Ebola

[sillysally]

I've started to follow this story more closely as time goes on. I'm certainly not panicking but I'm also not pleased with how this is being handled. Sending the first patient home with a 103* temp, not denying entry of those coming in from the effected West African countries in the first place, the second infected nurse making the incredibly stupid and selfish decision to board a plane while she was self monitoring for infection, etc.

What are your thoughts on this? Are you worried? Will it effect your daily or travel habits at all?

 

[Melle]

I'm honestly pretty skeeved out. Part of me is like "We're relatively equipped to handle it" but I also associate stupidity with this country I'm certainly not panicked over it but what's happened so far just pretty much is like what I was expecting - the hospital wasn't prepared enough and I have my doubts now. Seeing as how easy it is for people to travel and how many people there are with overlapping interactions, I just don't feel good about it.

 

[sassafras]

Eh, nope, and nope.

 

[Snark]

I'm not pleased either, and the reasons the CDC gave for NOT banning travel from infected countries are pathetic. I find the sheer hubris of the head of the CDC astounding and maddening.

It won't affect my daily or travel habits, for now. I don't do air travel and usually go to work and go home, without a lot of mingling with crowds. I do worry about my brother and his wife, they're both ER doctors.

 

[Moth]

There is a bit of discussion on this in the venting threat at the moment as well.

I think it is very important that people educate themselves and look for reliable information.

The fear mongering and panic that seems to be occurring in some instances is the worst possible reaction to have.

As being ready to deal with something like this...we have not had to deal with disease on this level for a long long time. Advances in medicine have made our lives so much easier in this way. So it is shocking when we are exposed to a health crisis on this level.

 

[Beanie]

I am not panicking but given how poorly I think things have been handled to this point, I am somewhat concerned, and definitely understand concerns of/for medical professionals. I don't think panic is appropriate - but I do think it's appropriate to take it seriously.

 

[release the hounds]

Ebola is exotic, it's foreign, it's scary and makes great headlines. I'm not really concerned. It sucks for someone that got infected and is symptomatic that's for sure. But Ebola has been around for a long, long time. People coming and going for centuries and more recently decades on planes trains and automobiles with very little issues.

Did something change about Ebola? if so, they aren't going to do anything to "contain" it anyway. Otherwise, it's rather noticeable, and it's not easily transferrable. It's not like you can sneeze and touch a door knob and the next person gets it. It has been largely a self limiting disease because of its severity and the rules for transmission.

It can still cause problems for sure, but 100's of folds more are going to die from the **** they put in their mouths everyday in this country than are going to die from Ebola in the world.

 

[Psyfalcon]

1 death and 2 transmissions to healthcare workers on US soil.

Meanwhile measles (which we have a vaccine for...) had killed 41 people by April.

 

[Ozfozz]

Ebola is exotic, it's foreign, it's scary and makes great headlines. I'm not really concerned. It sucks for someone that got infected and is symptomatic that's for sure. But Ebola has been around for a long, long time. People coming and going for centuries and more recently decades on planes trains and automobiles with very little issues.

Did something change about Ebola? if so, they aren't going to do anything to "contain" it anyway. Otherwise, it's rather noticeable, and it's not easily transferrable. It's not like you can sneeze and touch a door knob and the next person gets it. It has been largely a self limiting disease because of its severity and the rules for transmission.

It can still cause problems for sure, but 100's of folds more are going to die from the **** they put in their mouths everyday in this country than are going to die from Ebola in the world.

^^^ Couldn't have said it any better than that.
I remember being in high school and watching a program on NatGeo years ago about Ebola.

 

[yv0nne]

Saw something on FB to the effect of we have had STIs& AIDS for years yet still can't convince people to wear condoms. One person dies of Ebola& everybody is wearing masks.

Seemed like an appropriate comparison aha

 

[MinPinOwner]

No and No at this point.




:lol-sign:


[YOUTUBE]0QIWZ7HxuHc[/YOUTUBE]

 

[sassafras]

Ebola is exotic, it's foreign, it's scary and makes great headlines. I'm not really concerned. It sucks for someone that got infected and is symptomatic that's for sure. But Ebola has been around for a long, long time. People coming and going for centuries and more recently decades on planes trains and automobiles with very little issues.

Did something change about Ebola? if so, they aren't going to do anything to "contain" it anyway. Otherwise, it's rather noticeable, and it's not easily transferrable. It's not like you can sneeze and touch a door knob and the next person gets it. It has been largely a self limiting disease because of its severity and the rules for transmission.

It can still cause problems for sure, but 100's of folds more are going to die from the **** they put in their mouths everyday in this country than are going to die from Ebola in the world.

Right on. The behavior of the virus at this point means that if people actually take the time to pay attention and take precautions, there's actually very little danger to any particular individual.

Look at a country like Nigeria that did a really stellar job of educating its populace about preventing transmission vs. a country like Sierra Leone or Liberia.

I think we're just so used to feeling invulnerable in this country that we don't take basic precautions like washing our hands or not touching our faces seriously until OMG EBOLA. The panic is probably going to kill more people than the disease in this country IMO.

 

[Dogdragoness]

I know ebola is a horrible, deadly, serious disease, but I worry more for my parents, who are older and right now are on a trip to Las Vegas, then I do for myself. In fact I have to not think about it too much or I will start panicking about it.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I am not panicking but given how poorly I think things have been handled to this point, I am somewhat concerned, and definitely understand concerns of/for medical professionals. I don't think panic is appropriate - but I do think it's appropriate to take it seriously.

This.

Personally, I likely will be avoiding any air travel or places with huge crowds of people like concerts and sports games and such for a while.

 

[Red.Apricot]

I think we're just so used to feeling invulnerable in this country that we don't take basic precautions like washing our hands or not touching our faces seriously until OMG EBOLA.

Total aside, but I teach a biology lab, and I tell them they should wash their hands before they leave and literally none of my students do. The sink and soap and paper towels are all right there. It's baffling.

 

[Fran27]

1 death and 2 transmissions to healthcare workers on US soil.

Meanwhile measles (which we have a vaccine for...) had killed 41 people by April.

Pretty much...

 

[RD]

What are your thoughts on this? Are you worried? Will it effect your daily or travel habits at all?

Mildly concerned, due to the fact that it's shown itself very close to my hometown. Really nothing I can do to modify my daily or travel habits. I work in retail, tons of exposure to people. If it becomes a bigger issue I am sure my workplace will implement some safety measures, but in the meantime I'm not horribly worried.

 

[release the hounds]

The panic is probably going to kill more people than the disease in this country IMO.

Reminds me of a quote that I'll paraphrase because I can't remember who said it or exactly how it goes (some memory) but it goes something like this, Worry kills more people than work, because more people worry than work

 

[Brattina88]

Mildly concerned, due to the fact that it's shown itself very close to my hometown. Really nothing I can do to modify my daily or travel habits. I work in retail, tons of exposure to people. If it becomes a bigger issue I am sure my workplace will implement some safety measures, but in the meantime I'm not horribly worried.

This. Only not retail, I work with young children. I'm more likely to get the flu or lice or chicken pox or something.
My friends school was evacuated today and closed (in Chardon) because something like the teachers husband was a on the same flight as the woman who tested positive. Do I think it's excessive? Yes lol. But rather be safe than sorry, I guess?

It was the ONLY thing on the TV yesterday for several hours, on every channel, you couldn't escape it. The TV part reminded me of the last time nothing else was on (for me), and that was 9/11. So for me, yes that is completely ridiculous and fear mongering! That poor woman's business aired all over the news, including a map of which way she drove home from the air port. I just don't think that's necessary. Seriously news people? wash your hands, don't touch your face. Don't lick door handles or something, I think you'll be okay lol

 

[amberdyan]

I'm not terribly worried. A lot of what is being put out in the world is fear induced rumor. I had a whole class of students freaking out about it yesterday so I made them get their laptops and find ONE news source that said Ebola is/is going to be a crisis in the United States that fulfilled our criteria for a reliable source that can be used in a research paper (English class). Although there were several reliable sources about Ebola, none of them were anything to panic about, and they certainly didn't have the "EBOLA- DEATH IN THE US" attention grabbing headlines.