Posted on 08/10/2014 12:46:23 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe
I have spent a little time compiling links to threads about the Ebola outbreak in the interest of having all the links in one thread for future reference.
Please add links to new threads and articles of interest as the situation develops.
Thank You all for you participation.
Your rant is also my rant, so thanks for expressing what many of us have been feeling.
This is so disheartening, and I shudder to see where this Ebola epidemic/pandemic is going... besides up.
http://dailypost.ng/2014/09/11/breaking-liberian-ebola-patient-arrested-lagos-airport/
“After a quick virus test was conducted on her, report says she showed positive result and was immediately arrested. She was from Casablanca in Morocco.”
Quick test. Wonder if they’re using the Japanese tech. They already stated they’d be utilizing the small molecule treatment, favipiravir. I wonder if that’s had any effect in their overall sick/dead numbers...
Yeah, that sounds as if it’s really “hard to catch”, doesn’t it?
Well, reality once again rears its ugly head and mocks the "three foot droplet" safety protocol that some FR poster insists on posting ad infinitum.
There was a significant discrepancy between the results of virus culture and RT-PCR testing in our study, with many more frequent positive results from RT-PCR. Possible explanations for this finding include virus degradation from breaks in the cold chain during sample collection, storage, and shipping; the greater sensitivity of RT-PCR relative to culture; and, in the case of the saliva specimens, possible virus inactivation by salivary enzymes. The less-than-ideal storage conditions of the specimens in the isolation ward immediately after acquisition and the fact that even the nasal blood from 1 patient was culture negative suggest that some virus degradation indeed occurred. Nevertheless, we cannot exclude the possibility of a true absence of viable virus in the original samples. We hope to be able to repeat this study in the future with better maintenance of the cold chain to resolve this question.
It appears the cold chain was not maintained, thus the breakdown of virus in at least some of the samples is anticipated.
Bottom line, where results are positive, they are positive, where negative, they are inconclusive because the samples were not handled properly.
I would be reluctant to stake my life on any negative results obtained by the study.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201409110770.html?viewall=1
“Liberia: At West Point Ebola Holding Center - One Dead, Several Transferred to JFK”
As I predicted, opening up the West Point slum quarantine will allow the already infected to spread it far and wide.
Step 1: Shut up known ebola patients in an insanely crowded slum with no sanitation.
Step 2: Allow them to remain there for a week or so and spread it to many people.
Step 3: Open up the quarantined area so the newly infected can run to their relatives and spread it to them as well!
I fear many more than the 50K in West Point slum will eventually die from this one maneuver.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201409110930.html?viewall=1
“Liberia: Cabbies, Passengers Split Over Who Ebola ‘Hot Source’ Report”
“The terrifying mathematics of Ebola”
“Stabbing With Syringe in Nigeria Raises Concerns of Ebola as Weapon”
Note the misinformation in that previous NYTIMES link. I was initially surprised that they’d even publish an article like this. And then I read it and found:
“Dr. Adalja said such a situation was not that plausible. He said that infected people are not contagious until they have symptoms, by which time they might not have the strength to go to a public place to infect others. And it would be hard for a suicide infector to spread the disease to others, since contact with bodily fluids is required.
“You have to literally vomit on them,” he said.”
I agree. I think there are other factors that the authors specifically did not study like human susceptibility. We basically don’t know the pathways and virus load needed to contract the disease.
Route is through any mucous membrane, including the eyes and inhaled droplets of contaminated fluids, through any open wound, through sexual contact, consumption of contaminated food.
The virus survives and has been detected in the semen of a recovered patient 61 days after he was pronounced "recovered". It was capable of infecting someone through sexual contact.
What we do not know is if there are circumstances through which the virus can infect through transdermal contact.
Fomites are a known vector, including removing contaminated PPE improperly.
The virus can survive on surfaces for hours, longer if out of direct sunlight and at cooler temperatures, indefinitely in the dark at -70C. (I haven't been anywhere that was that cold, but close at -60F).
The list of what we don't know will get shorter.
Infections were attributed to most likely vectors in the past, and with the increase in cases and awareness, the less likely or apparent vectors will become more evident.
I agree with you 100%. In my discussions with various "head in the sand" people ebola is just the latest example. I tell my husband so many people are only concerned with 1. what are we having for dinner tonight, and 2. what are we doing for fun this weekend. I could not live like that.
I saw that and really did do the jaw drop. This guy is a doctor? Really?
That kind of ignorance is seriously frightening to me.
And you know he is not alone in that mindset.
Ping to 1852. Forgot to put your on the list. I really need a list.
“4th Sierra Leonean doctor infected with Ebola”
“...Health Ministry spokesman Sidie Yahya Tunis says Dr. Olivette Buck, the medical superintendent of a hospital in the capital, has tested positive for the disease. He said Thursday that arrangements are being made to evacuate her to another country so she can received better medical treatment...”
Anybody else hear ‘evacuate her to the United States’ in that?
Amesh Adalja
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/
Greater Pittsburgh AreaMedical Practice
Current
Butler Memorial Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Previous
Allegheny General Hospital, Gotham Entertainment Group, Ford Models
Education
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
Source: LinkedIn
https://www.facebook.com/ameshaa
...Ford Models?...
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