Ebola virus

I think that I expressed myself poorly there. I do not underestimate it, and it certainly has the potential to become a pan global issue. But I still have the gut feeling that it is less contagious than we fear. Whilst the threat to third world societies is severe I suspect that a modern well resourced society should be able to contain it.

I'm certainly not about to start fretting about it just yet.

 

My gut feeling is the opposite, I think it is far more contagious than we fear or have been informed about!!

 

How long can the virus survive in er "matter" ?

 

Hi Jen
sorry I dont understand your question

 

Jenny its not like a cold or flu my friend..If its not caught early your chances of survival is 0...

 

As in (for example) on the surface of an apple?
No idea if that's what you meant.

 

I think jenny is asking how long can it survive in dead bodies or how long can it survive in bodily fluid outside of the body

Just guessing tho

Or what long k said above

 

I think she means that too. Like the hiv thing can't survive outside of the human body for long before it dies itself. I think!!?? Don't quote me on that

I have just heard about this Ebola thing on the news. It looks quite nasty

 

I'm not so sure. The first case was in March (?) so in the six or seven months since it has claimed 4000 lives. I accept that this is just the reported figure. Now bear in mind that the population of Monrovia (the capital city of Liberia) which has been badly affected is close to one million. Also, these are third world countries.
To put it into perspective flu claims about 500 lives a year in the UK.

I'm not saying that it is not an issue, just that I think we have other things to worry about.

 

I 'think' one guy on the tv said its in body fluids, and therefore the risk of getting it is low. So how come people using protection still get it?? I can't really get my head around that one

 

I don't think they are telling us the truth about the bodily fluid thing. I think the truth is that they just don't know!

 

I'm not sure what the symptoms are, and tend to think they are pretty gross in a person that is reaching the point of death.
Therefore I hate to think how the body fluids might be spurting at that time.

 

Pete i was speaking to my doctor mate and hes not too concerned hes like if it happens it happens u just deal with it no point worrying

But he did say the first lot of symptoms are very vague so fever fatigued muscle aches and pains headaches sickness diarrhea

So it wld be hard to tell

Esp those like me who are chronically ill anyway most of those are my everyday

 

Missed out sore throat, and intense muscle weakness

Aparently those 2 symptoms with headache, fever, joint and muscle pain happen in the first 2 to 21 days of becoming infected but usually after 5-7

Diarrhoea vomiting rash and stomach pain and impaired kidney and liver function follows

Then u bleed internally and from the ears eyes nose and mouth

 

I think Longk has put it into perspective very well:

So in one city at the epicentre, a million people live. That's one city. And yet the death toll is around 4000 so far. Lets say that there'd been 10,000 confirmed cases in that one city alone (there hasn't been that many), that would make the risk of catching it, at the epicentre of the outbreak in a densely populated city in a third world country, 1 in 100, or 1%.

I believe the current death rate is around 50%. So that means that right at the epicentre of the outbreak, in a densely populated third world city, with my over inflated figures, that would still be just a 0.5% chance of dying of ebola.

Of course its serious. Any potentially fatal disease is serious. But I also think this is media sensationalism, or a distraction from much more dangerous situation of the small matter of the whole of NATO being on the verge of being dragged into an un-winnable war on at least two fronts.