Ebola in the UK

[KidKruger]

I haven't read the volumes of info on Ebola but a few things seem clear.

- Ebola is easily spread by physical contact/proximity, but also contact with 'infected' surfaces/items.

- Checks at airports are not 100% going to stop Ebola because there is not enough time and controls to identify all infected passengers.

- Airplane staff will come in to contact with infected passengers and this could mean passengers on other flights being infected via the infected staff, taking the disease to other countries/communities.

- About half of those infected die.

- Flights land daily from infected areas.

I haven't yet seen anything definitive which assures me that the UK (or other currently non-infected countries) is protected. The infected nurse in Spain apparently followed advised procedure, she cannot understand how she got contracted Ebola. Let's hope she survives.

If this disease hits the UK, a densely populated country with fast travel links across it's entirety, I do wonder how bad it is going to get - and what the approach taken to eradicate it will be.

My practical side says that whatever the approach would be (and I'd be surprised if each administrative area in the UK has thought about their likely response yet), we should be applying it now in the infected region. If we (the soon-to-be infected countries) can provide this support immediately at the source, we may have a better chance of preventing it's spread. If Ebola gets to non-infected countries, they will all, seperately, be fighting the battle anyway. You could say this is the ultimate NIMBY post, but we're not talking an overlooking back window here.

Is anyone else concerned about the imminence of Ebola in the UK, as opposed to being a far away problem a world away ?

[Pickle]

I'm concerned, definitely. It hasn't escaped my attention that many of the recent news items interviewing people with family in affected areas have been conducted on Peckham High Street. Air travel, aid workers, family members attending funerals, schools - it's not going to be long before we see cases here.

Short of putting an absolute quarantine on the area in West Africa where it's stemming from (nobody in, nobody out, which will never happen as basic human rights would be breached), I don't see what can be done. Very scary indeed.

[Inkmaiden]

The only practical thing I can think of at this point is to donate to help the fight to stop it at its source. And to support the already over stretched medical, social, sanitation etc services in the affected countries, as this current crisis sidelines all the other prevalent diseases.

http://www.msf.org.uk.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk.

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk

[katanita]

I don't think there is any cause to be that concerned yet. It's not nearly as contagious as you've implied, "easily" is not at all correct. This article has a good run down of some of the myths about Ebola http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/09/ebola-highly-contagious-virus-myths-outbreak-epidemic including it's relatively low contagion rate. A quote from someone at Public Health England in the link below: "If you are symptomatic [of Ebola] and infectious you are not going to be in a position to be hopping on a plane". My understanding in the Spanish case is that there were clear failings in the protocol and some sub standard equipment that is probably to blame.

The constant scare-mongering from some sections of the media isn't helping with this. Many more people will die from flu this year, in this country, but you rarely hear much about that. And many many more from lots of other very preventable diseases that are pretty unpleasant. I think our sense of risk about our health is really very skewed.

Should it arrive in this country, we have lots of measures in place, they were wargaming this scenario just this week http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/09/ebola-outbreak-simulations-tested-uk-hospitals. However, it's a different story in the poorer parts of West Africa, where they are having to turn infected patients away from hospitals because they have run out of beds. I completely agree that more needs to be done in these regions, it's clear that places like Sierra Leone need outside help. People shouldn't be dying unnecessarily from this anywhere.

And, if it becomes completely uncontrollable there, then the risk to the UK does increase, but the infrastructure is completely different here. I'd be much more concerned about what I could do to prevent all these other much more likely causes of death in this country http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/mortality-statistics--deaths-registered-in-england-and-wales--series-dr-/2012/sty-causes-of-death.html

[KidKruger]

Kat - It's reassuring to hear that Ebola is not such a threat after all.

After you posted above, the next BBC R4 news opening headline was about a medical worker in the US contracting Ebola despite following the strict protocols for protection from infection.

This (to me, a neutral observer) gives the impression that it's not a difficult disease to contract.

I'd prefer that the media is hyping this disease, you're able to quote opposing views also from the media - so to me there's hugely varying information leaving a nasty question mark over this outbreak.

I agree flu kills more people in the UK than Ebola does, but Ebola's not here yet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29591561

[El Pibe]

Whilst I won't discount entiely the possibilty of an outbreak here, we're well set up to handle it. Nigeria managed t contain and eradicate an outbreak in a far more difficult environment than the UK would be.

There is probably more useful stuff you can concern yourself with.

Ebola's infection rates are very low, health workers are of course massively more at risk than the rest of us, and have taken a hideous toll in w africa as they don't have nearly as much of the protective equipmenty and ideal conditions for quarantine.

Ebola has a couple of properties that mean it's not going to be *the one*.

Firstly as discussed it's comparatively hard to catch, you need direct contact with fluids off a patient. It is quite hardy outside but not that hardy, it will die after a short space of time and in contact with disinfectant.

Secondly It's not contagious until you're symptomatic, this makes it harder to go around infecting people, because you're ill, and much easier for quarantiine purposes obviously.

When Platypus flu crosses species, that'll be the time to worry...or when antibiotic abuse in the the third world/US farming kills off its effectiveness once and for all, then it's time to panic!!!

[apbremer]

The England cricket team are training with a new digital technique and are looking for a fast Ebola (geddit?/)

[pommie]

There is an article in the paper today that there is a guy in Lewisham hospital that has Ebolo!

[jctg]

Half of the people reading this thread will be dead by Christmas, that's for definite.

[alice]

some are dead already

[aquarius moon]

pommie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There is an article in the paper today that there

> is a guy in Lewisham hospital that has Ebolo!

False alarm. Apparently he didn't have the virus after all.

apbremer, given the seriousness of this, do you really think it's appropriate to crack jokes?

[alice]

its because its serious that jokes will be cracked.

[Robert Poste's Child]

It's the British way.

[steveo]

Can't help but feel sorry for and admiration for those Brit troops and medics who have been ordered out to Sierra Leone. Their families must be shitting it

[Pickle]

Completely agree steveo, .

I watched the half hour show about Ebola last night (BBC1 from memory) and it was very good, it put my mind at rest a little in terms of the "what ifs" of it arriving in Britain. Very encouraging to hear that Nigeria are now Ebola free, having put rigorous procedures in place to beat it.

[????]

Hunger is a significantly contributing factor in the death of 3 million kids per year......it's a pity hunger isn't infectious as the west might jump to action on that.

[uncleglen]

I used to be of the 'grin and bear it' school of philosophy (i.e. the British Way as RPC put it ) but not any more. Everything has gone 'beyond a joke' now.....

[aquarius moon]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hunger is a significantly contributing factor in

> the death of 3 million kids per year......it's a

> pity hunger isn't infectious as the west might

> jump to action on that.

Agree Quids but unfortunately the fear of contracting a life-threatening virus that can affect/kill us is more important than something going on elsewhere that may be bad but is not going to affect us personally.

[StraferJack]

What does uncle glen actually mean by that post?