To wonder why we aren’t worried about Ebola

[BirdieFriendReturns]

There’s a new outbreak in the Congo. Average death rate is 50%. It’s also highly virulent.

@lydia7986

It’s been going on in the DRC since 2018 - why would we be particularly worried about it now?

Actually 1977, And indeed, why would we ever worry about it? It really only kills poor Africans, and we didn't even bother about developing a vaccine until some Westerners got infected by it. "We" only worried about it when there was a prospect of a highly infectious killer disease actually getting to Europe and the USA. Now that we know that we'll be ok if it ever gets out, it doesn't matter a bit that the poor Africans can't afford the bloody vaccine, does it?

Do black lives only matter if it's fashionable?

Are you a professional worrier? Does it pay well?

Have you been talking to a fucking badge?

We will be. When the outbreak gets big enough and starts popping up in the west just like last time.

I’d be worried if I was in DRC yes or a neighbouring country maybe or had to go there for work etc

But in drizzly Lancashire, no 😂

We were very worried about it when it first appeared, but now there's a vaccine and we know people don't spread it when they have no symptoms.

Ebola has been around since the 1970’s, if you don’t live in an area with fairly frequent small outbreaks you yourself are not at risk.

Ebola is thankfully very easy contain, it sadly has a very high death rate, in part due to the impact on the body and partly because of very poor access to medical care and many of those infected being in poor health and having limited facilties at home where outbreaks typically happen.

However if you are genuinely worried about ebola you could help by donating to those working on the frontline, to vaccine drives etc.

Do black lives only matter if it's fashionable?

@Moondust001 well quite. Maybe they have to be the right kind of black lives? Maybe it's compassion fatigue? Maybe staying home and actually coughing up some money is less satisfying than protesting.

If we did get it over here, it would be something else somebody could name their child, because you just know some donkey is going to name their kids Covid and Corona.

Of course it is perfectly valid to worry about Ebola for its effect on the countries where it hits hard and may do so again. It is fine to care about other people.

What I don't get is why you are not worrying about Covid which is estimated to have killed up to 60 000 people in the UK within the space of a few months and have left many, many more with long-term health problems (lung damage, heart disease, hypertension etc).

Could it be that you are using Ebola as a kind of displacement technique: worrying about something more distant so you don't have to worry about what is close at hand?

If so, I suggest that you deal with the situation instead

a) by doing what you can to personally prevent the spread of infection

b) by working on making a change and achieving something positive: collect food for foodbanks, offer to do shopping or other services for shielding neighbours, collect and donate money for healthcare and vaccines in African countries

Actually 1977, And indeed, why would we ever worry about it? It really only kills poor Africans, and we didn't even bother about developing a vaccine until some Westerners got infected by it. "We" only worried about it when there was a prospect of a highly infectious killer disease actually getting to Europe and the USA. Now that we know that we'll be ok if it ever gets out, it doesn't matter a bit that the poor Africans can't afford the bloody vaccine, does it?

Do black lives only matter if it's fashionable?

Worrying about how Ebola will affect you when you live on a different continent with no prospect of being infected is entitled, self-obsessed rubbish.

Being sympathetic towards and moved by the suffering of those who do face the threat of Ebola is another thing entirely, and if anyone wants to assist they can do the following:

• donate money to Save the Children, UNICEF, MSF, ActionAid or the Red Cross

• vote for governments who commit to a fair level of overseas aid

• read about the disease to inform yourself and keep abreast of developments

Just popped a tenner on medecins San frontiers website.

I haven’t screenshotted it and put it on my Instagram though, is my ‘silence violence’?

This is just one of Birdie Friend’s many prophecies. He’s like the Mother Shipton of youth hostel badges. Just tell him to pipe down and give him a nice tinkly bell to play with. Distraction is a good tactic with these beasts.

But Birdie Friend was right about CV!

Doesn't Ebola affect people who are malnourished more so than people who aren't?

I was just at a meeting about it - in relation to Covid-, strangely enough, with the Head of the African Centre for Disease Control. Many good points already made above. Their community workers and Test and Trace teams are extremely good, which will not only help keep Ebola under control but should help them address Covid too.

Ebola has been around a long time. Aside from the major West African one that (1) scared people here but (2) led to really good test and trace strategies, a few years ago, there has been one in the DRC for a few years now. My friend was out there dealing with it and was happy to take their small kids to the DRC.

What @Moondust001 said. It was my first thought when I clicked on the thread.

Western media and society doesn't get too exercised about illnesses and issues that effect people of colour and particularly black ones - especially those who are poor and black.

Do black lives only matter if it's fashionable?

Quite. If it comes to that, millions die of malaria every year in sub Sahara Africa as well, the majority children under 5. But because it's only a danger in Africa where mosquitoes spread it, and doesn't impact on us here, there is very little concern about it.

It's actually all about health inequality. I remember that when I was in Uganda many years ago helping with a relief and development project, we visited a prison and what struck me most was that there were no mosquito nets, so malaria was rife.

I also lost a friend to cerebral malaria, who left a young wife and kids, which is why it's something I care about a lot.

If you want something to worry about, worry about what is going to happen (perhaps already is) when Covid starts ripping through African populations with high rates of HIV. People with HIV are seeing extremely poor outcomes, for obvious reasons. Or when Covid rips through refugee camps and slum towns.

Seriously, I'f you are that birdie friend poster as none of your posting history matched the bloody thread im going to say stop with the bollocks

@Pollaidh

That's very true. Although from what has been said, Africa might not suffer as badly as other parts of the world from COVID-19 because of the much younger population and the fact that COVID has worse outcomes among the elderly.

A lot of countries in Africa also appear to be coping well because of their experience with Ebola, in containing outbreaks.

So COVID-19, while it's likely to spread widely in Africa, they may not have as many deaths as in other parts of the world.

But Birdie Friend was right about CV

I can’t deny he was right there but I think that was just a lucky strike.

I'm always led to believe that as a country we give a lot of foreign aid, public and privately.

I've certainly been donating to many charities for years that claim to help with Malaria,Ebola, vaccination programs, water supplies, schools, etc.

I know it's not enough but I am trying to do the right thing. Does non of that count?

I'm hoping that will be the case, but we obviously don't know, as testing won't be straightforward and social distancing will be very difficult.

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