Why is the government saying so little about Ebola and prevention?

[sm625]

Ebola is only a problem in areas where it cannot be isolated if an outbreak occurs. We expend millions of barrels a day of oil to maintain a society that happens to be resilient against ebola. It is one of the few plusses of our extravagent culture. I'd be more worried about the flow of oil than about ebola.

 

[OutHouse]

 

[Markbnj]

And swine flu.
And avian flu.
And mad cow disease.
And MRSA.
And SARS.
And the flesh-eating virus.

All's well for shits and giggles, but really this is what I mean by the distorting effect of polarizing between panic and disregard. Which of those... I'll call them illnesses because they fall into different categories... ever exhibited a curve like these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_virus_epidemic_in_West_Africa#Timeline_of_cases_and_deaths

I run the risk of being accused of fear-mongering, I know. I get that the general consensus here is that this is an African problem, and that certain things that are different about the way they live make them particularly vulnerable. But there are some differences in the way we live compared to them as well: most of our children get together in close proximity in schools every day; we gather together at sporting events; more of us commute to places where we work together; we go to restaurants, malls, etc.

This isn't a wildfire. You can see that from the data. But that doesn't mean it isn't burning and hard to put out. The virus was over there, but now we absolutely have to assume it is here and in the wild, and I guarantee you that is the assumption of officials, whatever they are saying in public. It's the only prudent reaction to the circumstances. A nurse in Spain is confirmed to have it, contracted while treating Ebola patients on a high containment ward. If she was outside the hospital at all while infectious then Spanish officials have to make the same assumption.

Keep this thread around and I hope in six months you can all call me an idiot. Not that you have to wait six months.

 

[DrPizza]

They don't want people to be alarmed, they don't want anybody reacting to a situation that hasn't developed.

I did hear something interesting on college radio last week to the effect that experts have said that there's a possibility that the ebola virus will mutate to a form that is transmissible by air. If that happens watch out.

Fortunately, it's about as likely as my cat having mutant kittens that are capable of flying.

 

[massmedia]

The next six hours is spent in saliva of person #2, and in the stomach acid of person #2. I'm losing track of papers, I think it was one linked in this thread, but didn't one of the papers conclude, "ebola does NOT appear to be spread [by sneezing]. We're not sure why."

Given the current situation, why should they, at this point, be wasting researcher's time figuring out why it's not spread via sneezing? Shouldn't they be focused on methods of transmission?

Further, why does it seem you're attempting to fear monger on this issue? The above, unless I'm mistaken, seems to be an attempt by you to pass doubt onto people about what's being done.

your 1st sentence implies that the virus cannot infect an individual through being injested.

2nd sentence... references a mystery paper. also, "does not appear to be" means "our guess".

3rd sentence... takes an assumption, makes it a concrete fact and then asks a question that assumes an assumption is a fact.

4th sentence... answer to that question is yes.

5th sentence... Where do you draw that conclusion from. perhaps the problem is an uncritical approach to media reports combined with a lack of a background in immunology and virology that is the source of these feelings.

last sentence... Pressure washing ebola puke off a sidewalk in texas. anyone who has operated a professional pressure washer and who has a background in handling biohazardous and infectious materials would instantly recognize that much of what is "being done" is unforgivably stupid. spreading a biosafetylevel 4 agent around willy nilly with a pressure washer does not qualify as having things "under control".


and nither does sending a guy home for two days who presented with ebola

 

[Muse]

Fortunately, it's about as likely as my cat having mutant kittens that are capable of flying.

You may be right, but I can't just take your word for it. I heard it on the radio, it must be right. :|

 

[SlitheryDee]

You may be right, but I can't just take your word for it. I heard it on the radio, it must be right. :|

I saw Outbreak. Dustin Hoffman sure was worried looking up at that hospital vent.

 

[Muse]

The virus was over there, but now we absolutely have to assume it is here and in the wild, and I guarantee you that is the assumption of officials, whatever they are saying in public.

When you say "in the wild" do you mean considered to be alive in some human host(s) or do you mean that it could have non-human hosts?

Quoted from OP:

I'm talking about public awareness messages like staying home if you feel ill, practicing good sanitation and hygiene, seeing your doctor if you have symptoms that last more than x days. In other words, why aren't they acknowledging that there is an actual public health threat and using media to educate people on how to minimize it?

If it gets to the point where some people contract it here they could get to that stage very quickly. Until that happens, they don't want to alarm the public, and I think that's understandable.

 

[Muse]

I saw Outbreak. Dustin Hoffman sure was worried looking up at that hospital vent.

Hospitals are reputed to be dangerous places. :'(

 

[Markbnj]

When you say "in the wild" do you mean considered to be alive in some human host(s) or do you mean that it could have non-human hosts?

I just mean that they can't know they have identified everyone who has it. They probably have, but they can't assume they have.

Btw, read an interesting interview with one the researchers who discovered the virus...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/04/ebola-zaire-peter-piot-outbreak

His comments about any European or North American outbreak being brought under control quickly are comforting, but he has some dark fears for megacities in India and Africa if it gets into one of them.

 

[Legios]

I just question why each case has to be treated in a different city. Lets spread it out so it can gain as many tiny footholds as possible.

 

[doubledeluxe]

We should treat them all in Detroit.

 

[alkemyst]

Hr 645

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

It's a lot easier to come in contact with bodily fluid when the infected are violently ejecting every type of fluid from every orifice everywhere they go...

 

[massmedia]

I just question why each case has to be treated in a different city. Lets spread it out so it can gain as many tiny footholds as possible.

Good question.
Perhaps to get as many centers first-hand experience with treating the virus as an insurance policy should we continue to fail to contain its spread in africa.

 

[DrPizza]

your 1st sentence implies that the virus cannot infect an individual through being injested.

2nd sentence... references a mystery paper. also, "does not appear to be" means "our guess".

3rd sentence... takes an assumption, makes it a concrete fact and then asks a question that assumes an assumption is a fact.

4th sentence... answer to that question is yes.

5th sentence... Where do you draw that conclusion from. perhaps the problem is an uncritical approach to media reports combined with a lack of a background in immunology and virology that is the source of these feelings.

last sentence... Pressure washing ebola puke off a sidewalk in texas. anyone who has operated a professional pressure washer and who has a background in handling biohazardous and infectious materials would instantly recognize that much of what is "being done" is unforgivably stupid. spreading a biosafetylevel 4 agent around willy nilly with a pressure washer does not qualify as having things "under control".


and nither does sending a guy home for two days who presented with ebola

If I have 100 rocks, and release them from various heights, "It appears that the rocks fall toward the earth." That's not a guess. It's a statement based on observations.