally fixes it. Because it's not totally Winter in the Northern Hemisphere soon and people definitely won't get sick in crowded places such as airports traveling for Christmas/New Years/Hanukkah/Whatever else. Symptoms (so mentioned) such as fevers and coughing are VERY abnormal. 

 

People do see the ridiculousness of this, right?

 

On side 2 you have "OMG ITS TEH ILLUMINATOO! Hide yo kids! Hide yo wife! Rock in the corner of the basement because the world is absolutely ending and we're all going to die! MASS HYSTERIA!!!" OR "There's no point to living anymore, I'm going to die a horrible death bleeding from my eye sockets. I never got to even do anything I loved. Why was I cursed-with-the-chance-of-possibly-getting-it-someday-while-other-people-actually-are-dying-with-it?!"

[Vox 870]

Uh isn't that primarily in South Africa? You know, a country without nearly as many vaccinations & disease control as the US? I think that it is a *bit* of a stretch to say we will see a huge amount of deaths in the US caused by the Ebola virus...

The virus originated in central Africa, made its way too West Africa.

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,463]

The virus originated in central Africa, made its way too West Africa.

Yes I already realized that. Another member already pointed that out. Guess I should correct that error once I have a minute... Edited October 27, 2014 by KokuraiNoSenshi

[Vox 870]

This is a real thing?

 

I just edited my post because I thought that this was more monster shouting about the end of the world, but there may be something to worry about here. Not doomsday worry ... but worry

 

Are the aerosol reports on newscasts accurate, because if they are ... wow.

It's been speculated, and almost proven in the Ebola Reston strain, which doesn't affect humans. However, the evidence in this outbreak points otherwise.

Yes I already realized that. Another member already pointed that out. Guess u should correct that error once I have a minute...

Sorry, didn't read to far ahead.

Edited October 27, 2014 by VoxPolice

[KokuraiNoSenshi 3,463]

It's been speculated, and almost proven in the Ebola Reston strain, which doesn't affect humans. However, the evidence in this outbreak points otherwise.

 

Sorry, didn't read to far ahead.

The only airborne Ebola we know of (which can harm humans) is the weaponized one. According to what I have heard, we are dealing with the non-weaponized version. This one only spreads through fluids. However coughing can spray saliva so be careful of that. Otherwise breathing is safe. And it is OK, I really must fix that. Moving today though so that is a bit more difficult than just logging on for a second and doing it Edited October 27, 2014 by KokuraiNoSenshi

[Vox 870]

The only airborne Ebola we know of (which can harm humans) is the weaponized one. According to what I have heard, we are dealing with the non-weaponized version. This one only spreads through fluids. However coughing can spray saliva so be careful of that. Otherwise breathing is safe. And it is OK, I really must fix that. Moving today though so that is a bit more difficult than just logging on for a second and doing it

.

Wait WHAT! Weaponized Ebola? When did this happen and who's responsible?

[Jeric 46,835]

, I've read a lot of material on this topic from virologists since July (and I belive the rest of my contributions to the topic indicate that I have explored this topic privately). But, if I recall back in July my issue was the reports from media outlets stating that the Liberia zone indicated proof that Ebola was airborne. Flash forward to today: The ABCNews report at the time was not accurate, and the military tests in the strain you spoke of were unnaturally aided. (aerosol =/= airborne). 

 

 

Wait WHAT! Weaponized Ebola? When did this happen and who's responsible?

 

 

Yes, there US and Soviet experimentation on weaponized Ebola in the early 90's I believe. 

[lelouch. 625]

i dont think theres a reason to worry about it. if it reaches my country, and if all barriers and safegaurds fail, i die... its that simple :/ worrrying about it wont change a thing, its better to worry about my homework..

[AppleGearRising 525]

Still, nice to see our UK government taking such a lackadaisical approach to mitigating the risk of the disease entering our country, It's so reassuring when despite all efforts people treating the infected patients are STILL getting infected in spite of following health and safety procedures to the letter.

[Vox 870]

, I've read a lot of material on this topic from virologists since July (and I belive the rest of my contributions to the topic indicate that I have explored this topic privately). But, if I recall back in July my issue was the reports from media outlets stating that the Liberia zone indicated proof that Ebola was airborne. Flash forward to today: The ABCNews report at the time was not accurate, and the military tests in the strain you spoke of were unnaturally aided. (aerosol =/= airborne).  

 

Yes, there US and Soviet experimentation on weaponized Ebola in the early 90's I believe.

 

Well, weaponization of the virus isn't hard to believe, not a good idea in the least, there were always scares around where my relatives lived in western Maryland close to Fort Detrick

[Invincible 2,090]

Coincidentally, in a microbiology class today we discussed the Ebola virus. You'd think a virus which was known in the Congo as far as 1976 (even earlier, it was then that the first westerners caught it) would be researched much more thoroughly.

 

There are many ways to contact the virus, but one of the more interesting ways which caught my eye today was consuming Bush Meat - wildlife meat which is chopped into little pieces and left to dry out - which is considered a delicacy in African countries. Ebola doesn't affect all wildlife, but it does harm some other than humans, and corpses found which contain the virus sometimes get taken away to be processed as it's easier to take in a dead corpse than an animal fighting back.