Ebola: Webchat with the Wellcome Trust TODAY

[KateMumsnet]

The World Health Organisation has described the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus as "the most severe health emergency of modern times". In response to considerable discussion of the disease on Mumsnet, we've arranged a webchat with Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and one of the world's leading scientists specialising in infectious disease.

Jeremy has been deeply involved in the international response to Ebola over the past few months, including coordinating several million pounds of Wellcome Trust funding for fast-track research into drugs, vaccines and other interventions. Before joining the Trust in 2013, he was Professor of Tropical Medicine and Global Health at Oxford University, and Director of the Wellcome Trust’s Major Overseas Programme in Vietnam, where he was based for 17 years. His research has contributed to better understanding, treatment and prevention of diseases such as flu, tuberculosis, typhoid and dengue fever, and he played a first-hand role in global responses to SARS, bird flu and swine flu.

Please do join us live tomorrow between 11am - 12pm, or post your question in advance on this thread. Just a quick reminder that it’s one question per person; take a look at our webchat guidelines, here.

Best,
MNHQ

[listsandbudgets]

I have seen this article suggesting that the very low survival rate of ebola is primarily down to the poor health and other facilities in the countries affected. It suggests that if treated properly (e.g. proper clean facilities, access to reliable electricity, coagulants, sufficient rehydration fluid among other things) then the survival rate could be increased to as much as 90%.

Do you agree or do you think that the aggressive nature of the disease itself would outweigh high quality treatment?

[Emphaticmaybe]

Hi Dr Farrar

BBC Newsnight said last week that the poor health systems and infrastructure, traditional burial practices and general poverty could not solely account for the exponential rise in cases of Ebola in the three worst affected countries.
My question - do you think it likely that this particular strain of Ebola has mutated to be more infectious than previous outbreaks elsewhere as was suggested in this programme and if so what impact will that have on our ability to end this epidemic?

Thanks

[BookABooSue]

Whilst working in international development, we were concerned at the increasing militarisation of aid. By sending soldiers rather than doctors, the UK and US seem to be suggesting that the focus is on containment rather than treatment.

Are you concerned that equating aid/healthcare with the deployment of military personnel may create tensions and ultimately hinder any attempts at a global response, if not in this crisis then in the future?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Not a question, but thank you for arranging this and thank you Dr Farrar for coming on. It will be very interesting.

[zen1]

If you were in charge of the (belated) Western response to the current outbreak, is there anything you would recommend doing differently to, or in addition to, the measures now being taken to stop the spread of the disease in the affected countries and worldwide?

[Leviticus]

The BBC reports that a serum made from the antibodies of recovered patients is weeks away from being used in Liberia. We've also heard that ZMAPP has been used in a few cases with success.

How close are we to an effective pharmaceutical tool to fight Ebola and how widely could it be used?

[AnguaResurgam]

What reserch projects are the Wellcome Trust funding into treatments or vaccines for Ebola or other haemorrhagic diseases caused by filoviruses (such as Marburg, outbreak recently confirmed in Uganda)?

[ChaffinchOfMegalolz]

Hi Dr Farrar

regarding underreporting of cases - surely this means all data is flawed for every mathematical analysis of the outbreak

how do you guess at amounts of underreporting to ''invent'' publishable figures?
could countries keep cases quiet / hidden to avoid all the hoo-hah? / financial negative effects?

I think everyone going to work out there is a hero, so brave.
thank you

[Madeyemoodysmum]

How close are you to vaccinations for front line staff after the trials of the first 60 volunteers to test the vaccine?

[AgentZigzag]

Hi Dr Farrar,

what kinds of things would you have to see taking place to get that cold grip in your stomach that says ebola is out of control and you're on the verge of panic seriously concerned for the world as it stands?

I don't know whether you being so intimately acquainted with the viral world would make you privately more or less worried about how ebola's progressing, but should we be worried?

Or is it a case of not this time, but we're due a natural cull and it's only a matter of time?

[LineRunner]

Are you frustrated at the political appointment of various WHO officials in Africa, as reported by Medecines sans Frontietes?

And thank you for coming on to Mumsnet for this web chat.

All my other questions have been asked very competently above.

[lessa2]

How close are we to the outbreak being uncontainable? I guess what I mean is: do you think that we will be able to get this outbreak under control and start to reduce the number of new cases or has it already gone too far?

[OneSkinnyChip]

What can we the public do to help with this? Aside from donating to the utterly fabulous MSF is there anything practical that people in Europe can do to help with this situation? Political pressure for example? ANYTHING at all?

I find it so frustrating that the situation in West Africa has been allowed to snowball because of a misguided sense that 'it's just something happening over there, it can't touch us.' As if there's no moral responsibility to do anything about it because it's not on our doorstep.

[Stratter5]

Hi Dr Farrar, thank you so much for sparing the time to come and talk to us.

Could you tell us what you think is the likelihood of Ebola becoming endemic in the affected areas? In which case, could it then possibly mutate to become less virulent? And given the WHO's projected 10,000 cases per month, unless containment is effected soon, do you think that the outbreak will be containable, or is it more a case of it eventually burning out?

I'd also be interested to know if there are any programs being set up to help the orphans of this outbreak, although I appreciate that this is not your area of knowledge.

Many thanks, Stratters.

[Micksy]

Outside of the three affected countries in West Africa, spread of ebola has so far been contained. What steps have been taken to keep the neighbouring countries safe, and how well prepared are they to deal with isolated incidents?

[Blondieminx]

Hi Dr Farrar, thanks for coming to Mumsnet. It's really good to have a specialist scientist on, so thank you!

The government were suggesting that they think we will have the first ebola case in the UK "by Christmas". What measures would you like to see being taken by both by the government and by the private sector (I'm thinking particularly about transport operating companies) to help prevent the spread of the virus?

[DoctorTwo]

Hello Dr Farrar, thank you for coming to HQ to talk to us. Do you think this whole Ebola thing is over hyped and there is no threat to us here in the UK?

[LongDistanceLove]

What is your stance on the medias sensationalism with regards to ebola, spreading panic and misinformation?

It's gotten to the point where a school in Philadelphia has stopped two children from starting school until the incubation period is over, because the kids were in East Africa.

[YeGodsAndLittleFishes]

Thank you for coming.

What would you like to tell us that hasn't already been asked about? :)

[AuntieStella]

You don't have to go to Philadelphia to find examples like that. There's a MN thread on a school which barred a boy, and I've also now seen this about a school in Co Durham cancelling a visit from an exchange teacher from Ghana.

Thes suggests a huge lack of trust in the HPA (as people simply would not believe in their clearance of the school boy).

Dr Farrar: Would you agree that the media has also contributed, over many years, by seeking to sensationalise science reporting (when an issue moves from proper science writers, and gets into the hands of a non-specialist on the main news desk)? Does the Wellcome Trust see a role for itself in media education? I don't mean trying to change an editorial line once an issue has grabbed the headlines, but more generally finding ways to get the word out; including on social media.

And on funding public education on science: big vote of thanks to the Trust for support to the Christmas Lectures, and long may it continue!

[crocodilebathing]

to be honest, as I struggle with health anxiety
I try to ignore and avoid all public health warnings as I get overly paranoid
so normally as soon as something comes on the news about all this I turn over

is this a wise thing to do for someone like me

[Thereshallbeaspirin]

In your opinion, how should the balance of G20 funding lie, between the immediacy of dealing with life-threatening diseases such as this, and the more longer term issue of global over-population (which to an ignorant layman seems to lead directly to the resultant poverty and poor health conditions that create the environments for such diseases to take hold)? And what should the G20 be doing better?

[hcs07081975]

Dear Jeremy,

We met at the first Dengue WHO-IDAMS conference in Freiburg, Germany in 2012.

I am referring to the Welcome Trust press release:
//www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2014/WTP057180.htm

The NGO Waisenmedizin e.V. developed a magistral drug (listed in the German Drug Codex, magistral preparation) DAC N-055, which has been tested clinically (Phase IIa IIb trials in Afghanistan) in cutaneous leishmaniasis. The first trial is published, the second is under editorial review: //www.plosntds.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0002694

DAC N-055 showed some activity in vitro against HIV viruses, Leishmania parasites and very effective against Herpes viruses in vivo. Publications can be sent. The medical and pharmaceutical board of the NGO Waisenmedizin e.V. can also explain the biochemistry behind the path of action.

The NGO Waisenmedizin e.V. would like to test the DAC N-055 in vitro first against some tropical viruses, especially (because urgently needed) EBOLA. Unfortunately, here in Germany none of the tropical institutes I contacted reacted up-to-date, maybe because of the emergency situation.

What can we do? Can you indicate us some labs or institutions that would be interested to test DAC N-055 on different tropical viruses, especially Ebola? Could we apply for funds, how?

Our motivation is to make a contribution to a catastrophic situation, that is it.

Please contact us in case of further inquiries: [email protected]

Sincerely,
Hans-Christian Stahl

[SortedforEsandWizz]

I know this isn't how medicine works - but can you tell me on a scale of 1 -10 how much I should be worried about ebola? 1 being stop being hysterical and get on with your life, 10 being head to the hills with a shotgun and a case of gin.

Thanks v much for your time