Ebola victim in the U.S.

[gPink]

  another thread delivers 

[B.D.F.]

You know what, there are some really, and I mean really, REALLY, nasty things out there.... germinating and mutating and standing by to really cause us (humans) some trouble. Some of the things I too wish I was not aware of.

There are two relatively new strains of tuburculosis out there, one is MDR or multi- drug resistant and is almost impossible to cure and the treatment is almost worse than the disease. The other strain is no longer treatable. And TB is extremely transmissible from person to person. Both types are prevalent in Africa and NOT in any first- world nations. I fear this will change suddenly though one day when 'that guy' gets infected, does not know it, flies back to the US or Sweden or Germany..... or worse yet, through ALL of those countries and begins a viral spread that cannot be contained. It is estimated that at one point in history, 1 human in 4 died from TB; I can see where that would be considered a low number with modern air travel.

It is estimated that the 'Spanish Flu' pandemic of 1918 killed somewhere between 50 and 100 million people worldwide.... and that was before rapid travel such as by airplane! Today, that same virus would take out a significant portion of the world's population I fear.

There are those who believe it is not a question of if but when the next pandemic wipes out a good portion or all of humanity. The mathematical models do bear this out (the process is called 'doubling' and it is the same underlying math that explains thermonuclear devices for example).

Antibiotics are becoming less and less effective every single day, exactly as was predicted back in the 1940's. Today there are many bacteria that are either drug resistant or simply not treatable.

Ebola is nothing to worry about. Wanna' scare yourself? Study up on some of the models of some deadly and also highly contagious viral spreading scenarios.

Dem dare tamper proof food and medicine product containers ain't gonna' save us methinks. Depressing, ain't it?

Brian

I didn't need to see this.  I'm going back outside and sticking my head back in the sand.

[VirginiaJim]

Pushing head deeper into the sand with hands over my ears and yelling nonsense...

[Rhino]

Pushing head deeper into the sand with hands over my ears and yelling nonsense...

[VirginiaJim]

I'll get me one of those as well.

[B.D.F.]

Not a bad response Jim. Being 100% serious here: that is the only doomsday scenario that ever bothered me in the least (fast moving, high lethality virus). I grew up in the cold war and never, ever, not even for an instant was I worried about the nuclear exchange that worried everybody else. I am not in the least concerned about some big thing (comet, asteroid, rock, whatever) hitting Earth- I mean, whatcha' gonna' do about it? But for whatever reason, I see the world- wide viral thingy as both possible and a bit unnerving. I am not losing sleep over it but it is the only that causes me to imagine how it would play out and it is never pretty.

Then again, I always thought Hannibal Lecter was far, far scarier than, say, Michael Myers et. al, simply 'cause I can imagine Lecter actually existing (his real name was Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy and Harold Shipman and.... well, I don't know what  the next one's name is.... yet).

The problem with viruses is that they evolve into different things over time. So a virus that is merely an annoyance or perhaps has absolutely  no symptoms will mutate over time and become something that may be even more benign or..... horribly deadly. If you want to read a real horror story, Google '1918 flu pandemic'. Shiver me timbers.

Brian

Pushing head deeper into the sand with hands over my ears and yelling nonsense...

[B.D.F.]

And just to update the thing that started this whole thread, the person who was the cause of this thread, Dr. Kent Brantly, is improving.  Generally that does not happen with this disease in those patients who die from it so..... it looks perhaps like the man will survive.

And by the way, he was treated by being transfused with plasma from another Ebola victim that survived the disease in the belief that he would receive antigens from that other patient after he had been exposed to the virus.

Brian

[VirginiaJim]

  just     This could be that I've had one beer and am somewhat tipsy.  Yes, I'm a cheap drunk.

[gPink]

An aside...a man in NYC is currently being tested for the virus. He just got back from West Africa.

[VirginiaJim]

  !

[MAN OF BLUES]

And just to update the thing that started this whole thread, the person who was the cause of this thread, Dr. Kent Brantly, is improving.  Generally that does not happen with this disease in those patients who die from it so..... it looks perhaps like the man will survive.

And by the way, he was treated by being transfused with plasma from another Ebola victim that survived the disease in the belief that he would receive antigens from that other patient after he had been exposed to the virus.

Brian

I only assume that was the exact reason for them bringing him back here... he's a "white" lab rat in the truest sense of the word.... what better experiment could you have than a specimen, who was exposed to every domestic germ that nobody that contracted ebola has... they had to figure sumpin' might be up.....
Bes'be listernin' to dat album by dat Frank Zappa boy,  called ThingFish, but dem esperimnz goeenon in some sekret labmatory underneeth Virginia.... das rite folkz, rejecting the cologna into da duodeenum ob de unsuspktin victim done rendered him immortal.... jes like da sissy boyz an' da Mammy nunz....

[VirginiaJim]

Approaching Twit status?

[Nosmo]

I admire the efforts to save the person's life.  However, on the larger scale, we as a collective society tend to make some very bad, ill-considered decisions that come back to bite us.  I really, really hope they can contain this, as well as save the victim.  Reminds me of this classic movie:

[B.D.F.]

While things are looking up for the good doctor, I feel it is my duty to tell you folks that an Ebola victim, seemingly fully recovered, can and has shown significant Ebola virus strands in his semen for up to two months after all other symptoms disappear.

I myself am not concerned about this but I know some of you folks are a bit apprehensive about this whole 'Ebola in the US' thing and let's face it, forewarned is forearmed in so many situations. Caveat emptor.

 

Brian

[Son of Pappy]

If anyone truly believes the virus has never been on US shores, well, they be twit minded.  He deserves the same opportunities currently being given to the current influx of "Displaced Immigrants" at the very minimum, at least his conditions are known

Brian, that you knew about the life cycle of Ebola in semen belongs in another thread!!!!

[B.D.F.]

Honestly, I had no idea where to stick my semen..... comments.

Ebola (the virus itself, not infected humans) has been at the CDC for quite a while; I have seen the shepherd's crook viral stands from CDC S.E.M. images certainly before the year 2000.

Brian

If anyone truly believes the virus has never been on US shores, well, they be twit minded.  He deserves the same opportunities currently being given to the current influx of "Displaced Immigrants" at the very minimum, at least his conditions are known

Brian, that you knew about the life cycle of Ebola in semen belongs in another thread!!!!

[Outback_Jon]

There are two relatively new strains of tuburculosis out there, one is MDR or multi- drug resistant and is almost impossible to cure and the treatment is almost worse than the disease. The other strain is no longer treatable. And TB is extremely transmissible from person to person.

Thanks for reminding me that due to the shortage of the PPD tests, NY has put employee testing (normally done annually or semi-annually in my department) on hold for the foreseeable future.   

[B.D.F.]

Funny but that is the only thing I am concerned with when buying and using vintage razors- TB. The nasty viruses won't survive the transport via USPS- AIDS, Hep-3 and the new terror on the block, Ebola or any other virus. Bacteria is not much of a problem either and can be easily washed off with soap. But anything spore based can survive for decades.... literally! Given the prevalence of TB in the past, I think it is a valid possibility that I could purchase a razor 100 or more years old, shave with it, nick myself and grab a no expense 'extra' of tuberculosis :-(  Because of that alone, all my shaving gear gets a 10 minute bath in Barbacide both on the way in and on the way out of my house.

My sympathies with you and what you do Jon- it really would be a b!&ch to catch a dose of TB through no fault of your own.

Brian

Thanks for reminding me that due to the shortage of the PPD tests, NY has put employee testing (normally done annually or semi-annually in my department) on hold for the foreseeable future.   

[Racer Boy]

Here is a link to a very good article on the whole Ebola-in-the-US hysteria thing. It's a science-based article, and if you have don't have time to read it, you can rest easy, Ebola isn't a big threat to us in the US of A.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/ebola-outbreaks-science-versus-fear-mongering-and-quackery/

[VirginiaJim]

Yet..