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There have been 34 cases of Ebola virus disease reported during the past five weeks, the WHO said Friday. Of those, two have been confirmed using laboratory tests, 14 are suspected, and 18 -- who are deceased -- are considered probable for the disease. Three of the patients are health care workers.
I'm pretty sure WHO always adopts a 'worst-case scenario' preparation when it comes to Ebola. It's just good policy.
Hopefully, this outbreak will be comparatively 'minor', at least compared to the West African outbreak that began in 2013 - the 11,000+ deaths from that one account for approximately 85% of all Ebola deaths known from all outbreaks.
A tragedy to be sure, but it's worth remembering that Ebola is easily contained in modern states with modern medical infrastructure, as was demonstrated in 2014 when several infected individuals from the aforementioned outbreak made it to Europe and the United States. In every case, the disease was quickly contained.
I’m interested in the contagious aspect of Ebola. It’s transmitted the same way HIV is. Yet at its worst; HIV stayed within demographic boundaries. If a health care worker caught HIV, it was typically via accidental needle stick.
I remember all the fear & misinformation regarding “What if my coworker has HIV?” What about students in schools?”
And there was swift reassurance from the CDC that the general public, outside of lifestyle choices & medical risk groups; would not catch HIV from typical interaction with others.
But if Ebola is only transmitted per body fluid contact; why hasn’t it “settled” into similar risk groups as HIV? Instead we see health care workers in hazmat suits. I have personally started IVs & done blood draws on many, many people who were HIV+. I wore double-gloves. No hazmat suit. I never contracted HIV.
I suppose we don’t have those bats. Or maybe it survives on surfaces better than HIV does.
I’m interested in the contagious aspect of Ebola. It’s transmitted the same way HIV is. Yet at its worst; HIV stayed within demographic boundaries. If a health care worker caught HIV, it was typically via accidental needle stick.
I remember all the fear & misinformation regarding “What if my coworker has HIV?” What about students in schools?”
And there was swift reassurance from the CDC that the general public, outside of lifestyle choices & medical risk groups; would not catch HIV from typical interaction with others.
But if Ebola is only transmitted per body fluid contact; why hasn’t it “settled” into similar risk groups as HIV? Instead we see health care workers in hazmat suits. I have personally started IVs & done blood draws on many, many people who were HIV+. I wore double-gloves. No hazmat suit. I never contracted HIV.
I suppose we don’t have those bats. Or maybe it survives on surfaces better than HIV does.
It's fluids like blood and vomit that are infectious with Ebola. Ebola victims are not contagious until they start to have symptoms. When they do start to have symptoms they bleed heavily and have vomiting and diarrhea, so there is a greater risk of a caretaker being exposed to blood. You would expect ER staff to gown and glove if they were taking care of an HIV infected person who was hemorrhaging, wouldn't you?
"Ebola virus is spread through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids, such as feces or vomit, of infected persons (or animals), including close contact with deceased EVD [Ebola virus disease] victims, which are highly infectious. Infection can also be spread through objects like needles and syringes or clothing and bedding that have been contaminated with the virus. Most cases of Ebola virus transmission occur between family members or in health care settings with inadequate infection control, because in these circumstances people are at highest risk of coming in contact with infected bodily fluids. The virus enters the body through a break in the skin or through the eyes, nose, or mouth of an unprotected person."
It's fluids like blood and vomit that are infectious with Ebola. Ebola victims are not contagious until they start to have symptoms. When they do start to have symptoms they bleed heavily and have vomiting and diarrhea, so there is a greater risk of a caretaker being exposed to blood. You would expect ER staff to gown and glove if they were taking care of an HIV infected person who was hemorrhaging, wouldn't you?
It's all about R0:
"Ebola virus is spread through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids, such as feces or vomit, of infected persons (or animals), including close contact with deceased EVD [Ebola virus disease] victims, which are highly infectious. Infection can also be spread through objects like needles and syringes or clothing and bedding that have been contaminated with the virus. Most cases of Ebola virus transmission occur between family members or in health care settings with inadequate infection control, because in these circumstances people are at highest risk of coming in contact with infected bodily fluids. The virus enters the body through a break in the skin or through the eyes, nose, or mouth of an unprotected person."
Yes; we used “Droplet Precautions” for HIV patients. And concerns for caregivers of HIV patients were legitimate but I’m not aware of any verifiable occurrence of transmission. Surely, it’s happened.
I actually wondered if it was due to the Hemorrhagic process, as HIV patients will not be leaking blood from eyes, ears, nose & other orfices. That the odds of contracting are higher due to the presence of external fluids.
I'm pretty sure WHO always adopts a 'worst-case scenario' preparation when it comes to Ebola. It's just good policy.
Hopefully, this outbreak will be comparatively 'minor', at least compared to the West African outbreak that began in 2013 - the 11,000+ deaths from that one account for approximately 85% of all Ebola deaths known from all outbreaks.
A tragedy to be sure, but it's worth remembering that Ebola is easily contained in modern states with modern medical infrastructure, as was demonstrated in 2014 when several infected individuals from the aforementioned outbreak made it to Europe and the United States. In every case, the disease was quickly contained.
We didn't "contain" anything. We got lucky. Very, very lucky.
We didn't "contain" anything. We got lucky. Very, very lucky.
The "good" news is the current strains of Ebola are not that contagious. I'd worry more about the truly contagious viral diseases like measles or smallpox. An outbreak of those in the age of global air travel would be disastrous.
I'm pretty sure WHO always adopts a 'worst-case scenario' preparation when it comes to Ebola. It's just good policy.
Hopefully, this outbreak will be comparatively 'minor', at least compared to the West African outbreak that began in 2013 - the 11,000+ deaths from that one account for approximately 85% of all Ebola deaths known from all outbreaks.
A tragedy to be sure, but it's worth remembering that Ebola is easily contained in modern states with modern medical infrastructure, as was demonstrated in 2014 when several infected individuals from the aforementioned outbreak made it to Europe and the United States. In every case, the disease was quickly contained.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Javacoffee
We didn't "contain" anything. We got lucky. Very, very lucky.
Completely false.
In every case, first world medical infrastructure was used to isolate the patients and use modern protective measures to protect health workers. This is why, despite the disease appearing (via travel) in numerous U.S. and European cities, it did not spread. That's the very definition of containment.
Facts:
*Over 75% of all Ebola outbreaks in Africa, with its insufficient medical infrastructure, have averaged a fatalities/outbreak number in the three figures - and that's generously excluding the 11,000+ who died in the 2013 outbreak.
*Meanwhile the nine historical incidences of Ebola exposure in Europe and North America have consisted of a grand total of 14 infections and 3 deaths.
To pass all of that, and the results, off as 'luck' is a special combination of ignorance (of modern medicine, of statistics, and of basic logic) and agenda.
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