So I've been following this Ebola outbreak since the spring. While it's only become worse in West Africa, I kept telling people it's only a matter of time before this thing spreads and begin to cross borders. Now we have a case in Texas from someone who travelled from one of the infected countries. Do you know how many random people you encounter in one day? You can't contain something you can't see, especially with an infected person showing no symptoms (Ebola takes 2-21 days to show signs). While I don't think we're in world wide pandemic times (or will be any time soon) the best case scenario already is 11,000 cases minimum (worst case 1.4 million by January). I think most countries are idiotic for allowing travelers to enter from these West African countries knowing full well there was an Ebola epidemic going on. It defies logic to not have mandatory screening for Ebola.

Yep! I was listening to a short talk given by one of the doctors working in a relief facility. It's both frightening and tragic. Unfortunately, the general public is very short sighted, and will only react when it's something that happens in their own backyard. From both a humanitarian and strategic stand point, it's important to address the outbreak at the source, and improve and implement plans for quarantine (as best as possible) strategies, and continued testing on treatments (active stage treatments and preventative vaccinations). Waiting until it hits the west or Europe will be much more difficult to deal with. It always comes down to money and politics, and how do we get people/government to work together and coordinate their efforts. I think it's hard to quarantine a whole country. People have their reasons for traveling (i.e. those doctors and nurses want to go home at some point, and then there is staff that travels to monitor testing or other reasons, then fly back home with their report, etc...). It's only a matter of time until it reaches "us", there is no doubt about that!

...please pass that box of Tyvek suits, Chris

I've also been following the outbreak since the spring. I can't believe the American authorities were that careless with that man.
This is scary as hell and personally, it's causing anxiety back on me to the point were I cancelled a couple of trips I could have gone in the next months (ISIS is not helping either).

Not to be all conspiracy either but you know the CDC would downplay anything to avoid panics. Like for instance if several people this Texas person came in contact with come down with symptoms- the response would be "no worries we know everyone those people came in contact with". Eboia isn't airborne thankfully but I'm telling you nature always will find a way. All I need to do is take a hard look at how disgusting most college kids I go to school with are to know how easy it could spread. Taking the whole approach of "we got this" doesn't make me feel comfortable. I mean really, we might have a better medical infrastructure than West Africa by far, but how many hospitals are equipped to handle and isolate numerous Ebola infected patients? Let alone diagnose?

I feel the same! My husband thinks I am an anxiety-ridden nut to worry about this, but I think it is scary and just a start. So glad to know I am not the only thinking like this.

cindy

It's a matter of getting people to understand that "we DON'T got this"! Everyone is assuming that the USA is taking care of it, but we can't do it alone! Nor should we.

While I don't think letting people from infected areas through is a good idea, I don't see a widespread attack happening. It is true that we come into contact with lots of people all the time. But, for Ebolavirus to infect someone there has to be some exchange of bodily fluids. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't want swap spit with every stranger I meet. I think as long as you are a hygienic person and don't come into contact with blood and feces often you should be alright.

Bodily fluids can still be spread without you actually being aware of it-- i.e. someone sneezes, touches a door knob (airplane restroom door handle, faucet handle, gas pump handle, etc...), and then someone behind, opens the door, sneeze essence still "fresh", and subsequently touches their face with their hands. Microbes enter the nose, eye, ear tissues--mucous membranes are the open pathways for infection. Also, infected animals (and people) can transmit the disease by saliva exposures.

map of possible viral migrations


oh, and...

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20341423

I'm going to Chicago next week and I can't stop thinking about this. I don't want to unknowingly bring something home with me... man

Honestly, I'm expecting this to turn out like the "swine flu pandemic".
Or the "bird flu pandemic."
Or the "SARS scare."
Or the "mad cow disease scare."
Or any other over over-hyped, deadly disease that the media fear-mongered for more viewing time.

Maybe I'm naive, but we have a pretty crappy track record with these so-called "pandemic-scale diseases."

The first infected hospital worker died in dallas and another hospital worker is infected. They seem to think it's not going to end there.

This article is just ridiculous and if true it explains what happened pretty clearly.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/dallas-nur ... d=26205956

^^^^^

Whoa, whoa, whoa, there have been no hospital workers that have died from the virus (yet). Thomas Duncan, the Liberian national was the first to be diagnosed with it in the US, but he obviously didn't get infected with it here. The nurse on the other hand did. The Dallas hospital completely dropped the ball and that's exactly why this nurse is infected. No doubt. But I think people are getting paranoid and not for the right reasons. The rate of new infections throughout territories in Africa are already slowing. I suspect we will see a few more cases hit the US, but a major outbreak like we've seen in Africa isn't going to be happening here. The thing I think we need to watch is the area around and the people who were directly in contact with Duncan and now Phan. If we see people in those two areas acquire the virus then we may see a small epidemic that will be contained.

Right now this is making a great news cycle. It builds on peoples fears and paranoia, not counting conspiracy theorists nuts. Yeah, college kids are dirty and disgusting, but so are most people in contained atmospheres like buses, trains, airplanes, etc. But what are you gonna do? I FART A LOT and moan about it on the internet or go live your life, but be aware of your surroundings. I mean hell, an airplane could fall from the sky and land on me, but I'm not gonna hide in my house.

Edit A: Second Dallas nurse has been infected.

Edit B: 30,000 people will die in the United States from the flu this year. One person has died in US from Ebola, two have been infected. US population, over 300 million

What if it was a plane from west Africa?
Is it time to start drawing face masks on our avatar pics again?....where's hillsy?

Given how lax people are with following safety protocols, I would not be surprised if we get a few outbreaks of ebola here. For instance that 2nd nurse got on a plane with over 131 people while having a fever and infectious. Now the virus could have spread to those people on a plane. Ever go into an airplane bathroom?

It's also not slowing down in Africa. They can barely keep up with it. They just don't have the resources or beds for all the sick people and some just get turned away and go home and die. You will see more exponential growth of cases before this is over. It a crisis that's not going away any time soon over there. I just did a paper on it Monday.

They really need to have an immediate travel ban leaving these countries. Do you know how hard a virus is to contain? It will keep finding a way as long as you keep giving it opportunities.

Well, I think we'd increase our chances, if "everyone" (i.e. nations with moolah) pitched in to setup medical facilities and containment wards, at the source. And then invest more cooperatively in R&D to develop a cure and vaccine as quickly as possible. The virus is starting to spread into neighboring nations more rapidly, because there isn't enough resources to address it locally. I still think it's awfully hard to enforce a travel restriction, because people are just scared, and want to get out any way possible (I know I would, if I were in their shoes).

Yeah I totally got that part wrong. Apparently she's doing well according to a few articles I just read.