A topic for ebola chat - thank you MN.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

As posted in site stuff:

"There are loads of threads popping up about ebola - with the media coverage people are bound to get concerned. There are people with some really good knowledge about epidemiology and disease control who can provide reassurance and real facts and information. It's quite hard work finding the threads at present and people are having to repeat themselves over and over.

If we have a new section it means that people can find facts quickly and easily - those advising will be more able to help. It was in invaluable during the early part of the swine flu epidemic and I think it would be again."

So basically this is a safe place for people to share concerns and gain reassurance. Hopefully we wont need the topic for too long. As we talk about this, one thing to remember, is whilst people might be worrying here, its is nothing to the fear and hopelessness of those countries in West Africa who are suffering hugely from the epidemic and we need to respect that.

I've pm'ed the OP of the long thread currently in 'chat' called "Ebola concerns" that has been active for a few days now. Lots of useful posts posts on it, and it would be a shame if it went pfft in 90 days.

well done :)
I started putting a link to here on all of the ebola threads but then realised that it was bumping them all up so desisted.

Thank you for arranging this, OYBBK . I work for the Ambulance service and according to the Health Secretary we all have special protective suits? They must be in the same box as our pay rises, we haven't even been given eye protection or aprons.
Apparently if we get called to a suspected ebola case we are supposed to take off all our clothes, including underwear and put on the tyvek suits we carry which we only carry in case our uniforms are taken by the police as evidence, they aren't to protect us against infection so would be useless against ebola.

It's the usual shambles, we've already been called to people who have flu like symptoms after returning to Britain from Sierra Leone and have had to attend with no specific protection, fortunately they have proved to be just ordinary flu like colds.

I predict some rather shocked bystanders if I start stripping off outside peoples houses, it'll frighten the horses.

Will MNHQ search for Ebola threads and ask OPs if they want them moved?

Or is it up to us to spot and pm?

I've just searched, and there are threads from April this year, and July (which I think would be really interesting to be kept in this topic, not least as a comparison to the 'why didn't we do more earlier?' threads), then several in August (patient moved to UK) and then latest crop in last couple of weeks.

Cripes! You are going to need your ready brek as flu season kicks in then.

All joking aside - that's not great. They really need to look after you front line workers properly cos no-one is is going to do the job.

Thank you for doing what you do.

I've reported them from the 1st September Meditrina - are you happy to do the July and august ones?

oooo, mn are on the ball, the ones I've reported are magically in this section. Well done mn!

NCIS are you worried about ebola?

I'll report the earlier ones, and see if they appear too.

Oh it's all good fun. Seriously though, I think it's even more important that as many of us as can have flu vaccines this year. Whilst it won't do anything to stop ebola at least it will help to keep more people out of the GP's surgery and A&E which will help remove some of the risks of infection spread and help an already hugely overstretched NHS to cope with any additional challenges.

I think what you are saying about flu jabs is very sensible NCIS. If we do get a case or two imported over here, its going to get so much more complicated if we have a flu outbreak - and everyone in the area thinks they have ebola when its flu. Australia's flu season was a bit rough this year.

Good luck meditrina :)

Yes that makes perfect sense NCIS.

I've reported lots (and offered and to MNHQ), so we'll wait and see what happens.

Just checking in.... I started a thread a few days ago lamenting the international effort in not providing more assistance back in May when WHO raised its concerns as to how big this could get.

I feel oddly proud tonight of what has been announced will be sent to Sierra Leone by the UK. i have so much respect for the volunteers and army personnel. A list has been prepared of precisely what has been provided and by whom - I really hopes this prompts other countries to do more.

Well done meditrina :) Helen, said in one of her 'thanks for the report' that she doesnt want to shove in anything too early into the new section.

I really hope more countries follow too Rooners. MSF have been apparently getting frustrated with Australia who have been refusing to send in people on the ground and who have just been lobbing large amounts of money at them. The aid effort needs practical support as well as money. The countries affected dont have the resources just to buy their way out of this as you know.

checking in
good as a new topic
absolute blanket coverage now, almost every time I watched the rolling news today it was on; loads online,
the mystery of how the poor Spanish nurse got it is worrying
D Fail claiming experts starting to think is air transmission happening

It's odd they are saying that, when you have Sawyers on the plane not infecting anyone and so far no onward transmission from Duncan.

the Macedonia thing is being reported in different ways - BBC breaking tweet 'ebola unlikely' yet reuters - 1st brit with ebola

so......who is this 59yo in Macedonia and how did he get, what he was ill with?

It's a big mystery isn't it.

Sky are reporting he didn't have it. Tbh it would be better reporting if they waited, rather than change their minds.

I think we need the media to report responsibly, or hysteria will set in.

I don't really get this "not airborn" theory anyway. Surely it has always been slightly airborn? It is clearly more contagious than the likes of HIV or hepatitis. But not like flu. What we don't want is contagion like flu.

I also read that in the area where it first started, there is a decrease in cases for the first time.

I understand that closing borders isn't helpful in terms of letting medics in but I understand that it is only by quarantining towns in Liberia that they have managed to achieve this. Why does the WHO not at least restrict travel in and out of affected countries?

It's not airbourne in the usual sense that airbourne is used - ie that it is carried in the air. You need to be within less than 1 metre (according to CDC) of someone and actually spattered by droplets.

Trying to make sense of the news reporting from Macedonia, I think what has happened is that a British person travelled to Skopje about a week ago, fell ill, worsened and died (a pretty unusual event). The symptoms, and those displayed by travelling companion, are consistent with ebola (but remember that symptoms are not unique to ebola) but given heightened state of alert, samples were sent for testing and the hotel was quarantined. The travelling companion stated they have not visited any high-risk areas.

Until the tests are completed, no-one knows whether it is ebola or some other disease.

These cases need to stop being reported as suspected ebola and just actual ebola cases reported. It makes it seem as though its far more widespread than it is and its in nobodies interest. In the end people will become either too complacent, or nerves will become so tattered that they will be imagining ebola in every school when flu turns up.

I agree kitten. There are reports it's in Czechoslovakia now because someone has symptoms.