Ebola

[LincolnE]

I wonder when the express will get round to this story, I'm sure they can link it to Diana somehow like they seem to do with everything else.

[JJonas]

With all the media over hype regarding the infections in america and the under hyping of them in Africa, it will be anyone's guess which news station/ paper tries to link Ebola to a Walking Dead style apocalypse.

I'm surprised the daily mail haven't yet.

 

There is a spoof daily mail headline doing the rounds on Facebook...

[cobra427col]

I reckon we'll be alright in the UK.

 

http://i.imgur.com/7iFoS3W.gif

 

No 10 day waiting period on a garden spade..... (yet)

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

There is a spoof daily mail headline doing the rounds on Facebook...

 

Er... isnt the daily mail a spoof paper anyway!

[cobra427col]

On a serious note, does anyone remember the whole issue with Swine Flu a couple of years back. That was said to be a full level pandemic, which didn't really do all that much damage in the grand scheme of things.

 

Same goes for the bird/avian flu that was supposed to be making the rounds some a couple of decades back.

 

I, myself, have full faith in WHO to properly contain this to most extent.

 

Didn't some muppet buy up a truck load of face masks and try selling them at inflated prices... didnt sell any.

[StevieM]

I reckon everyone should just by @nephilim's ebook on prepping and we'll all be safe.

 

On a serious note, I've just had an email from UNICEF about the impact of the disease in parts of Africa.

 

I'm not sure what the forum rules are about posting links to charity appeals, but here's the web version of the email.

 

There's also a story on their blog about The Ebola orphans of Sierra Leone if anyone would like to find out more.

 

Thanks

[featured_spectre]

Thanks @StevieM...feel free to buy it. lol Its at 99p (or something around there) at the minute on both google play and amazon

 

*edit*

 

do bare in mind, its a basics book, covering the acronyms, need to know basics such as tools, where to find food and water etc. Also its not done too badly at nearly 1000 copies sold between both vendors

Edited October 16, 2014 by featured_spectre

[Ketlane]

One item from VSO's website brings it all home: Sierra Leone has one health worker for every 5,260 people. Compare this to the UK where the ratio is one to 77 people.

[Alkaline]

I think if it came to the UK it would not spread as quickly as it does in the countries its in at the moment (excluding the west). We are far more likely to wash our hands etc because the facility are ready available to us.

 

If it does get in the the UK and the person walks around for 20 days without knowing they are infected, and then infects a load of British people, then I suspect there would be a few thousand deaths if it kept getting passed on and on, but it would not spiral out of control.

[pcstru]

If it does get in the the UK and the person walks around for 20 days without knowing they are infected, and then infects a load of British people, then I suspect there would be a few thousand deaths if it kept getting passed on and on, but it would not spiral out of control.

If there are a few thousand deaths in the UK then it IS out of control. You need to be able to isolate people who are infected and monitor or isolate people might be infected. We can do tens, probably hundreds of cases but if we start to get into thousands then things are really, really bad. It really shouldn't get that bad but we (spain/usa) don't seem to be doing very well so far managing the few cases that have arrived. With only a couple of cases, the infection of medical workers involved with treatment of those patients is evidence of, at best dangerous complacency.

[Alkaline]

If there are a few thousand deaths in the UK then it IS out of control. You need to be able to isolate people who are infected and monitor or isolate people might be infected. We can do tens, probably hundreds of cases but if we start to get into thousands then things are really, really bad. It really shouldn't get that bad but we (spain/usa) don't seem to be doing very well so far managing the few cases that have arrived. With only a couple of cases, the infection of medical workers involved with treatment of those patients is evidence of, at best dangerous complacency.

 

I don't think a few thousand deaths would mean it is out of control. In the past with the flu outbreaks (in the early 70's for example). There were a couple of thousand people dying per week in the UK. PER WEEK.

 

And flu is much easier to spread.

[pcstru]

I don't think a few thousand deaths would mean it is out of control. In the past with the flu outbreaks (in the early 70's for example). There were a couple of thousand people dying per week in the UK. PER WEEK.

 

And flu is much easier to spread.

Spanish flu after WWI had a mortality rate of only 2.5%. Ebola has a mortality rate of 50-70%. A few thousand deaths means tens of thousands of people may need to be monitored, their homes and places of work disinfected. Ebola isn't (as I understand it) hugely difficult to manage, so a few tens or a hundred deaths means we are failing to do that. A few thousand is almost unimaginable negligence at which point it is just too late.

[Alkaline]

Such monitoring is not going to happen. They will just say "go in, stay in, tune in." (Although this guide to deal with emergencies now seems to have been scrapped.)

 

http://www.cheshirefire.gov.uk/Assets/preparingforemergencies.pdf

 

Ebola has a mortality rate of 70% in its current locations, in the UK it is likely to be lower.

 

When I say a few thousands death I am talking about once it has been contained, everyone who is infected is found. It would never be 100% done but the majority of people can be found as long as it does not reach large pockets of the population, at which point it will have to be left to "run its course". Those who are not infected will have to stay that way and protect themselves, those that are infected, I am not sure what could be done. No one will be able to stop it. But I think that's highly unlikely.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Alkaline

[Andrew_C]

I understand the the UK has some high-isolation beds... two in fact. I also heard that the nurses involved were not properly trained in barrier-nursing. Now THAT is worrying!

[Gatt]

I understand the the UK has some high-isolation beds... two in fact. I also heard that the nurses involved were not properly trained in barrier-nursing. Now THAT is worrying!

 

Whats that noise/

 

Oh its just Florence Nightingale spinning in her grave!