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[Joyce]

This may be a bad idea bringing this up, but just wondering how others feel. I certainly hope that it never becomes a problem in this country. However, as I live in the oil capital, we have many workers who go offshore to the rigs in many parts of the world, including Africa. My friend's BIL has refused to go back, but her brother & son still go through some of the affected airport areas.  Many students come from Africa to hubby's uni to learn.

They say it's relatively hard to contract & that with our higher levels of care it shouldn't be a problem.

So what of poor guy in America, who has just lost his life? They have very high standards of care. The poor nurse in Spain, took 3 attempts to get help, then they took her to hospital in ambulance with no precautions.  Thankfully the British nurse recovered fully & is doing what he can to help authorities.

In the grand scheme of things the numbers who have succumbed are low, but with international travel being high these days, how soon is it until it becomes unmanageable?

[LizeeeH]

It could be quite scary this, its already spreading into Europe, lets hope they stop it asap

[milly]

My daughter, son in law ,and grandson live in Africa and I have been very concerned, but they reassure me it is far more newsworthy here ,Europe and in America than there.

They are not worried, they both work for the British council, who are generally very good at managing situations....they were brought out of Cairo when that erupted.

So I have to accept what they tell me and try not to follow the news.

[Joyce]

Not easy though, I'll bet. My friend is the same, just has to accept that info her family are getting is correct.

[rosebud57]

Only one case in Spain, so not quite 'spreading' in europe.  I'm about as worried as when we had the sars and bird flu scares.  That's about zero.  More likely to be struck by lightning.

[Taz2]

It's bound to spread here I believe with all the air travel. Why would we be immune to it? It only takes one passenger to arrive while still incubating it after all.  We just have to hope that we have enough facilities to isolate anyone with it and contain their contacts. From what I've read you incubate it for up to 21 days when you don't feel ill at all so it's difficult to know how travellers would be aware that they are carrying it anyway. OH will be glad to get home from the middle east tomorrow. Too much in the news over there about it.

Hand washing - keep up the hand washing - and no social kisses either.

I found this article interesting http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2014/10/06/354054915/firestone-did-what-governments-have-not-stopped-ebola-in-its-tracks 

Taz x

[CLKD]

Barrier Nursing is important.  Like AIDs it is supposedly only spread on contact, i.e. if someone sneezes, via bodily fluids …… so the affected Spanish Nurse probably wasn't careful enough when de-robing.  Also if someone's immune system is low then people will succumb. 

People World Wide need to be taught how to Barrier Nurse, de-robe and dispose of contaminated gowns, gloves etc. correctly!

[tiger74]

I rather like this flowchart:
https://twitter.com/Marmel/status/518045071137316864/photo/1

There's a blunter (bad language) version doing the rounds too.

[Joyce]

Like all diseases we do not know who is carrying a disease.  Anything from a common cold, to HIV, to this.  Earlier they were saying that airports in Africa are taking temperatures of those leaving the country. However, as was the case of the American, he was fine leaving Liberia. Only after being home did symptoms develop.

Barrier nursing is fine, but it needs specialist units like those shown on TV to deal with something like this.

[ariadne]

I can't understand why news reporters are going out to affected areas and then returning here. Surely that's not sensible?

Ariadne xx

[Joyce]

Oh I agree. They are putting a lot of trust in those out there to deal with it correctly. Sky's Alex Crawford has been seen gowning up, but who's to say she & her camera crew are 100%  safe.

[Rowan]

The fact is that  the Ebola virus is very difficult to transmit.

It is not transmitted through the air, you need to be exposed to secretions: vomit, diarrhoea, blood. The chances of are very low of being infected here.

The problem is if it mutates and becomes airborne.

Avoiding flights in and out of Africa is about the only thing you can do, airports in general maybe.

I think volunteers in and out of countries should be screened.

[LizeeeH]

would seem a nurse in Australia has it now

[Joyce]

Thought it was just suspected. Results due later.

[Cassie]

What worries me is workers in restaurants they can transmit it to the food, drinks etc etc... people that serve our food and do not wash their hands after going to the loo...