Ebola in my backyard!!!

[Grimlock]

No doubt most of you have been hearing about the recent Ebola cases in the U.S., specifically in Dallas Texas.  Well, that's my neck of the woods, I'm a mere 45 minute drive into downtown.  I have to say the level of incompetence displayed recently by the hospital who housed the  Liberian man is beyond belief.  Then the CDC let's the nurse fly, it turns out one of the passengers on the frontier airlines flight lives in my town, probably minutes away.  Who knows who else came into contact with the virus during this whole debacle.

 
Now Obama wants to send our "national" guard to Ebola central.  People don't sign up for the "national" guard to be shipped off to some diseased shit hole, their interests generally are to help nationally, as in, within our borders, helping neighbors....  How many of them are going to get sick and be faced with a 70% mortality rate...  How many of them will return only to find that they have brought it home to their children and loved ones....  It's madness.  Unfortunately is all too typical these days to feel disappointed in the actions and decisions of the federal government.... 

[snarfblam]

Members of the military do not generally need to interact with infected ebola patients. They're there to support and create infrastructure, and they're at relatively low risk, unlike medical workers. The best way to keep ebola at bay is to contain it and get it under control at the source. I do hope that they'd follow some sort of quarantine procedure upon return to US.

All the same, I find it pretty unsettling that two nurses became infected in Texas. On the upside, they're redoubling their efforts on safety and training. Not need for panic. Not quite yet...

[Vismund Cygnus]

So everyone realises that ebola really is not that terrifying, right? It's possibly one of the worst diseases when it comes to spreading. That guy on the plane for example, was completely unable to infect anyone at the time because he was not showing symptoms, and it's impossible to spread it before then. It has a long incubation period (something like 2 weeks) which is how people can get through customs and whatnot without anyone realising it.

I think the main thing to realise is that it's mainly only transmitted through bodily fluids. Basically don't fuck anyone who might have ebola, and don't touch their anus blood. The reason it spreads so much in places like Liberia is because it's a third world country where less than a fifth of the country even have access to proper sanitary facilities. In a more civilised country (i.e. us) it's much easier to stop the spread simply through quarantine and regulation.

And no, a disease can't just "go airborne" and anyone who thinks that evolution can happen overnight like that is probably mentally deficient. Ebola is going to go airborne roughly the same time people do, and that will only be because we're bleeding it out our flying orifices.

TL;DR ebola is overhyped, be scared of the Flu instead

[personitis]

Just another story the media is blowing up for views it seems. Like Vismund said, keep sanitary habits and you'll be fine as with most easily spreadable diseases. Though I can understand a bit of the worry if the place where these incidents are happening is only a trip down the road from you. In which case, that would be more relevant news to me.

[Scooterboot9697]

I heard that people who were infected go a little dead in the head after awhile, like... like...

The zombie apocalypse is real, guys. Get your shotguns and barricade your houses... I hope Obama gets infected first. :lol:

TL;DR(for whatever reason) I agree with Vismund.

[Quietus]

This reminds me - I really fancy ebola cereal. :oh:

[MetroidMst]

This reminds me - I really fancy ebola cereal. :oh:

That pun is going viral.

[Quietus]

Yeah, it's African nightmare. :^_^:

[Lunaria]

I should make and release a Super Metroid Ebola! :^)

No but seriously, if you live in any country with a decent medical infrastructure you have nothing to worry about.

[Zhs2]

Unless someone projectile bodily fluids you. Still, as I've said IRL: oh boy now it's in a country where people with actual money will money up a cure once they get infected

[Grimlock]

I guess you couldn't really tell from my original post but I'm actually not highly concerned that it's going to spread much beyond what we have already seen.  Although I don't think we've seen the last of it here in the states.  As far as the national guard, I mention that because I know people in the national guard, they aren't going to be deployed at this time (to my understanding) but there's no guarantee.  The message from the government regarding potential exposure to infected individuals keeps changing, at first is was zero, then it changed to limited, so who knows.  I'm just going to keep an eye on how everything is developing....

[Quietus]

I've often said that if humanity doesn't wipe itself off the face of the planet with nukes, it'll be wiped out by a virus.  It's the beginning of the end, people! :holyf:

[TobiMikami]

I do find it kind of ridiculous that they make people go through a thousand and one checkpoints for weapons cause of 9/11 but you don't have any security check on a deadly infectious disease. Like seriously, Thomas Eric Duncan should never have made it into the U.S. without being quarantined first.

[Zhs2]

You do know how ebola works, right? The disease doesn't show any symptoms right up until the final days for its victim. I think the incubation period is something like two to three weeks?

To be more fair, they should quarantine people returning from known infected countries and test for the diseases before allowing people back to their homes.

[TobiMikami]

Well there's no doubt he was probably in the incubation period which lasts between 2-21 days to be exact, however, I believe they said he got it from carrying a neighbor who was sick with it, so obviously he lived in not just Africa, but an Ebola country and I mean come on, why would you let someone who was from a country suffering from a deadly epidemic just waltz into the general populous without being held for a 21 day period as a precautionary measure. I mean in my opinion we really shouldn't be letting them into other countries, I know that sounds cruel but sending people there to treat them is one thing, letting them come to other countries only helps it spread, I mean look what happened, 1 guy got here, 2 nurses got it now, one was on two flights, a disease like that could spread quickly in a botch like that.

[Grimlock]

Another nurse who was supposed to be under self monitoring and quarantine was found on a cruise ship recently.  The whole thing is out of control.  Managing it the way they are now will only allow greater potential for spreading the virus.  I hope you guys on the other side of the pond have government officials with more than a couple brain cells to rub together.  All of our politicians and appointed officials ride the short bus to work.


America's finest:
[spoiler]
Don't worry, they'll keep us safe!

[/spoiler]

[Quietus]

Nah, our politicians don't do anything about anything.  As it currently stands, our conservative / liberal democrat government will waffle on about doing stuff while actually doing nothing, and labour will just use "this ebola outbreak would never have happened under a labour government" as their next sales pitch for election. :eyeroll:

[TobiMikami]

The sad thing is, this is probably the most accurate depiction of Obama if this were to become a severe issue in the U.S.
The Boondocks: Obama's Best Speech

[snarfblam]

This is getting dangerously close to a political discussion.

[Quietus]

I would kindly ask that you refrain from using the 'P' word when posting. :nowai:

[Grimlock]

This is getting dangerously close to a political discussion.

Agreed, definitely not something I want to get into here  (although, admittedly I did start it  :grin: , unintentionally).