Posted on 09/17/2014 3:51:45 PM PDT by Kartographer
Despite the best efforts of the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders, Ebola is expected to rage on in West Africa for another 12-18 months, with 20,000 cases predicted. Without coordination of relief efforts, the ability to contain the disease is limited and has been labeled a “failure” to date. Countries are sending supplies and equipment in piecemeal fashion. The U.S., for example, is setting up a 25 bed hospital for its part. Unfortunately, it’s far too little to make a dent in the epidemic.
It’s difficult for a person in a developed country to believe that medical systems, economies, even governments, might fail as a result of a virus. The average U.S. citizen suffers from what we call “Normalcy Bias”. This is the tendency to be believe that, since things have been just fine, everything will always remain so. This is foolhardy thinking at best, and dangerous thinking at worst. One wonders what the effect of normalcy bias was in 1918 when the Spanish Flu hit America.
(Excerpt) Read more at doomandbloom.net ...
I live in the Midwest, and I’m already ready for whatever ole man winter is going to throw at us, and we stay prepared for that, as well as tornadoes, power outages, and all the usual problems that could hit us.
If someone is already prepared for the most likely stuff, should one then just ignore new potential threats? Why shouldn’t such a person add a few useful medical supplies that might be useful for both the winter flu and Ebola? Seems to me that’s a pretty good use of time.
Cool. So we just have to stay away from hospitals.
To the people of Guangdong Province and other areas, however, it was a threat, one which millions of domestic fowl were culled to stop, and which the US government sponsored programs to check migratory waterfowl for in the Northwest, the most likely entrance to the US along migratory bird flyways.
Here and now, Ebola is a more serious threat, not because it is next door, but because it could be by morning if it catches the red-eye.
It is more contagious than the current H5N1 unless you are a bird.
If we wait until the total number of dead eclipse the Spanish Flu or the Black Death, it will be too late to do anything about it.
Protections, aside from distance and isolation from infected populations:
N-95 is sufficient as filtration for H5N1. P-100 for Ebola. H5N1 needs to be inhaled or conveyed by droplets contaminated dust, into the lungs or mucosa, or the direct contact with the corpse, feces, blood, etc. of an infected bird, especially through an open wound or consuming undercooked flesh.
Ebola, all of that, only the virus seems more likely to hitchhike in droplets rather than be airborne by itself. Add to that that Ebola virus tends to survive relatively well on surfaces contaminated with the bodily fluids of victims, and fomite transmission becomes a significant hazard. Corpses remain infectious, and dogs can get the disease and remain asymptomatic.
The most effective defense against either is to be where the virus is not. Failing that, isolating your body from Ebola in your surroundings is the next best thing: full suit, full face respirator, hood, gloves, booties, an apron to catch the worst of what could ail you and keep it off your suit, and a 'buddy' to decontaminate you in the event you are out and about, and to check on your PPE beforehand to make sure it is on correctly.
At no time have I really made light of the capabilities of the virus, nor its threat. My concern has been self-evident in this forum.
I think you’re incorrect with your implication that kartographer sells supplies.
Point out where I named Kartographer.
Hence the word “implication”
You’ve made a charge and refused to support it, then suggest m idol for everyone. Some would say a retraction from you would be appropriate but I’d settle for you to say anything to support your charge. Sometimes it’s tough to admit you were wrong.
I’ve worn the military Chem/bio suits for up to 14 hours. It is beyond exhausting. It’s very easy to make deadly mistakes.
I implied nothing about a particular poster, that was your conclusion.
Midol is still offered for the hyper-sensitive.
I can’t admit I’m wrong when I don’t know if I’m wrong.
Admission of a problem is the first step.
Ironic that you asked me for proof of my “charge” yet you still continue to refuse to support your original post.
Do you expect true statements from our government ? .. or more propaganda?
No, I don't. Hence my skepticism. The fact that the government is in full panic mode and the media is focused on this like a laser tells me it's not as bad as it sounds. The media is complacent in a whole raft of propaganda, I'll give you that, but keeping the populace in fear is their primary directive. I choose not to live in fear.
The fact that this is still contained to central Africa is heartening. If there were outbreaks in Egypt, the middle east, along shipping lanes from Africa, or around primary flight hubs into and out of Africa, I would be concerned. Otherwise, I do honestly believe this is a storm in a teacup. Feel free to fritter away your sanity in fear. I'm going to live calmly, whether that calm be born of ignorance or a complete lack of care.
50% of reported cases end in death. Does it matter?
WTF?!?
If you’re all stocked up and ready for the season, then by all means make preparations for medical contingencies. I’m just saying that we shouldn’t be shitting ourselves in fear that this disease is going to rampage its way across the country. The only cases here have been brought here by our government, and those people are still alive. I think that’s a testament to American medicine.
If ebola’s gonna come here, it’s gonna come. I’m not going to go through my day fearful of every sneeze, cough, and bead of sweat I come across. Live life. If we have to live life under fear, let it be legitimate. This, so far, is just a lot of media fearmongering.
Hey now. Just because I happen to like my very small stash of shiny metal and know a thing or two about the blockchain doesn't mean I am wearing a vest. I think vests look stupid.
Actually, I put it in the same category as “meteorite preparedness”.
Preparation for Ebola is nothing like preparation for Influenza or many other infectious diseases.
CDC estimates that from the 1976 to 2007 flu seasons in America, flu-associated deaths each year ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.
The H1N1 swine flu pandemic killed more than 284,000 people worldwide in 2009 and 2010.
CDC data - “Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections. Many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection.”
“In 2012, 90 percent of the world’s malaria deaths occurred in Africa and about 460,000 African children died before their fifth birthdays,” the WHO 2013 malaria report said.”
“Diarrhea — a preventable and treatable condition — kills about 1.5 million children each year — more than malaria, AIDS and measles combined, according to global health organizations.”
So, just because it is a media darling right now, and sounds so *scary*, tell me why we should really give a hoot about Ebola? The bottom line is that it is a “media celebrity” disease, which right now is realistically less of a threat to Americans than are polar bear attacks, which have killed far more Americans.
you dont really understand exponential functions, do you?
Hmm, I think I would know that if it were true. No one has contacted me through a post or a Freepmail that he/she sells prepper goods; however, would be fine with me if he/she did.
A person who has some preps for an emergency has no reason to be afraid and I haven't met one who is. Instead, those with preps, myself included, feel comfortable they have prepared for an emergency for themselves and family. Therefore, prepping eliminates concern for an emergency happening.
Preparing for an emergency is a choice - I chose to do it due to hurricanes I knew would come again. I'm not concerned about Ebola except for other people, as I can lock my front door and have what I need until that disease has run its course. I wish everyone could do that and I do encourage people to prepare for any emergency that could come their way.
Preparing for an emergency is practical/real life insurance. I have that insurance so I don't worry about what may happen and I wish all people had it.
Kart does a fine job of posting threads that cause us to re-think our plans and shore them up if need be. Other preppers post ways to do this or that and those posts help us adjust our methods, too.
Some people prepare for an emergency, some people don't - that's the way free choice works.
“Rates of transmission increased from June to July in Sierra Leone and Liberia from 1.4 to 1.7 respectively for every existing case. The statistical analysis is detailed in the paper, “Early transmission dynamics of Ebola virus disease, West Africa, March to August 2014,” published today in Eurosurveillance.”
“Our findings suggest that control of the Ebola epidemic that has taken so many lives could be attained by preventing more than half of the secondary transmissions for each primary case. This could be attained by isolating those with Ebola and tracing each case to its source.”
“Transmission rates are consistent with the rate of spread from prior outbreaks in Central Africa, researchers found.”
(WebMD)
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ebola-fever-virus-infection
“A person who has Ebola but has no symptoms can’t spread the disease, either.”
(CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html
The average time between contracting the infection and the start of symptoms (incubation period) is 8 to 10 days, but it can vary between 2 and 21 days.
http://ebola-virus.co.uk/symptoms/
(see “Summary of the symptoms ordering by chronological order:”)
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