The link you have posted is from someone's blog, not the BBC.
If you read WHO Director Dr. Chan's speech she says nothing about being worried about possible airborne transfer. She actually emphasizes that it is NOT an airborne virus in her speech.
In addition, the study that this blog author talks about possible airborne transfer was done with pigs and they are unsure if there was airborne transfer. I didn't read the entire study, but I think it's misleading to say that the study shows that there was airborne transfer.
The edit is from a BBC article. I'm on my phone and can't link more than 1 thing. The study showed there was the possibility of it traveling between species without contact and the recommendations provided by the who in how to contain it during air travel would only be relevant if it could go airborne. I'm not saying it is possible, but it does sound like they are worried there could be a possibility.
"She said the outbreak was the deadliest and most widely spread, and had also demonstrated an ability to spread through air travel, unlike past outbreaks."
This is the quote you're referring to. She's talking about travel by an airplane. Not airborne communication of the disease.
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
The edit is from a BBC article. I'm on my phone and can't link more than 1 thing. The study showed there was the possibility of it traveling between species without contact and the recommendations provided by the who in how to contain it during air travel would only be relevant if it could go airborne. I'm not saying it is possible, but it does sound like they are worried there could be a possibility.
"She said the outbreak was the deadliest and most widely spread, and had also demonstrated an ability to spread through air travel, unlike past outbreaks."
This is the quote you're referring to. She's talking about travel by an airplane. Not airborne communication of the disease.
Ah. Thanks for that. I was coming back to also change the air travel precautions to being issued by the cdc. Got saying who too much.
I do have a question. Because the symptoms do not present like a respiratory illness, why did the president sign the executive order to detain Americans showing signs of severe respiratory illness (like a bad cough)? It seems in an effort to contain something.
Post by underwaterrhymes on Aug 2, 2014 10:05:59 GMT -5
Also, just to address the pigs to macaques study:
This study was conducted in 2012 through the National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, the University of Manitoba, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The pigs exhibited symptoms within a few days (but then later appeared to have recovered completely from the disease).
Several days later the monkeys also showed signs of infection, showing that inter-species transmission is possible. However, what it did NOT prove is that Ebola is transmissible by air.
They suspect that either smaller droplets or formites (inanimate objects that can transmit disease if contaminated - like the wire) were what allowed the disease to pass between the animals. Although it's more likely droplets were the cause because the virus was found in the lungs of the monkeys, it's important to remember that this is still not an airborne disease.
Of greater interest, is that pigs may be a host for Ebola, which has larger ramifications particularly for pig farmers. This would also mean they might be able to inoculate pigs against the disease, which might help prevent the spread.
As a side note - the fruit bat (a source of food in West Africa) is believed to be the "reservoir" for Ebola, meaning the source through which people initially contract the disease and pass onto others. However, they still aren't certain about this.
"She said the outbreak was the deadliest and most widely spread, and had also demonstrated an ability to spread through air travel, unlike past outbreaks."
This is the quote you're referring to. She's talking about travel by an airplane. Not airborne communication of the disease.
Ah. Thanks for that. I was coming back to also change the air travel precautions to being issued by the cdc. Got saying who too much.
I do have a question. Because the symptoms do not present like a respiratory illness, why did the president sign the executive order to detain Americans showing signs of severe respiratory illness (like a bad cough)? It seems in an effort to contain something.
Ah. Thanks for that. I was coming back to also change the air travel precautions to being issued by the cdc. Got saying who too much.
I do have a question. Because the symptoms do not present like a respiratory illness, why did the president sign the executive order to detain Americans showing signs of severe respiratory illness (like a bad cough)? It seems in an effort to contain something.
It doesn't make me any more nervous than I already was.
Yea this. Although I don't have total trust in the CDC. But I do think these folks deserve treatment and the US should not leave their own behind. I assume they aren't sharing a plane with anyone except the pilot and some medical folks right? Since it's military aircraft
Right.
They can't even transport them together. They are bringing one patient over and flying back to get the other.
Only the SARS section has been amended to expand the symptoms.
Right. He amended the order to include the detainment of Americans with severe respiratory illness. That was not previously included.
Ebola is already in the executive order from 2003.
If Ebola plays a role in this, it's merely because of the recent awareness that global spread of disease is increasing, not because of any worries about respiratory spread of Ebola.
I think it's worth pointing out that the only two articles I'm finding on this are on a strongly suspect anti-government, anti-globalization site and The Examiner, which quotes the same strongly suspect anti-government, anti-globalization site.
The two articles are designed as scare-tactics, not legitimate explanations of the executive order itself.
Two identified patients under proper medical care? No worries at all (for the general public. It is very worrisome for those patients and their families). My main worry is for the many people in Africa who are where the outbreak is and who cannot completely protect themselves or their families because of the local living situations and customs.
Like Cheshire, I am worried about someone who is not yet an identified patient or a carrier and what that will mean for their first contact US healthcare workers. Even with that, I'm not worried about a broad out break. Just that a few people might get infected.
The CDC is not handling these patients. Emory Hospital is.
And, no, this virus cannot go airborne even with particles.
Didn't the CDC sign off on it and work with Emory? honest ? not snarky. I have more faith in Emory than CDC.
Do you think CDC involvement would somehow diminish the level of care and precaution Emory would otherwise provide? This puzzles me. Errors and oversight have happened but is anyone accusing the CDC of deliberately interfering with public health?
The press conference from WHO yesterday was quite interesting. They basically said we can't stop it and that it has been transferred via air travel. I think people should take it more seriously and I am not a freaked out by germs. Heh
All diseases can be transferred via air travel. We are a global society. We cannot stop people from traveling.
ETA - And I am taking it very seriously. I just feel very strongly that the alarmist perspective is doing nothing in terms of understanding how this disease is spread or helping the people who have contracted it.
The press conference from WHO yesterday was quite interesting. They basically said we can't stop it and that it has been transferred via air travel. I think people should take it more seriously and I am not a freaked out by germs. Heh
International public health officials should take the risk of a growing outbreak seriously? They have.
Healthcare facilities in the US should take steps to prepare for treating identified cases which may show up in the US? I think Emory is taking pretty strong precautions.
Healthcare facilities in the US should do more to prescreen patients at the point of arrival to identify new cases before contagion spreads? If so, do you mean all hospitals should implement stricter screening procedures or those whose patient base includes more international travelers from Africa?
People who usually poke at the wounds of strangers or have unprotected sex with partners just back from west african hospitals should reconsider?
Post by underwaterrhymes on Aug 2, 2014 12:00:25 GMT -5
Also the article kooshball posted is an address by Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, to 3 West African presidents. It's not a speech to the public at large. She's trying to enlist in their help in containing the disease throughout West Africa because of these three very important paragraphs:
"Third, this is not just a medical or public health problem. It is a social problem. Deep-seated beliefs and cultural practices are a significant cause of further spread and a significant barrier to rapid and effective containment. This social dimension must also be addressed as an integral part of the overall response.
Fourth, in some areas, chains of transmission have moved underground. They are invisible. They are not being reported. Because of the high fatality rate, many people in affected areas associate isolation wards with a sure death sentence, and prefer to care for loved ones in homes or seek assistance from traditional healers.
Such hiding of cases defeats strategies for rapid containment. Moreover, public attitudes can create a security threat to response teams when fear and misunderstanding turn to anger, hostility, or violence."
She's calling for increased public awareness and support in helping people to understand that with early detection and medical care, they can contain this disease.
All diseases can be transferred via air travel. We are a global society. We cannot stop people from traveling.
ETA - And I am taking it very seriously. I just feel very strongly that the alarmist perspective is doing nothing in terms of understanding how this disease is spread or helping the people who have contracted it.
Yes I said via air travel. Heh. I did not say air borne. Thanks for repeating ?
Others used that quote earlier to show that the virus was airborne. I was reiterating that it is not in case you also misunderstood.
When you say infection rates in most hospital, are you referring to Ebola? Because Ebola is actually not easily spread. It has a terribly high fatality rate, but that is partly due to the fact that many people are not trusting of the medical field in parts of Central and West Africa and don't seek treatment until it's too late. But it's spread through bodily fluids, not through the air, so it's challenging to contract.
If you're talking about general infection rates in hospitals here in the States, then this is a totally different matter. They are keeping these people totally in isolation. There are several layers to the isolation tent and even the caregivers won't be coming into direct contact with them.
I was talking general infection rates. Thanks for the clarification. My only experience with an isolation unit was when the doctors thought my dad had legionnaire's disease. It truly did not seem much different from the general floor, except his door was always shut. Non-essential people were popping in and out all day long. I was actually pretty concerned for all those people caring for my dad who didn't need to be there.
Didn't the CDC sign off on it and work with Emory? honest ? not snarky. I have more faith in Emory than CDC.
Do you think CDC involvement would somehow diminish the level of care and precaution Emory would otherwise provide? This puzzles me. Errors and oversight have happened but is anyone accusing the CDC of deliberately interfering with public health?
Ehhh not deliberate just anthrax and small pox are really bad things to get loosey goosey with. I would hope protocols would dictate multiple layers of oversight to account for all samples. I guess I not saying government conspiracy so much as bureaucratic "someone else will catch it for sure" ness.
She's calling for increased public awareness and support in helping people to understand that with early detection and medical care, they can contain this disease.
Part of the problem is that containment is all good and well on the public health level. It's what society needs as a whole, but when it's your loved one who is sick and dying, it can be harder to do the right thing. You should put them in a medical facility far from family. A facility which can't cure them and can only isolate them and treat symptoms until they die or recover. On a visceral, emotional level one can understand the fears and secrecy involved in those decisions, even though they are blatantly awful for the west african families involved. All it does is put them and others at greater risk.
She's calling for increased public awareness and support in helping people to understand that with early detection and medical care, they can contain this disease.
Part of the problem is that containment is all good and well on the public health level. It's what society needs as a whole, but when it's your loved one who is sick and dying, it can be harder to do the right thing. You should put them in a medical facility far from family. A facility which can't cure them and can only isolate them and treat symptoms until they die or recover. On a visceral, emotional level one can understand the fears and secrecy involved in those decisions even though they are blatantly awful for the west african families involved since all it does is put them and others at greater risk.
Absolutely. Plus we are talking about nations that have good reason to mistrust the government and public figures.
I hope these two patients survive and I think it would calm a lot of people down. I have anxiety, so it is my nature to want to panic about this. I regret watching so many plague movies. I fear the unknown infected patient walking into some unprepared ER.
BUT I have also watched a guy who had a fungal infection in his lungs and was unable to oxygenate his own blood survive. He was on a bypass machine with a million drips for a few weeks. It was a precarious situation, but he would have died in a lot of other places in the world. Our healthcare can do some pretty amazing things sometimes. So I am anxious, but I am also so curious to see how this virus will respond to some of the best medical care in the country.
I am frustrated that it is ongoing in Africa. I don't know how to change or fix that though. I hope smarter people than me are figuring out how to deal with cultural issues and perceptions of healthcare, because I don't know how it will be stopped until then.
The press conference from WHO yesterday was quite interesting. They basically said we can't stop it and that it has been transferred via air travel. I think people should take it more seriously and I am not a freaked out by germs. Heh
All diseases can be transferred via air travel. We are a global society. We cannot stop people from traveling.
ETA - And I am taking it very seriously. I just feel very strongly that the alarmist perspective is doing nothing in terms of understanding how this disease is spread or helping the people who have contracted it.
I know I brought this up earlier and you clarified, but I don't get how past outbreaks could not have spread via air travel. Why is this strain different from previous ones to allow that? I'm not sure I'm believing that it's what she meant because that is not unlike others.
All diseases can be transferred via air travel. We are a global society. We cannot stop people from traveling.
ETA - And I am taking it very seriously. I just feel very strongly that the alarmist perspective is doing nothing in terms of understanding how this disease is spread or helping the people who have contracted it.
I know I brought this up earlier and you clarified, but I don't get how past outbreaks could not have spread via air travel. Why is this strain different from previous ones to allow that? I'm not sure I'm believing that it's what she meant because that is not unlike others.
Because they were in rural areas with people who didn't typically travel by air.
All diseases can be transferred via air travel. We are a global society. We cannot stop people from traveling.
ETA - And I am taking it very seriously. I just feel very strongly that the alarmist perspective is doing nothing in terms of understanding how this disease is spread or helping the people who have contracted it.
I know I brought this up earlier and you clarified, but I don't get how past outbreaks could not have spread via air travel. Why is this strain different from previous ones to allow that? I'm not sure I'm believing that it's what she meant because that is not unlike others.
My understanding is past outbreaks occurred in more rural areas vs large populated cities with huge international airports. The initial patient or patients usually had some contact with an infected chimpanzee (gorilla, monkeys, I don't know?), which are obviously found in more jungle areas/small villages vs large cities. They were contained more quickly, etc.
I know I brought this up earlier and you clarified, but I don't get how past outbreaks could not have spread via air travel. Why is this strain different from previous ones to allow that? I'm not sure I'm believing that it's what she meant because that is not unlike others.
My understanding is past outbreaks occurred in more rural areas vs large populated cities with huge international airports. The initial patient or patients usually had some contact with an infected chimpanzee (gorilla, monkeys, I don't know?), which are obviously found in more jungle areas/small villages vs large cities. They were contained more quickly, etc.
This outbreak began in a few regions in Guinea and then spread to the capital before it could be contained, which then led to the further spread in Liberia and Sierra Leone.