Since its clearly only transmitted by bodily fluids.
.

Its adapting.

it's already evolved hundreds of times.

How very little we know about viruses.

He had been working for NBC for a day.......

I don't get the concern here. This was an individual who was in a high risk are, and certainly went to the highest risk places. This was also an individual with likely minimal training in infection control. Not a good combination. With all of the media traipsing around the clinics and actively seeking out the dead and dying, I've no doubt we'll see more of this.

If he had just barely arrived in Liberia on Tuesday and started showing symptoms on Wednesday, that would blow every concept of contagion time frame right out of the water.

The fact that he'd already been there for 3 years, made his diagnosis only slightly more palatable.

TYY

My question was about the OP talking about some clip that the journalist from NBC did about a taxi....because even if he had been with her filming it on tuesday, he would not have shown symptoms on Wed. That was my only point. He got it somewhere...just not with that particular reporter.

...but I appreciate the olive branch. Thanks, Marrah_G...

TYY

TYY

Every discussion is hysteria to them! How DARE anyone even talk about the subject! THEY are fine...the only rule they go by imo.

Discussions are good. Facts are good. A healthy respect for a deadly virus is good. Panic is not good.

I know some people are angry at myself and others thinking that we are just dismissing the dangerousness of this pathogen. I can only speak for myself when I say that I am only trying to pass on what I have learned as well as learning from others things that I didn't know. It is an area of great interest to me. If I were to have a life do-over I would have become an epidemiologist instead of a young mother

Edit: I will also say that in looking for information to answer specific questions I have found more interesting things to read on the topic

I'm talking about a certain group here that sneers at the mere mention of ebola or ISIS for that matter...as if we are not allowed to even speculate on the subject. I'll be DAMMED if I will let someone control what I say on DU. They don't want to have a discussion, they just want everyone to STFU - because we are so ridiculous to be human and worry.

Never too late to go back to school!

Unfortunately medical conditions would make traipsing around the world in search of new diseases and cures a thing I can only do in dreams

Yes- I realize I am weird...hehe.

I hope you get over it and have a speedy recovery! True about the travel, but you can discover cures in a nice lab somewhere! Me personally, I wouldn't want to be exposed to that kind of risk. Seen to many zombie movies!

Nothing weird about dreams and ambition imo, very normal and healthy.

Have some good antibiotics so hopefully I will be all better in a couple days.

As for the risk.... My favorite fiction genre is Zombies pretty sure I have seen absolutely every movie and probably read 95% of the books.

We've come a long way since the original Night of the Living Dead, which I think was some kind of green military goop. We need a zombie emoticon.

I am a fan of the new Zombies too.

I have a childhood friend who writes some really good zombie series. If you are so inclined, check out Mark Tufo

I'm just starting to really get into Z nation.

Those body fluids can be in droplet form. This virus contains many virus per droplet and can live on surfaces particularly smooth surfaces like counters or doorknobs for hours.

So you get on a bus that an hour ago had someone on it who is in the first stages of the infection which is headache and fever who was perspiring and holding onto the pole because they couldn't get a seat. Palms in particular produce a lot of sweat. Infected person gets off the bus, and an hour or so you get on, can't find a seat, and hold onto the same pole where the infected person left droplets of their sweat containing a multitude of live virus. If you have a micro cut on your hand you're already likely infected. If you touch your eyes, nose or mouth, you're also likely infected. You don't NEED to touch an actual infected person to become infected. All it takes is contact with an infected symptomatic person's bodily fluids that can live on surfaces in droplet form you can't even see and live for hours there. People unconsciously touch their faces and the mucus membranes there constantly.

Additionally, men who survive the virus can still infect their sexual partners through lingering live virus in their semen for something like THREE MONTHS yet once they're cured they're sent back home to their families and supposedly only warned to use condoms during those next three months. It's been hard enough to encourage people there to use condoms because of HIV infection, these people are mostly dirt poor, and prostitution and rape are rampant. Hell, even now people there believe that Ebola is a hoax or never heard of it or have other superstitions about it.

ISIS will probably KILL ALL OF US before ebola really takes off.

Exactly...I watched the report thinking do we REALLY need a close up of the taxi backseat??? With the dramatic voice saying "the pregnant woman laid right HERE!"


Just saw that NBC said Snyderman and her crew are being flown back on a private plane and will be in quarantine for 21 days.

Was this report really worth it??

Since that's what they want, we're all giving it to them.

need to be in isolation (informal if they cooperate, formal if they don't) for 21 days from the most recent contact.

And if they develop fever or other symptoms of Ebola, they go into a hospital for testing, treatment, etc. And THEIR contacts get traced, evaluated, and instructed how to proceed.

As long as everybody is truthful and follows the guidelines, it works very well.

He was self checking his temp regularly and found a slight temp on Wed and quarantined himself before being taken to an MSF facility.

And they are monitoring his co-workers....although like him, most are already checking their temperatures regularly.

He's traveling with Snyderman, who surely knew proper protocols.

Does start to make you say hmmm

Playing telephone is more fun, but I do appreciate being able to read about it.

I am not sure if kids still play telephone, it is where 1 person whispers something into the next person's ear, they pass it on, and on, and on, through many people with the last person in the circle saying what they heard which is generally way different than what was said in the beginning.

Anytime. I almost have to shut off the computer because everywhere I look people are freaking out and spreading misinformation and I end up feeling like that cartoon about "someone is wrong on the internet"... maybe it's time for more nyquil and maybe some sleep. Bacterial bonchitis is kicking my ass this week.

it is omg week

Television was bad enough with this, but the internet is much worse.

they better find out when.

Listening to her interview on Maddow right now and she was riding right next to her cameraman in the car.

if you're trying to be sarcastic it's not impressive.

No way is she not infected with Ebola. She was riding in a car with him all day, in close proximity. They were going to the same places, breathing the same air etc. She's infected for sure I'd wager

-You have to have symptoms to be contagious. He didn't have symptoms until he isolated himself.
-"Breathing the same air" doesn't matter with diseases that are not airborne.

and isn't airborn now.

Even if it isn't how did this guy catch it? Presumably he's been taking precautions, he's American so he knows what not to do snyderman stressed he's been washing his hands with bleach, not hugging or kissing people etc...and yet he still caught it. Stop acting like you're some kind of epidemiologist who knows everything about the disease. You know what you're told. You're being told at the moment that it spreads through fluids. Well that's correct until it isn't any longer.

She's been around this symptomatic man in close quarters for god knows how long. She's been traipsing around Liberia, the heart of the epidemic, doing stories from out in front of the guy in Dallas' home, I'd be shocked if she doesn't catch it

n/t

Because there are not tens of thousands of new cases suddenly appearing. We're still at about 3,000 cases worldwide.

"We're still at about 3,000 cases worldwide."

For example, Ukraine is about to start mass executing people! Honest!!

Also, I am a top doctor. Because I said so. What? it's the same qualifications as the people in that article.

Anyway, If the virus becomes airborne it will spread much more rapidly. It is not spreading much more rapidly, so it isn't airborne.

Also, viruses can usually only spread through the tissues that they can infect. Since ebola isn't a lung or sinus infection, it's going to have a hard time becoming airborne. However, ebola does infect the lungs of pigs, resulting in very scary-sounding blog posts that get them a whole lot of clicks, and thus lots of advertising money.

Maybe if you're lucky, you'll get a thank you note for making that conspiracy theory blog a lot of money due to your panic.

her camera man were exposed to the same vector.

it's way to early to assume that is the case. Especially with the average incubation period - most likely the cameraman caught it before she arrived.

This survivor's husband lived, slept, etc with her for 4 days after she became symptomatic and contagious. He did not catch it. Even though she worked with ebola providers, she thought it was malaria like had had in the past.


http://news.sciencemag.org/africa/2014/10/ebola-survivor-ii-nancy-writebol-we-just-dont-even-have-clue-what-happened?rss=1

even while taking extensive precautions. I've read the article already. David was incredibly lucky.

Especially given that he's been living there for the past 3 years.

is that classified as airborne? I am just wondering if the notion that it's not "airborn" may actually be causing more people to get infected thinking you have to have direct physical contact to contracted the virus.

Within three feet for a prolonged period of time isn't 'direct physical contact'...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025614376

You need a better education in epidemiology before you do more pontificating.

He is on droplet isolation as well as contact isolation. Contact isolation is when health care workers wear gown and gloves. Droplet isolation requires those items as well as masks and perhaps goggles.The hospital has said that their workers are wearing all of the above as well as shoe covers..and if I had to guess also hair covers and anything else to cover every inch of their bodies.

I explained the different isolation types to show that officials know this is more than caught by direct contact...it also can be spread by droplets...mucus or spit from coughing, sneezing, nasal drainage, etc.. Given that it has been said that the virus can live on objects for several hours, if someone's mucus or whatever ends up on something, it is a source for infection.

When they have someone where they have confirmed Ebola, their isolation will be a bit more strict.

shouldn't be let anywhere near ebola patients. That protects them as well as the patients and any staff they come into contact with.

The cameraman needed to stick with interviewing medical personnel offsite. There was no need to film the ill and dying.

that involves spraying contamination suits down with a bleach solution--it can aerosolize blood and other secretions and contaminate whoever is holding the hose, which is how I suspect the cameraman got it.

while helping to clean a chair.

Apparently he wasn't wearing protection on his face.

He's an American freelance cameraman living in Liberia who was hired by NBC Tuesday to work for them.

(And yes, I know the important part of the story is that he contracted the Ebola virus.)

I was confused about it at first myself.

Hopefully he'll recover fully now that he's on his way home for treatment.

this respiratory thing going around that is now being connected with some paralysis. I am worried for my granddaughter. She sneezes and I panic