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Because it was isolated.
It was never an international threat.
It is now and both the CDC and WHO acknowledged it.
Latest release from WHO (8/8): WHO | Ebola virus disease update - West Africa
-the Ebola outbreak in West Africa constitutes an ‘extraordinary event’ and a public health risk to other States;
-the possible consequences of further international spread are particularly serious in view of the virulence of the virus, the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns, and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries.
-a coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola.
Sure, it IS a threat, but again the very fact that it is NOT isolated this time around and yet has STILL only affected 2,000 people or so (in areas with VERY POOR sanitation and health care services) is pretty good evidence that it's not super contagious. If it WAS, then cases would be FAR MORE than just 2,000.
Not saying the disease isn't dangerous. It clearly IS, but the fact is, the doctors treating the disease have been few in number and poorly funded and equipped. Now that efforts are being mobilized the situation should begin stabilzing within a few weeks. Three months from now, the outbreak probably won't be making much news.
Sure, it IS a threat, but again the very fact that it is NOT isolated this time around and yet has STILL only affected 2,000 people or so (in areas with VERY POOR sanitation and health care services) is pretty good evidence that it's not super contagious. If it WAS, then cases would be FAR MORE than just 2,000.
Not saying the disease isn't dangerous. It clearly IS, but the fact is, the doctors treating the disease have been few in number and poorly funded and equipped. Now that efforts are being mobilized the situation should begin stabilzing within a few weeks. Three months from now, the outbreak probably won't be making much news.
Ken
It has jumped borders and the WHO and CDC are concerned enough to call emergency meetings and get international support to stop the spread.
It has nothing to do with the number of cases if you read the WHO bulletin I posted.
It's the fact that it jumped the border into other countries.
This is only the third time ever the WHO has issued an international concern.
There is only 1 plane set up to transport in isolation and it can only carry one person at a time.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LordBalfor
Sure, it IS a threat, but again the very fact that it is NOT isolated this time around and yet has STILL only affected 2,000 people or so (in areas with VERY POOR sanitation and health care services) is pretty good evidence that it's not super contagious. If it WAS, then cases would be FAR MORE than just 2,000.
Not saying the disease isn't dangerous. It clearly IS, but the fact is, the doctors treating the disease have been few in number and poorly funded and equipped. Now that efforts are being mobilized the situation should begin stabilzing within a few weeks. Three months from now, the outbreak probably won't be making much news.
Ken
its a lot more than 2000 people infected, over a thousand dead,!!! last I read 1700 infected patients, and how many people did those people have contact with?? thousands.!!! could be 3 thousand infected people roaming around right now infecting thousands more. some are in hiding in fear of extermination... and like I said before it only takes one nut case to get infected and spread it exponentially..
you got a lot of faith in humanity I don't!!! all it takes is one or two whack job ISIS or other terror groups to infect themselves and spread it all over Africa.. people have done it with aids why not Ebola.?? if Ebola gets into like 10 African countries it will be really hard to stop. it will leap like wild fire does in high winds!!! 5 African countries already have it, and I doubt they will contain it..
I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say way more than 5 have it. 5 have enough of it for it to be newsworthy. I can pretty much promise it's in other places as well.
Much like AIDS, taking precaution will make it substantially less likely for someone to get it. The way Ebola is spreads makes it a disease that can easily be contained.
I'd honestly almost find it comical if ISIS tried to use Ebola as a weapon by infecting themselves. I know suicide bombing is a thing, but contracting Ebola for the sole purpose of spreading it makes suicide bombing seem logical. If they wanted to use Ebola as a weapon, the way you described is without a doubt the least effective way to do it. I wouldn't expect them to use that kind of terrorism anyhow.
As I said, Ebola can be contained. It doesn't spread as easily as the media says. They news tries to make current events more relevant by making them appear urgent. The real problem with that is when a disease like Ebola becomes airborne, we'll compare it to this current Ebola outbreak when we remember that it didn't destroy the world. We won't be able to handle a legitimate threat when it comes our way.
It has jumped borders and the WHO and CDC are concerned enough to call emergency meetings and get international support to stop the spread.
It has nothing to do with the number of cases if you read the WHO bulletin I posted.
It's the fact that it jumped the border into other countries.
This is only the third time ever the WHO has issued an international concern.
There is only 1 plane set up to transport in isolation and it can only carry one person at a time.
OK, so lets look at those other cases WHO international concern. That designation was only created 7 years ago and this is the 3rd such "international concern". The last one was May of this year for Polio. How many people do you know who've recently been stuck down by Polio this year?
Before that it was 2009 for H1N1. Know anyone killed by that in 2009? 2010? 2011? 2012? 2013? 2014?
And it has EVERYTHING to do with the number of cases. If there was just ONE case in each of those countries do you REALLY think WHO would declare an emergency?
Really?
REALLY?
All an "international emergency" means that it becomes the focus of special attention (as it should) by WHO. It doesn't mean that millions are infected or going to be infected. I'm not trying to minimize it, but the fact is it's only a couple of thousand people. In the grand scheme of things that's not a huge number for a disease outbreak. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that the disease has such a high mortality rate, it wouldn't even warrent a footnote on the news. The fact is, the number is very small - and WHO wants to keep it that way - that's WHY they've issued the emergency. This IS a major outbreak no doubt about it, but keep it in perspective, it's still less than 2,000 cases. Will there be more? Sure, it's bound to get worse before it gets better, but now that the medical community has finally mobilized against it the spread will slow down and finally stop. A big part of why the disease spread to begin with was because it caught the medical community "flat-footed" and they didn't react fast enough to keep the outbreak as small as previous ones. That's about to change.
its a lot more than 2000 people infected, over a thousand dead,!!! last I read 1700 infected patients, and how many people did those people have contact with?? thousands.!!! could be 3 thousand infected people roaming around right now infecting thousands more. some are in hiding in fear of extermination... and like I said before it only takes one nut case to get infected and spread it exponentially..
More panic nonsense. It doesn't spread that easy. Now that those infected countries of Africa are finally reacting to the outbreak the spread will slow dramatically. Look at Freetown, it's under lockdown and the streets are deserted because folks are staying inside. So WHO exactly is going to be "spreading it exponentially" when everyone is staying in their homes- and HOW exactly is that person going to do that?
The reason it spread as far as it did has less to do with the desease being "easily spread" (it isn't) and more to do with initial failure to respond to it. That "failure to respond" is now a thing of the past. There IS response now and it WILL make a HUGE difference.
If you disagree with that assessment, why don't we agree to come back to this very post at the end of the year and see where the ebola outbreak stands. I suspect it will be over and off the radar of national news. The reason past ebola outbreaks were short-lived is because the disease kills very quickly, so once you isolate the active cases, it burns itself out pretty fast.
OK, so lets look at those other cases WHO international concern. That designation was only created 7 years ago and this is the 3rd such "international concern". The last one was May of this year for Polio. How many people do you know who've recently been stuck down by Polio this year?
Before that it was 2009 for H1N1. Know anyone killed by that in 2009? 2010? 2011? 2012? 2013? 2014?
And it has EVERYTHING to do with the number of cases. If there was just ONE case in each of those countries do you REALLY think WHO would declare an emergency?
Really?
REALLY?
All an "international emergency" means that it becomes the focus of special attention (as it should) by WHO. It doesn't mean that millions are infected or going to be infected. I'm not trying to minimize it, but the fact is it's only a couple of thousand people. In the grand scheme of things that's not a huge number for a disease outbreak. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that the disease has such a high mortality rate, it wouldn't even warrent a footnote on the news. The fact is, the number is very small - and WHO wants to keep it that way - that's WHY they've issued the emergency. This IS a major outbreak no doubt about it, but keep it in perspective, it's still less than 2,000 cases. Will there be more? Sure, it's bound to get worse before it gets better, but now that the medical community has finally mobilized against it the spread will slow down and finally stop. A big part of why the disease spread to begin with was because it caught the medical community "flat-footed" and they didn't react fast enough to keep the outbreak as small as previous ones. That's about to change.
Ken
I'm the one telling you that this is not about the numbers.
It's about the disease able to jump the border.
That is what concerns both the WHO and CDC..it can survive an international plane trip.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDusty
I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say way more than 5 have it. 5 have enough of it for it to be newsworthy. I can pretty much promise it's in other places as well.
Much like AIDS, taking precaution will make it substantially less likely for someone to get it. The way Ebola is spreads makes it a disease that can easily be contained.
I'd honestly almost find it comical if ISIS tried to use Ebola as a weapon by infecting themselves. I know suicide bombing is a thing, but contracting Ebola for the sole purpose of spreading it makes suicide bombing seem logical. If they wanted to use Ebola as a weapon, the way you described is without a doubt the least effective way to do it. I wouldn't expect them to use that kind of terrorism anyhow.
As I said, Ebola can be contained. It doesn't spread as easily as the media says. They news tries to make current events more relevant by making them appear urgent. The real problem with that is when a disease like Ebola becomes airborne, we'll compare it to this current Ebola outbreak when we remember that it didn't destroy the world. We won't be able to handle a legitimate threat when it comes our way.
a lot of terrorist use anger not logic!!! they will strap a bomb on and blow up their own people to kill a few enemies.. and like I said before people have spread aids because they were peed off no difference than a disgruntled employee shooting up the place.. I would put nothing past extreme !slam!!!!! they would wipe out their own population if it could screw over the western countries especially Israel and the USA. they are a sick bunch of barbarians..
I'm the one telling you that this is not about the numbers.
It's about the disease able to jump the border.
That is what concerns both the WHO and CDC..it can survive an international plane trip.
OF COURSE it's about the numbers - it's just not ONLY about the numbers..
As I said, do you REALLy think the WHO and the CDC would have declared such an emergency if it was 1 case in each of those countries? I sure don't. It's the combination of a "big" outbreak (largest so far) with "lots" of cases AND the fact that it's not just in a single nation.
Location: planet octupulous is nearing earths atmosphere
13,621 posts, read 12,729,004 times
Reputation: 20050
Quote:
Originally Posted by LordBalfor
OF COURSE it's about the numbers - it's just not ONLY about the numbers..
As I said, do you REALLy think the WHO and the CDC would have declared such an emergency if it was 1 case in each of those countries? I sure don't. It's the combination of a "big" outbreak (largest so far) with "lots" of cases AND the fact that it's not just in a single nation.
Ken
time will tell, it always does, and it never lies!!!
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I don't!!! all it takes is one or two whack job ISIS or other terror groups to infect themselves and spread it all over Africa.. people have done it with aids why not Ebola.?? if Ebola gets into like 10 African countries it will be really hard to stop. it will leap like wild fire does in high winds!!! 5 African countries already have it, and I doubt they will contain it..
