Ebola epidemic

Originally Posted by Lucille

Not that I am painting anyone as a bad guy, but having an antidote to Ebola would place any manufacturer of such an antidote in a position of immense power.
If one was prone to thinking in science fiction terms, one might even wonder if, as in Blacklist, infections might be intentional.

Yeah... The vaccine would go on sale right after the first cases turn up in countries with a large enough population of people able to afford the high prices for it. The sacrificed African population would be just for free advertising exposure to stimulate interest in the targeted markets.

The frightening thing is that there very likely ARE marketing strategists in pharmaceutical and related companies who do think that way about how to increase profits.

In a way, it's already happening. So far, the 'cure' has been to have unlimited clean water, blood, and a sterile environment. Those who can afford to fly home to these luxuries seem to be doing okay.
I did love how Blacklist did it though. They mutated the virus to stay within one person, then sent 24 hours worth of antidote every 24 hours, as long as the person did what they wanted. Total fiction, but an interesting twist. I guess that's fodder for the other thread.
I'm sure there will be a huge swing in the country's economy, via the stock market, once that cure comes out.

Noelle

Originally Posted by WebSlave

The frightening thing is that there very likely ARE marketing strategists in pharmaceutical and related companies who do think that way about how to increase profits.

If one was inclined to think in science fiction terms, one might think that the vaccine has been in existence for a while. One might surmise that the appropriate military has been (unknowingly) vaccinated, along with those (knowingly)with political or financial clout.

I'm thinking, as far as everyone else, there would be few protesters. Protesters have significants others, parents, children, who need the vaccine, and those who have the vaccine to sell could simply withhold it from the protester's family.

The walking dead.

Liberia: Dead Ebola Patients Resurrect?
http://allafrica.com/stories/201409240829.html

By Franklin Doloquee

Two Ebola patients, who died of the virus in separate communities in Nimba County have reportedly resurrected in the county. The victims, both females, believed to be in their 60s and 40s respectively, died of the Ebola virus recently in Hope Village Community and the Catholic Community in Ganta, Nimba.

But to the amazement of residents and onlookers on Monday, the deceased reportedly regained life in total disbelief. The NewDawn Nimba County correspondent said the late Dorris Quoi of Hope Village Community and the second victim only identified as Ma Kebeh, said to be in her late 60s, were about to be taken for burial when they resurrected.

Ma Kebeh had reportedly been in door for two nights without food and medication before her alleged death. Nimba County has had bazaar news of Ebola cases with a native doctor from the county, who claimed that he could cure infected victims, dying of the virus himself last week.

News of the resurrection of the two victims has reportedly created panic in residents of Hope Village Community and Ganta at large, with some citizens describing Dorris Quoi as a ghost, who shouldn't live among them. Since the Ebola outbreak in Nimba County, this is the first incident of dead victims resurrecting.

I have never seen this number of bodies before': Life at an Ebola clinic in Liberia

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...n-Liberia.html

North Texas Hospital Evaluating Patient For Potential Ebola Exposure

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/09/29/n...bola-exposure/

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A North Texas hospital has a patient in isolation as they evaluate them for potential exposure to the Ebola virus.

Officials with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas released the following statement Monday night:

“Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas has admitted a patient into strict isolation to be evaluated for potential Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) based on the patient’s symptoms and recent travel history. The hospital is following all Centers for Disease Control and Texas Department of Heath recommendations to ensure the safety of patients, hospital staff, volunteers, physicians and visitors. The CDC anticipates preliminary results tomorrow.”

It is unclear what specific symptoms the patient has or what the patient’s travel history was.

CBS 11 News spoke with Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zachary Thompson who confirmed the patient had been in an area where the Ebola virus exists. “Looking at the travel history is the first indicator and then the next step is [treatment or non-treatment] once we get lab results,” he said.

Thompson definitely felt that there should be a heightened sense of awareness in North Texas, based on what has happened internationally. “With what we’ve seen in the media and how deadly the Ebola virus is, it is a concern.”

Thompson stressed that there are certain procedures that will be followed if tests for the ptient come back positive. “We [health professionals] all had been planning to look at what our next steps are if there is a confirmed case. Again, we have to do the public health follow up, to see what contacts… where this individual has gone since they arrived here in Dallas. There are a number of things that have to be looked at.”

As far as possible infection to others here in North Texas Thompson said, “The key point is, if there’s been no transmission, blood, secretion, any type of bodily fluids by the infected person to someone else, then that risk is low to none.”

The Ebola virus has killed more than 3,000 people across West Africa and infected several Americans who have traveled to the region, including Fort Worth Doctor Kent Brantly who contracted the disease while doing missionary work in Liberia.

Originally Posted by Dennis Hultman

North Texas Hospital Evaluating Patient For Potential Ebola Exposure

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/09/29/n...bola-exposure/

CDC Confirms Patient In Dallas Has The Ebola Virus

Reuters -

The first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States initially sought treatment six days after arriving in the country, potentially exposing a "handful" of family members and others to the virus, a top U.S. health official said on Tuesday.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said he had no doubt that local and federal health authorities could contain the potential spread of the deadly virus in the country.

"It is certainly possible someone who had contact with this individual could develop Ebola in the coming weeks," Frieden told a press conference. "I have no doubt we will stop this in its tracks in the United States."

The patient was hospitalized at a Dallas hospital on Sunday after traveling from Liberia, one of the countries hit hardest by the worst Ebola outbreak on record.

As I understand it he was symptom-free and therefore hopefully not (or very limitedly) infectious while he was travelling, and obviously he as soon as he did develop symptoms and his travel history was known (he was in Sierra Leone* , I think, about 11 days ago) doctors were alerted and he's in treatment.

On an optimistic front, this shows that the disease control system worked in this instance, but I'd be interested to know if he volunteered himself to CDC or if he was picked up any other way?

* I stand corrected, it was Liberia

One of the articles I read stated he came in two days earlier and was sent home and told he had the flu. Then when systems worsened family called an ambulance to pick him up. He was sick a couple days before going to the emergency room.

So that is four days with symptoms. One trip by himself to emergency room. Contact with people there waiting for treatment, medical staff and doctors then back home for a couple of days.