that’s not going to happen unless it goes airborne, and that’s not a high probability. This virus spreads like hepatitis and HIV, by contact with body fluids, not like influenza or the common cold. Its not difficult to isolate using standard western practices of medical care and hygiene.
The problem in Africa is burial traditions that include touching and kissing the corpse. The corpse continues to shed the virus due to micro-hemorrhaging from systemic cytokine storm. But that comes late in the infection, and causes the rapid death by volume depletion, shock and organ failure.
/sarc
Well, that’s it, then. No more corpse-kissing for me! We all have to make sacrifices.
We must respect other traditions and cultures. Be sensitive to their traditions of kissing infected and contaminated dead people. Do they parade the body around town so everyone can show their respect?
Yes, you are correct. Good post.
p.s. Let’s all pray real hard that it never mutates in an ugly way.
You haven’t mentioned fomites. I think it is a grave mistake to underestimate the potential for fomite transmission of the virus, especially in urban areas, and even more so when the health care system is overwhelmed, if it comes to that.
And you really think all those West African immigrants dropped that tradition when they immigrated here?