Ebola Virus

[tahqa]

What's the mortality rate for influenza? I can't catch a stroke or heart disease from someone that was in my airplane seat before me. Gun violence and automobile accidents are not diseases.

 

For Ebola the CDC can't seem to nail down an actual number but the average mortality rate is around 50%. In worldwide outbreaks the numbers are between 25% and 90% fatality. The Ebola virus can live for several hours on dried surfaces such as armrests, door handles, tray tables, seat cushions. People that should know how to prevent it are becoming ill with it. That's real.

 

The mortality rate for Ebola depends on the particular strain. This one seems to be less virulent and is about 50%.

 

The Ebola virus must make it's way into your body for you to catch it. Yes, it can survive on hard surface for a couple of hours, but it is easily killed by common household bleach as well as hand sanitizers. So practice common sense with your hygiene and you should be okay.

 

People that should know how to prevent it are becoming ill because they made mistakes.

 

Worry about it if you want. I, however, will continue on living my life and practicing good hygiene and common sense. :rolleyes:

[Doc Rick]

US Military Leaders are worried about Ebola cases in the caribbean, Haiti, and Central American countries this winter vacation season...

 

http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2014/10/14/general-island-vacation-season-spawns-ebola-fears

 

- Doc

[Kamloops50]

WHO figures were updated early yesterday pegging the actual rate at 70%. The CDC is eroding its credibility every day. Now it turns out the nurse who flew, had called the CDC repeatedly about her mild fever, and because it was under the cutoff of 101.4, the CDC staff told her IT WAS OK TO FLY! She had permission from the staff at the CDC!

 

Which isn't exactly what the head of CDC was implying with his press briefings.

 

Not a shock because the head of the CDC implied the first nurse was at fault for breaking protocols but couldn't actually say WHAT she did or how the breach occurred. Now we find out the protocols weren't adequate originally, the CDC apologized to the nurse but only after the nurses union came out with the truth about the conditions they are working under. Nina Pham did everything she was told. Which says the virus is eluding the current protocols.

 

Back in my day, nurses always got blamed by management for "failures" that management refused to prevent by adequate staff or supplies. Looks like the same routine. When in doubt, blame the nurse, especially if she gets injured. Must have been her fault. Sigh!!!! The protocols are never wrong!

 

The American nurses are stating loud & clear that most hospitals are unprepared. My own nurses union here in BC in Canada is warning authorities that we are not prepared. The CDC is blithely stating that they are prepared. Who is right?

 

Maybe its my nursing background but I'd believe my fellow nurses before trusting another word from the CDC.

 

Now instead of admitting they blew it with this second nurse, they are frantically tracking passengers on those flights. Which is interesting because they've been saying all along you can't get it from sitting beside someone on a bus or other public transport. This was preventable but seems to be par for the course in this fiasco.

 

Meanwhile, most people WILL BE FINE. If you cant avoid air travel then wash hands lots, use sanitizer gels, wipe down seat areas on the plane, then do your hands again. Turn on your air vent, blowing towards you. This air is microfiltered and will blow any airborne germs away from you. Don't shake hands, avoid touching your face. That will reduce your risk tremendously.

 

Hope that helps.

 

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[Ocean Boy]

I don't think any Australian would make any apologies for that! We are lucky to live on an island (a rather large island!) which is free of many diseases -whether related to human, animals or crops. For example, the world bee population is under threat and that threatens the production of many other food crops. Australia (so far) is free of the problem. So yes we are careful to preserve this situation.

 

On the other hand, we also have a large number of poisonous animals to contend with :) No place is perfect!

 

I didn't mean what I said in a bad way at all. I think it is great that you folks put the effort into keeping your home safe so you are right that there is no need for apologies.. I was just a bit taken aback that the person I quoted seemed to have a bit of a no bid deal attitude toward the infectious world.

[Sitzmark]

Worry about it if you want. I, however, will continue on living my life and practicing good hygiene and common sense. :rolleyes:

 

 

That is my approach as well, I would suggest though that anyone with an ounce of common sense is a bit worried about it as the organizations in charge of a response don't seem to be able to get their heads out of their collective ***.

 

 

My previous comment was really more directed at people who try to minimize the seriousness of an illness like this comparing it to a disease like influenza. If you think this is anything like the flu, you need to get informed. Flu kills the elderly, infants and the very sick. Ebola will kill healthy adults. If you are at risk from the flu you can get vaccinated against the most common strains, there are currently no vaccines against Ebola. A sick person will leave it on things they touch, it can transfer through their sweat and live for hours, I doubt that the airline seat you are assigned to gets bleached between each flight.

[Ocean Boy]

The mortality rate for Ebola depends on the particular strain. This one seems to be less virulent and is about 50%.

 

The Ebola virus must make it's way into your body for you to catch it. Yes, it can survive on hard surface for a couple of hours, but it is easily killed by common household bleach as well as hand sanitizers. So practice common sense with your hygiene and you should be okay.

 

People that should know how to prevent it are becoming ill because they made mistakes.

 

Worry about it if you want. I, however, will continue on living my life and practicing good hygiene and common sense. :rolleyes:

 

Please enlighted us all as to what those mistakes were. And you mention a 50% mortality rate as if it is a good thing.

[Ocean Boy]

That is my approach as well, I would suggest though that anyone with an ounce of common sense is a bit worried about it as the organizations in charge of a response don't seem to be able to get their heads out of their collective ***.

 

 

My previous comment was really more directed at people who try to minimize the seriousness of an illness like this comparing it to a disease like influenza. If you think this is anything like the flu, you need to get informed. Flu kills the elderly, infants and the very sick. Ebola will kill healthy adults. If you are at risk from the flu you can get vaccinated against the most common strains, there are currently no vaccines against Ebola. A sick person will leave it on things they touch, it can transfer through their sweat and live for hours, I doubt that the airline seat you are assigned to gets bleached between each flight.

Good post. As I pointed out earlier some of these comparisons are "entertaining" at best.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Ocean Boy

[bouhunter]

Thank God we are not flying for our upcoming Q cruise.

 

Why??:rolleyes: We are flying in two weeks and I have no concerns whatsoever.

 

Stop watching CNN and your life will be more stress free.

 

Two health care workers caring for a patient have caught this virus, and suddenly cruisecritic is boiling over with people who are cancelling cruises and think the whole country (and every airplane) is a petri dish rife with ebola. Good grief..............

 

All that said, I DO think our leaders are fools and idiots for not imposing restrictions on air travel from the affected countries. St. Lucia has figured it out, but not our leaders................. :(

Edited October 16, 2014 by bouhunter

[happyiam]

I agree with you Kamloops50. I have been having flashbacks of what we went through in Toronto with SARS. Our union in here is saying the same thing yours is saying. Lots of misinformation. I believe that the people working in hospitals and medical clinics are at a higher risk of contracting this. My thoughts and prayers goes out to every medical personnel that has to face this uncertainty on a day to day basis. I, however, would not stop travelling at this point. I would be aware of who I am around, if on a plane, as well as take extra sanitizing precautions. The same goes if I were to go on a cruise. I would also take what the media says with a grain of salt. They often do not get facts straight as they are too quick to get something out.

[luvtheships]

My fear is not being let off the ship at debark because one pax has a fever and went to medical during the cruise!!

 

 

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[tahqa]

Please enlighted us all as to what those mistakes were. And you mention a 50% mortality rate as if it is a good thing.

 

A 50% mortality rate is better than a 70 - 90% rate.

 

Ebola requires entry of the virus into your body. Whether orally, through a cut, through the nasal passages, or some other way. So somehow the virus entered the nurses in that fashion.

 

I don't know what the mistakes made were, but mistakes were made. There is no doubt about it. For instance, there were some reports that the nurses were triple gloving, which is against CDC protocol as it arbitrarily increases the steps to remove gear and could expose a health care worker for longer than needed. Unfortunately the longer that you work with someone in that state of extreme contagiousness the more likely you are to make a mistake.

 

However, it is still extremely difficult for the normal citizen of the United States to catch Ebola.

[AlanFromFL]

My fear is not being let off the ship at debark because one pax has a fever and went to medical during the cruise!!

 

If I'm going to die from Ebola, what better place than on a cruise! :D

 

Now of course, if the virus mutates and turns everyone into flesh-eating zombies, things might be different. Would zombies be allowed into the MDR? :eek:

[Clarea]

...Would zombies be allowed into the MDR? :eek:

Only if they are not wearing shorts or tank tops.

[Kamloops50]

If I'm going to die from Ebola, what better place than on a cruise! :D

 

Now of course, if the virus mutates and turns everyone into flesh-eating zombies, things might be different. Would zombies be allowed into the MDR? :eek:

 

Only with the proper clothes! And a squirt of sanitizer gel! No moaning sounds or indiscriminate biting either or the head waiter will get seriously annoyed & may toss the errant zombie back out into the lineup at the door.

 

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[BamaGuy44]

That is my approach as well, I would suggest though that anyone with an ounce of common sense is a bit worried about it as the organizations in charge of a response don't seem to be able to get their heads out of their collective ***.

 

 

My previous comment was really more directed at people who try to minimize the seriousness of an illness like this comparing it to a disease like influenza. If you think this is anything like the flu, you need to get informed. Flu kills the elderly, infants and the very sick. Ebola will kill healthy adults. If you are at risk from the flu you can get vaccinated against the most common strains, there are currently no vaccines against Ebola. A sick person will leave it on things they touch, it can transfer through their sweat and live for hours, I doubt that the airline seat you are assigned to gets bleached between each flight.

 

 

 

Not sure where you came up with that but flu will kill far more healthy adults in the US than ebola. Ebola is news because the symptoms are so awful and the mortality rate is high, so it makes for good sound bites. Yes if you actually contract the disease you are pretty much screwed. But think about it. Even if we have 300 ebola deaths in the US (which we won't, it will be much less), that is still literally less than 1 in a million. Life is way too short to worry about odds like that.

 

If you're honestly worried about getting ebola from sweat on your airplane seat I'm amazed you ever leave your house. :eek:

[luvtheships]

If I'm going to die from Ebola, what better place than on a cruise! :D

 

Now of course, if the virus mutates and turns everyone into flesh-eating zombies, things might be different. Would zombies be allowed into the MDR? :eek:

 

I bet you will love sitting on the ship in your home port for 21 days

 

 

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[pspercy]

A 50% mortality rate is better than a 70 - 90% rate.

 

.

 

There are relatively few Drs in most of west Africa. It is reasonable to assume that many deaths go unreported (or misreported) so the true mortality rate might in fact be greater than that quoted.

[Sitzmark]

Not sure where you came up with that but flu will kill far more healthy adults in the US than ebola. Ebola is news because the symptoms are so awful and the mortality rate is high, so it makes for good sound bites. Yes if you actually contract the disease you are pretty much screwed. But think about it. Even if we have 300 ebola deaths in the US (which we won't, it will be much less), that is still literally less than 1 in a million. Life is way too short to worry about odds like that.

 

If you're honestly worried about getting ebola from sweat on your airplane seat I'm amazed you ever leave your house. :eek:

 

 

I got it from the WHO and the CDC. Mortality rates for influenza outside of the 1918 pandemic are around .1%. Even in that pandemic the mortality rate only got to 2.5%. Compared to a mortality rate of 70% I just don't get how you think that the flu is worse.

 

I've had the flu, I watched tv and had chicken soup for a few days. It got better.

 

I know that the government keeps telling us how impossible it is to contract the disease, but so far they have not exactly proven themselves to be on top of the situation.

 

I believe the situation will get worse before it gets better. I do not believe that our emergency rooms are equipped to deal with this kind of disease or even distinguish it from the flu. But that is the best advice from the government on what to do if you have symptoms.

 

To stray back on topic I don't know what RCI is doing different, to be honest, I'm not sure what extra they could do. Perhaps they could add some questions to the health screenings.

[luvtheships]

Not sure where you came up with that but flu will kill far more healthy adults in the US than ebola. Ebola is news because the symptoms are so awful and the mortality rate is high, so it makes for good sound bites. Yes if you actually contract the disease you are pretty much screwed. But think about it. Even if we have 300 ebola deaths in the US (which we won't, it will be much less), that is still literally less than 1 in a million. Life is way too short to worry about odds like that.

 

If you're honestly worried about getting ebola from sweat on your airplane seat I'm amazed you ever leave your house. :eek:

 

I personally am not worried about getting it but I am worried about the (under)overreaction of the politically (in)correct morons that are handling this situation

 

We (not me) as a society are just becoming such fools

 

 

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[luvtheships]

Also travel insurance companies might want to be lenient if someone feels ill and wants to stay away from people therefore canceling their cruise

 

 

 

 

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[luvtheships]

Also travel insurance companies might want to be lenient if someone feels ill and wants to stay away from people therefore canceling their cruise. Yes I know all about cancel for any reason insurance

 

The cruiselines themselves could be lenient as well if a pax says they have a mild fever

 

Cruiselines actually need to insure themselves at this point in anticipation of a worst case scenario as in all travel in and out if the country halted

 

I personally am considering changing an excursion in st Lucia from the jungle zipping to the catamaran and I know st Lucia is tightening their borders thankfully but they do have lots of monkeys there right?

 

I hope they don't eat them.

 

 

 

 

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[kwazi07]

Here is an interesting infographic from the New York Times.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/31/world/africa/ebola-virus-outbreak-qa.html

[BamaGuy44]

I got it from the WHO and the CDC. Mortality rates for influenza outside of the 1918 pandemic are around .1%. Even in that pandemic the mortality rate only got to 2.5%. Compared to a mortality rate of 70%

 

 

I was asking where you got the idea that flu doesn't kill healthy adults. I don't think you got that from the CDC or WHO.

 

Anyway you're falling for the exact media hype I mentioned in my other post. "OMG mortality rate is so high...it kills ALMOST EVERYONE WHO GETS IT!! LOUD NOISES!!" The part they leave out is that almost nobody will get it.

 

I just don't get how you think that the flu is worse.

 

I don't get how you don't get it.

Flu: 8-10 thousand deaths per year in the US.

ebola: Who knows but let's be super pessimistic and say 500.

 

If you could wave a magic wand and eliminate one of the two from the US which would you pick? I hope you would choose to save 8-10 thousand people vs. a few hundred.

 

Anyway I'm not trying to debate flu vs. Ebola, just pointing out the media fueled ebola panic is way out of proportion to the threat posed to the population.

[Ocean Boy]

A 50% mortality rate is better than a 70 - 90% rate.

Ebola requires entry of the virus into your body. Whether orally, through a cut, through the nasal passages, or some other way. So somehow the virus entered the nurses in that fashion.

 

I don't know what the mistakes made were, but mistakes were made. There is no doubt about it. For instance, there were some reports that the nurses were triple gloving, which is against CDC protocol as it arbitrarily increases the steps to remove gear and could expose a health care worker for longer than needed. Unfortunately the longer that you work with someone in that state of extreme contagiousness the more likely you are to make a mistake.

 

However, it is still extremely difficult for the normal citizen of the United States to catch Ebola.

Well, that is one statement that I don't think anyone can argue with.

[marci22]

I was asking where you got the idea that flu doesn't kill healthy adults. I don't think you got that from the CDC or WHO.

 

WHO http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs211/en/

 

Who is at risk?

Yearly influenza epidemics can seriously affect all populations, but the highest risk of complications occur among children younger than age 2 years, adults aged 65 years or older, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain medical conditions, such as chronic heart, lung, kidney, liver, blood or metabolic diseases (such as diabetes), or weakened immune systems.