Should we worry about Ebola?
Discussion
I watched a report on Ebola this morning, followed by a report about hundreds crossing the channel due to the calm weather. A large number of them are Africans, and as the incubation period is up to 21 days, I wonder whether any measures are in place to catch any cases that arrive here? I have no faith in the security of our borders, so should we be worried?
lornemalvo said:
I watched a report on Ebola this morning, followed by a report about hundreds crossing the channel due to the calm weather. A large number of them are Africans, and as the incubation period is up to 21 days, I wonder whether any measures are in place to catch any cases that arrive here? I have no faith in the security of our borders, so should we be worried?
In a word, no (ish).The source of the current outbreak is in parts of Africa (around Congo) from which very few people come from to the UK through illegal routes. For those that do it takes months just to get to the point at which they leave Africa, let alone the channel. If there were any importation threat it would most likely come via Spain, Southern France or Italy - all of whom are capable of containing it.
I was in Sierra Leone a few years after the last outbreak and regularly had drinks in the evening with a bunch of aid workers and medical professionals working there on a DFID project with other European agencies to improve sanitation and education around healthcare to prevent similar outbreaks occurring there again. They explained that whilst you really don't want to get Ebola, for healthy westerners is less of an issue that it is to the locals for whom, thanks to very poor nutrition and sanitary conditions, a common cold is a life-threatening ailment.
Obviously some people do visit the UK legitimately from these parts of the world so there does exist the risk from that but there will be very tight screening both at the departure points and on arrival.
StevieBee said:
In a word, no (ish).
The source of the current outbreak is in parts of Africa (around Congo) from which very few people come from to the UK through illegal routes. For those that do it takes months just to get to the point at which they leave Africa, let alone the channel. If there were any importation threat it would most likely come via Spain, Southern France or Italy - all of whom are capable of containing it.
I was in Sierra Leone a few years after the last outbreak and regularly had drinks in the evening with a bunch of aid workers and medical professionals working there on a DFID project with other European agencies to improve sanitation and education around healthcare to prevent similar outbreaks occurring there again. They explained that whilst you really don't want to get Ebola, for healthy westerners is less of an issue that it is to the locals for whom, thanks to very poor nutrition and sanitary conditions, a common cold is a life-threatening ailment.
Obviously some people do visit the UK legitimately from these parts of the world so there does exist the risk from that but there will be very tight screening both at the departure points and on arrival.
Good information. Thanks for that.The source of the current outbreak is in parts of Africa (around Congo) from which very few people come from to the UK through illegal routes. For those that do it takes months just to get to the point at which they leave Africa, let alone the channel. If there were any importation threat it would most likely come via Spain, Southern France or Italy - all of whom are capable of containing it.
I was in Sierra Leone a few years after the last outbreak and regularly had drinks in the evening with a bunch of aid workers and medical professionals working there on a DFID project with other European agencies to improve sanitation and education around healthcare to prevent similar outbreaks occurring there again. They explained that whilst you really don't want to get Ebola, for healthy westerners is less of an issue that it is to the locals for whom, thanks to very poor nutrition and sanitary conditions, a common cold is a life-threatening ailment.
Obviously some people do visit the UK legitimately from these parts of the world so there does exist the risk from that but there will be very tight screening both at the departure points and on arrival.
Ebola virus is not airborne and does not spread through mosquitoes, water, or food. Transmission occurs exclusively through direct contact with the blood, body fluids (such as saliva, vomit, urine, feces, semen, and breast milk), or tissues of infected individuals, including those who have died from the disease.
I reckon most people will be fine.
I reckon most people will be fine.
lornemalvo said:
A large number of them are Africans, and as the incubation period is up to 21 days, I wonder whether any measures are in place to catch any cases that arrive here?
Anyone from Ebolaville poised to cross the channel will have taken several weeks to many months or years to arrive at that point. They would've already laid waste to the whole of Northern Africa and Europe if you could catch it just by enjoying a loiter.
vixen1700 said:
Ebola virus is not airborne and does not spread through mosquitoes, water, or food. Transmission occurs exclusively through direct contact with the blood, body fluids (such as saliva, vomit, urine, feces, semen, and breast milk), or tissues of infected individuals, including those who have died from the disease.
I reckon most people will be fine.
So we just have to outrun the zombies and we will be fine? I reckon most people will be fine.
vixen1700 said:
Ebola virus is not airborne and does not spread through mosquitoes, water, or food. Transmission occurs exclusively through direct contact with the blood, body fluids (such as saliva, vomit, urine, feces, semen, and breast milk), or tissues of infected individuals, including those who have died from the disease.
I reckon most people will be fine.
This. So ignore WHO and the media turning it into a panic it doesn’t need to be.I reckon most people will be fine.
vixen1700 said:
Ebola virus is not airborne and does not spread through mosquitoes, water, or food. Transmission occurs exclusively through direct contact with the blood, body fluids (such as saliva, vomit, urine, feces, semen, and breast milk), or tissues of infected individuals, including those who have died from the disease.
I reckon most people will be fine.
I've seen the movies, viruses mutate all the time. Remember the Motaba outbreak? It went airborne. They all do. I reckon most people will be fine.
Don't just worry, panic!
lornemalvo said:
I watched a report on Ebola this morning, followed by a report about hundreds crossing the channel due to the calm weather. A large number of them are Africans, and as the incubation period is up to 21 days, I wonder whether any measures are in place to catch any cases that arrive here? I have no faith in the security of our borders, so should we be worried?
NoIn 2000 I was living in Uganda when they had an Ebola outbreak. This was one of the largest outbreaks to occur - before the one in 2014 in West Africa. This was before there was any treatment for Ebola, basically if you got it you died. I seem to remember Uganda dealt with it internally with very little fanfare or outside help. Maybe help for testing, but no influx of people. I think the policy was to isolate the area and put travel controls / checks in place for a district.
It was reported on daily in the papers, and people in the Kampala, where I lived, modified their behaviour so there were no more greetings with hand shakes and people stood a little further apart.
The rumours were that it had come across into Uganda with soldiers, or their families, from the Congo where the Ugandan armed forces were involved in "stuff". The outbreaks in the country seemed to be close to army barracks, and I don't remember it ever getting close to the capital.
I'm not concerned about Ebola crossing the channel on a boat, as others have said, there is a long way for people to travel across land both in time and distance, so it should have become obvious a long time before someone got to our shores.
It is air travel that is the way it would get into the country. A heath worker who was involved in assistance travelling home and they only show symptoms after arriving home. This is what seemed to happen in the 2014 outbreak.
It was reported on daily in the papers, and people in the Kampala, where I lived, modified their behaviour so there were no more greetings with hand shakes and people stood a little further apart.
The rumours were that it had come across into Uganda with soldiers, or their families, from the Congo where the Ugandan armed forces were involved in "stuff". The outbreaks in the country seemed to be close to army barracks, and I don't remember it ever getting close to the capital.
I'm not concerned about Ebola crossing the channel on a boat, as others have said, there is a long way for people to travel across land both in time and distance, so it should have become obvious a long time before someone got to our shores.
It is air travel that is the way it would get into the country. A heath worker who was involved in assistance travelling home and they only show symptoms after arriving home. This is what seemed to happen in the 2014 outbreak.
UK scientists developing Ebola vaccine that could be ready for trials in months
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy82gkr7xzlo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy82gkr7xzlo
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