Post: #101

I've read some news reports about Guinea and Nigeria being able to control and effectively isolate individuals who were sick with Ebola and it never got out of control. I would like to believe that if the Nigerian government can effectively stop a potential Ebola outbreak that the US can do the same. The US government needs to get some backbone and stop all incoming flights from West Africa.

Anyone remember that pharmaceutical propaganda film called "Contagion" with Matt Damon? If this gets out of control in the US I can see that movie becoming a reality. There is no Ebola vaccine to dispense to the public yet, but they are scrambling to produce one. In the movie there was no vaccine, but of course the government and the CDC were the heroes. The parrallels between this movie, and what could potentially play out are pretty eerie. I walked out of the theater thinking it was a social conditioning film for future epidemics. Of course in the credits there was a "Special thanks to the CDC".

We shall see what happens. To everyone who is stateside, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Post: #102

(10-01-2014 01:17 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  5 Kids in dallas schools in possible contact with Ebola. Those kids are real "do or die" niggas.

Ebola in the ghetto would not be a good thing for containment.

Post: #103

This thread is intense. This is a potential existential threat waiting to sweep away all the people claiming they've decoded the propaganda. This is a disease that has a proven track record of matching anything in a John Crichton novel.

The only thing that would make this worse is if cordyceps evolved to jump to humans.

Post: #104

^ Foxhole humour, my man.

Post: #105

You Americans sure have been brainwashed to scare easy.

A recent figure for suspected cases in west Africa is 7000 ish. Half deaths. actual confirmed cases is less than 4k.

America has infinitely more resources and infrastructure to deal with an outbreak.

Americas public is much more aware of simple procedures of hygiene, medicine and quarantines etc

there are reports of Africans rejecting medical care on the basis of superstition that doctors cause it or some other supernatural bullshit.

more people die from the flu each year. should we be in a state of panic over that? no we take preventative measures and deal with cases as they pop up, not wail about the end of civilization as we know it

Post: #106

(10-01-2014 06:10 PM)WesternCancer Wrote:  You Americans sure have been brainwashed to scare easy.

As an American, I wholeheartedly agree.

Post: #107

(10-01-2014 06:20 PM)IvanDrago Wrote:  

(10-01-2014 06:10 PM)WesternCancer Wrote:  You Americans sure have been brainwashed to scare easy.

As an American, I wholeheartedly agree.

"Tonight on Suburban American Channel Six News At Seven, We'll tell you about the one thing that everyone has in their home that could slit your throat, rape your dog, finish all your leftovers, and leave the toilet seat up! And theres literally nothing you can do about it. Tune in for more!"

Post: #108

American Ebola News Wrap: Up To 100 Potential Cases In Texas, 1 In Hawaii:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-10-02...s-1-hawaii

Post: #109

(10-01-2014 06:10 PM)WesternCancer Wrote:  You Americans sure have been brainwashed to scare easy.

A recent figure for suspected cases in west Africa is 7000 ish. Half deaths. actual confirmed cases is less than 4k.

America has infinitely more resources and infrastructure to deal with an outbreak.

Americas public is much more aware of simple procedures of hygiene, medicine and quarantines etc

there are reports of Africans rejecting medical care on the basis of superstition that doctors cause it or some other supernatural bullshit.

more people die from the flu each year. should we be in a state of panic over that? no we take preventative measures and deal with cases as they pop up, not wail about the end of civilization as we know it

Treating an ebola patient is very labor intensive, because they will bleed, sweat, shit and vomit all over the place, which needs to be decontaminated constantly. Treating one patient likely requires 5-10 staff 24/7. Then there is the question of how many isolation wards are available. A few cases are easy to contain, but once you reach critical mass, it will be impossible to treat and stop.

And you say superstition, can you tell me with full confidence that you don't think something similar could happen in the ghetto, where ambulances are also frequently attacked and drug use is rampant? You think the hundreds of thousands of crack heads and heroin users are going to be rational?

The obvious solution is to stop all air traffic from Liberia and neighboring countries, so why isn't it done?

Post: #110

^^^

in Africa a lot of treatment is being done in makeshift run down shit holes.

they would need to set up quarantine areas with suspected and confirmed cases. burn all the sheets used and have decontamination procedures for the caregivers. iv fluids gauze standard meds and pretentive equipment arent't all that expensive

I'm not saying there isn't potential to spread rapidly but America has the resources to properly deal with and quarantine any cases

as for the ghettos. those are definitely areas of highest risk. but people aren't going to just turn into animals throwing their shit on each other.

think of ebola like hiv or hepatitis in terms of how it's spread. The difference is that ebola has limited treatments etc.

The fear is going to cause more damage than the virus.

Post: #111

No, Ebola is nothing like HIV or hepatits, that is a very dangerous mindset to have. It is easily transmitted by hugging someone or lying in bed with them, carrying them when they sweat or similar. The guy who brought it to the US got it from carrying his sick sister. He then lied purposefully (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/world/....html?_r=1) in order to get to the US for treatment. This is what open borders gets you. Someone like this asshole, who would risk infecting an entire nation for his own stupid choices. Nice guy.

Post: #112

The fedgov just ordered 160,000 hazmat suits.

Nothing to see here people, move along.....

Post: #113

Propaganda can get out of hand regarding such a spread of a disease. You need to look at what the virus has done so far and in what environment.

Someone stated how people are refusing treatment. They're also eating bush meat and do not believe in the existence of Ebola. There are also Witch Doctors making it worse.

This can happen in a country like the USA if it spread through the ghetto areas. What response that would create is probably martial law with armoured personnel carriers and thousands of troops just to contain and control the infected areas.

Now all of this is done by a slow moving virus. if Ebola was airborne and had a shorter incubation period you would be looking at a severe pandemic level attack on the population.

Take a look at the emergency response on a day where a couple hundred people get hurt. Hospitals quickly become overwhelmed by traditional injuries, so I wouldn't guarantee a good response to thousands requiring immediate specialist care for a contagious disease which kills most of whom it infects.

This isn't taking into account human nature. What will happen once you try and quarantine a chunk of the population who are prone to violence anyway? Its like cornering an animal.

Post: #114

(10-02-2014 01:32 PM)WesternCancer Wrote:  The fear is going to cause more damage than the virus.

This fear is going to be probably used to cost the taxpayer billions of dollars. After some serious fear mongering in the press, some lucky drug company is going to cash in on some untested/unproven vaccine.

Post: #115

Lets look at the facts. The disease is not airborne, therefore transmission is involved with direct contact with an infected individuals bodily fluids. This should be in and of itself the decisive factor in the fear mongering: remember SARS and how many people caught that/died? Now take a virus which is far more delicate, and up the ante on the propaganda? Does that even make sense to any of you?

The majority of people that are catching this disease in Africa are healthcare workers, have you seen their hazmat suits compared to the ones here? People are breaking out of quarantine, stealing biohazardous clothing, and even in quarantine, its like the dark ages over there compared to North America. It's a joke, albeit a terrible one, but it's a joke the situation over there.

I say cut all emigration/immigration to western Africa, and let the disease run its course. Stop sending in workers. Stop bringing back workers that were infected. Burn the bodies of those that died, stop putting them in a ditch somewhere.

Post: #116

I haven't been able to keep up on the news lately since I am currently hiding in my basement from Saddam Hussein and recovering from my Fucashima radiation poisoning. I'm not sure I can handle ISIS and Ebola at this time.

Sorry.. It's a scotch night.

Post: #117

Imagine this. The weather starts getting colder and people begin to prepare for the flu season. Someone comes into the U.S. carrying it with them. They then spread it to other people, but everyone believes they just have a cold or maybe it' the flu because it's winter time. Only when they start shitting themselves do they go to a doctor. Thats how it could spread despite all of our advanced technology.

I hope that is just a crazy theory, and this whole thing blows over.

Post: #118

Back in the day siege engines used to launch rotten pestulance infected corpses over the wall so the people inside the fortress would get infected. These days there are plenty who will just fly them in and let the society rot from the inside out with plague.

Progress.

Post: #119

At one level, I think something should be done to quarantine Africa. The problem is the refusal to do so for economic and socio-political effects. People might think that there wouldn't be that much damage to Western economies to do simply cut West Africa off. I might beg to differ, but let's just say for a moment that it wouldn't matter. Certainly, with large numbers of Africans living in Europe, it would be a political hand grenade to do so, so then do you restrict flights from London to New York as a result? Now you're talking about major economic issues.

If, say, the top twenty countries have their shit together, what about the others that don't? Some of these countries (e.g. Mexico, Mediterranean Europe) have borders with developed nations or are in close proximity to them. Others, such as the U.A.E., Thailand, etc. are major transportation hubs. Do you trust the Emirati or Thai governments to have a full hold on this? If the U.S. government can't control its southern border, who thinks for a moment that that alone isn't going to be an extremely porous membrane for the transmission of this disease?

I am of the opinion that if this thing is going to spread, it's going to spread. The window of opportunity to nip that in the bud, if it hasn't already passed, probably will soon. Thus, I think it's more about preparation for the inevitable within wealthier nations. If you're in a poor nation, then you're probably shit out of luck.

This may all be a storm in a teacup and maybe nothing will really happen outside of West Africa. I think we should consider the scenario of it hitting the developed world though. I don't think there would be anywhere near the casualties in the West (or developed East) as in Africa, but at the very least, I suspect that there would be temporary disruptions and inconveniences to daily life, such as curfews and perhaps rationing. To that end, call me crazy, but I'm going to be doing some prepping of foodstuffs, water and other basic supplies within the next few days. Even if this all turns out to be a false alarm, I can eat through those things in the future anyway, so it wouldn't be a waste of money. If/when the first cases hit here though, there will be a run on supermarkets and price gouging, so I want to be ahead of that curve.

Post: #120

(10-04-2014 12:08 AM)Feisbook Control Wrote:  To that end, call me crazy, but I'm going to be doing some prepping of foodstuffs, water and other basic supplies within the next few days. Even if this all turns out to be a false alarm, I can eat through those things in the future anyway, so it wouldn't be a waste of money. If/when the first cases hit here though, there will be a run on supermarkets and price gouging, so I want to be ahead of that curve.

I am doing the same. I always have a two months worth of canned food just in case i got fired or something unexpected, but I am going to bump it up to 4 month.

Also, I bought some medical gloves and air masks, so I have some if shit hit the fan and the shops experience some shortage. Those air masks are dirty cheap, it was worth buying just for the peace of mind alone.

Post: #121

(10-04-2014 04:37 AM)Glaucon Wrote:  Also, I bought some medical gloves and air masks, so I have some if shit hit the fan and the shops experience some shortage. Those air masks are dirty cheap, it was worth buying just for the peace of mind alone.

I did the same thing during the swine flu, avian flu, influenza A, influenza B, mad cow, global warming, aids, acid rain, three mile island and ice age pandemics. Thank god for cotton and rubber band masks, it is a wasteland around these parts.

Post: #122

Another Liberian deliberately flying to the US with Ebola symptoms: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/cdc-officia...d=25965383

How long until self preservation wins out over political correctness?

Post: #123

(10-04-2014 12:59 PM)berserk Wrote:  Another Liberian deliberately flying to the US with Ebola symptoms: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/cdc-officia...d=25965383

How long until self preservation wins out over political correctness?

Expect these guys to be put through the court system and receiving some sort of punishment.

Post: #124

Sure, but what of it?
I'd gladly take 5 years in jail if it meant not dying of Ebola.

Post: #125

There are tests for ebola but I'm not sure the length of time for a result to come or even how accurate a portable test kit would be.

To be honest it's quite difficult to even contract Ebola. Other than receiving direct fluids from an infected person, eating meat infected or using a syringe.

If someone can find and post a case study or document specifically citing how a person was infected other than the three general method of transmissions I listed above then please do so. The news wont say how this man in Dallas was infected.

Edit: Ebola is a tropical disease so studies during a North American winter have not been properly done yet. Why is influenza transmission at its greatest during the winter? Well lower humidity is the big culprit as the size of influenza is thought to decrease in the winter due to lack of water in the air. This leads to influenza being able to travel in the air more easily due to the loss of size in winter. There are other factors to why it's spread easier in the winter but let's focus on that.

What if Ebola has the same properties? Ebola isn't picky about which system it infects as every cell is at risk. It just needs to enter your body in some fashion.