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.

Are you worried about malaria too?
What about tuberculosis?
Also how many people die of HIV each year?

@Pollaidh Thank you. I'm feeling reassured to think that COVID-19 isn't as serious a risk in Africa as I feared it might be. Hopefully that is the case, as there are so many other illnesses that are a threat to them. I have good friends there and I have been genuinely concerned about the potential impact of COVID-19.

@Squirrellamp That's what I was thinking, we only hear about illnesses that might affect us in the west. I am aware that there are charities involved who are doing great work but we hear so little about it on the news.

*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?*

This. The same with AIDS, TB, malaria, maternal mortality and childhood preventable illness. They are diseases of the poor. Pharma companies don't invest money in prevention and treatment of these and when they do, they are priced for (much smaller) western demand.

Jeez, I think we have enough to worry about, so I'll take a pass on caring about Ebola at the moment.

goes to pour a glass of wine

Not the point of this thread, but couldn't resist adding - I spent 6 months on the frontline of Ebola response in Goma in the midst of the 2019 outbreak. The main advice from colleagues with experience of the sierra Leone/Liberia outbreak was - don't hug any corpses and you'll be fine.

I'm not actually sure it's worthwhile interacting given your posts but just in case, I was one of the people worried about CV in February because even though in the early stages it was clear Covid19 was a highly infectious virus with an unclear fatality rate.
I've not been worried about Ebola becoming a pandemic because I actually bothered to inform myself about the disease. It's clear it's not an efficient disease because it makes people very ill, kills too quickly and people aren't asymptomatic spreaders.

Given the epidemic in the DCR has been ongoing for two years I think it's clear it's not coming here. Maybe read something about it?

Oh is this ‘banter’ ?

How...witty

You obviously weren't here for the last big outbreak. They had to make an ebola board due to the amount of threads and people panicking in the UK

MNetters panicking in the UK I meant to say. Yes, Ebola got its own topic!

Do you give to charities working to make a difference in those areas OP? If you want to highlight the different attitudes to different areas of the world it would be a good start. Of course Covid is on the rise across the African and may be killing more people there than Ebola

In terms of what to worry about next someone told me about the poles flipping their magnetic fields or something. Apparently this is a thing. Apparently it is overdue. 2020 sounds like absolutely the sort of year this will occur

*“Scientists had researched Ebola vaccines for decades, but the lack of a commercial market removed the imperative to develop, licence and deploy such a vaccine.”

From www.gavi.org*

Perversely, the same is true of coronavirus. SARS and MERS, for example, have no real commercial value, so research was very slow. IF it hadn't been we might well be a lot closer to a vaccine now. Even more perversely, one of the more promising treatment regimes was developed for Ebola.

@CoachBombay

Oh sweet Jesus, I can't wait for Covid to be over so everyone stops bangin on like they are a seasoned epidemiologist.

Ebola has a vaccine, Ebola has had and continues to have localised outbreaks in areas.

People who have Ebola are unlikely to be able to board a flight as they would be very unwell.

There is no need to worry about Ebola anywhere outside of the localised outbreaks.

I am not suggesting anyone worry about Ebola in the UK, but (a) You are aware of the fact that in December 2014 a health worker did exactly that - boarded a plane and flew to the UK, and was subsequently diagnosed with Ebola, so it actually is not only possible, but it has already happened.

And actually, until I medically retired due to disability, my previous employers included Medicin Sans Frontieres and UNHCR; and selected highlights of my work places included Rwanda, DCR, Ethiopia, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Haiti. So not an epidemiologist. Mostly they sit is classrooms and lecture halls and come up with theories....

Do black lives only matter if it's fashionable? On behalf of those working across West Africa, regardless of their skin colour, fuck off! That's so very fucking offensive!

Fucking keyboard warrior shite at its best!

Maybe, if you knew more, you might be a bit more questioning about the ebola response of the west, most charities out there, like ActionAid Training women in how to prevent Ebola, including education about vital hygiene measures that people can take

So while the men are off shooting each other, almost 90% of those with confirmed cases of ebola are women and children! So women in most of the affected countries are the trained first responders.

Be pissed off at the internicine wars that make it difficult to get any medical response into areas it is needed.

But don't make the geography of disease a race issue just to score internet points!

@lonelySam rVSV-ZEBOV is an approved preventative vaccine for Ebola

@Squirrellamp I actually checked the HIV death related numbers - if I remember correctly, it is 700 000 per year.

Worry about antibiotic resistance, climate change and yes probably bloody supervolcanoes before ebola.

Nope. It doesn’t spread easily and not planning trip to DRC. You need a hobby. Cycling?

Oh god it's this op
Again

You’re better off worrying about climate change much worse and likely to affect you. But that’s not as exciting and requires cutting back on nice things like steak and flying

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Do black lives only matter if it's fashionable? On behalf of those working across West Africa, regardless of their skin colour, fuck off! That's so very fucking offensive!

Fucking keyboard warrior shite at its best!

Maybe, if you knew more, you might be a bit more questioning about the ebola response of the west, most charities out there, like ActionAid Training women in how to prevent Ebola, including education about vital hygiene measures that people can take

So while the men are off shooting each other, almost 90% of those with confirmed cases of ebola are women and children! So women in most of the affected countries are the trained first responders.

Be pissed off at the internicine wars that make it difficult to get any medical response into areas it is needed.

But don't make the geography of disease a race issue just to score internet points!

As someone who has worked in West (and South, and East, and North) Africa ...you fuck off. I very much doubt you have a clue what you are talking about, and you certainly don't make a clear point about anything. The geography of disease very certainly is a race issue (and a poverty issue - the two are intertwined), and to suggest otherwise is stupid.

Moondust You have misunderstood my admittedly poorly written post.

I was referring to the fashion statement being shite - just to score internet points - not that the geography of disease is anything other than a socio economic disaster mainly for poor, black communities.

I do have a clue, not first hand, but have spent 30+ years with someone who has worked in some of the same communities you have!