Guinean woman undergoing Ebola testing

[mjakob007]

Ebola is not contacted that easily.

but if contacted, mortality rate is high.

I live in a country which has Ebola cases. we take precautions to prevent.

it is no where near bad as the media portrays it. but the importance given by the media had improved awareness among public.

it spread like widefire in three coutries,

1.due to funeral rites (where others have close contact with corpse)

2.ill educated people trying to treat ebola using traditional means

3. relative deciding to keep ailing patients at homes than isolation centres, due to lack of facilities in quarantine

[96tehtarp]

I have what I hope is not inappropriate confidence that Thailand will be able to handle Ebola if it ever comes here.

My point of reference is Dengue Fever which shows its nasty face here where I live every year. The local health clinic has a mobile "Dengue" team which springs into action if there are more than a couple of cases reported. They do house to house inspection in groups of about 8-10 volunteer officers. They also start making public address announcements over the loudspeakers announcing the possibility of the Dengue outbreak, which Sois it has been reported on, and what to look for. I'm always impressed how they seem to be able to nip the outbreak in the bud every rainy season.

Thailand will be able to handle Ebola if it ever comes here. Compare Thailand's "third-world" health system to the east African countries health systems. BBC World service recently reported that Liberia has 1 doctor for 100k population.

Agreed. I suspect Thailand has one of the best public health systems in the world. At least beats the US hands down. And they are evidently on the alert for ebola, so I shouldn't panic. Have also seen them spring into action over dengue, they come around the village & innoculate all the dogs against rabies once a year. & all sorts of health programs.

I have no doubt that they are capable of implementing a locked down iron tight quarantine wherever they want, within hours if necessary. Let's just hope it does not come to that.

Here where I am too, they come around once a year and inoculate all the Soi dogs for rabies free of charge. It's not costing them much, as the vaccine is always about to expire its "use by date".

They also did a nice job with the bird flu scare a few years ago. Well done!

Edited September 3, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[BlackJack]

some bright spark said the other day that Ebola was not airborn

well guess what?

getting on a plane from one of those countries makes it airborn

time to profile people i think

[Greg Nixon]

So who could these 16 people infect before they are brought to the isolation ward. Possible sweat and puke could infect others.

[mjakob007]

we are being told by qualified medics that it is not airborne, unlike influenza.

sweat, puke or other body fluids are a dangerous medium if it has blood strains.

and a carrier only transmits when they have high fever, spewing, stooling etc and the person would be visibly sick.

air carriers would normally not allow a passenger who is that sick on a commercial flight

[Lite Beer]

Guinean woman free of Ebola
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, Sept 3 -- Dr Prasert Thongcharoen, advisor to the Department of Disease Control, said that a blood test on the 24-year-old Guinean woman showed a negative result so he believed she had not contracted the Ebola virus disease (EVD). He also said that her high temperature was now lower.

Another blood test would be done this afternoon and the result will be known tomorrow.

If it is negative again, she will be discharged from hospital and follow-ups on 16 other people close to her will end.

However, Thai authorities will continue to check travelers from EVD outbreak countries, Dr Prasert said.

The 24-year-old woman left Guinea where EVD is spreading on Aug 18.

Arriving in Thailand on Aug 20, she passed an entry check without a high temperature.

She developed a high temperature on Fridayand went to a hospital. She was put in a disease control system on Sept 1.

Her blood samples were tested at Chulalongkorn University and the Department of Medical Sciences.

The Ministry of Public Health also monitored a 48-year-old Thai woman who had returned from an EVD-stricken country last month. Her blood test confirmed she did not contract the disease. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-09-03

[Deacon Bell]

I'm sure the Thais have it all under control with a full court of antibiotik.

[whybother]

we are being told by qualified medics that it is not airborne, unlike influenza.

sweat, puke or other body fluids are a dangerous medium if it has blood strains.

and a carrier only transmits when they have high fever, spewing, stooling etc and the person would be visibly sick.

air carriers would normally not allow a passenger who is that sick on a commercial flight

As soon as you are symptomatic (ie you have a fever, like the early stages of the flu) you can transmit. Someone could get on a plane before they are showing symptoms, and by the time they get off they could have a bit of a fever. They may have transmitted the disease to people close to them through sweat.

If the flight is going to a major hub, that potentially means that infected people could be going all over the world, and they may not show symptoms for a week or two. They also may not have been to any of the affected countries, so when they start showing flu like symptoms they will have no idea that they could have ebola. They will go to the office for a day or two just like people do when they have the flu.

The potential is there for this outbreak to get huge.

[whybother]

I'm sure the Thais have it all under control with a full court of antibiotik.

It's a virus. Antibiotics won't do anything.

[mjakob007]

we are being told by qualified medics that it is not airborne, unlike influenza.

sweat, puke or other body fluids are a dangerous medium if it has blood strains.

and a carrier only transmits when they have high fever, spewing, stooling etc and the person would be visibly sick.

air carriers would normally not allow a passenger who is that sick on a commercial flight

As soon as you are symptomatic (ie you have a fever, like the early stages of the flu) you can transmit. Someone could get on a plane before they are showing symptoms, and by the time they get off they could have a bit of a fever. They may have transmitted the disease to people close to them through sweat.

If the flight is going to a major hub, that potentially means that infected people could be going all over the world, and they may not show symptoms for a week or two. They also may not have been to any of the affected countries, so when they start showing flu like symptoms they will have no idea that they could have ebola. They will go to the office for a day or two just like people do when they have the flu.

The potential is there for this outbreak to get huge.

doubt if that argument is valid.

mr sawyer who exported the disease from Liberia to Nigeria was very ill before boarding the flight in Liberia and spend some 7 hours with other passengers in the plane.

he died on 25/july.

no other passengers have been tested +ve after 40 days

Edited September 3, 2014 by metisdead
Reply repaired, learn to make your post outside the quote box.

[whybother]

we are being told by qualified medics that it is not airborne, unlike influenza.

sweat, puke or other body fluids are a dangerous medium if it has blood strains.

and a carrier only transmits when they have high fever, spewing, stooling etc and the person would be visibly sick.

air carriers would normally not allow a passenger who is that sick on a commercial flight

As soon as you are symptomatic (ie you have a fever, like the early stages of the flu) you can transmit. Someone could get on a plane before they are showing symptoms, and by the time they get off they could have a bit of a fever. They may have transmitted the disease to people close to them through sweat.

If the flight is going to a major hub, that potentially means that infected people could be going all over the world, and they may not show symptoms for a week or two. They also may not have been to any of the affected countries, so when they start showing flu like symptoms they will have no idea that they could have ebola. They will go to the office for a day or two just like people do when they have the flu.

The potential is there for this outbreak to get huge.

--------------------------------------------------

doubt if that argument is valid.

mr sawyer who exported the disease from Liberia to Nigeria was very ill before boarding the flight in Liberia and spend some 7 hours with other passengers in the plane.

he died on 25/july.

no other passengers have been tested +ve after 40 days

Maybe he was extra cautious knowing that he was infected.

[halloween]

Good to hear that the latest Thai 'possible' was found to be negative, ten days after walking through Swampy, and with only (seems low ?) seventeen possible-contacts !

The three cases in Port Harcourt, one death & two currently ill, are reported as "All three had come into contact with a doctor who died treating the disease.", no mention of any "stupid diplomat" as MR claims.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/nigeria-reports-one-new-ebola-case-1409618936

The link was hardly helpful; are you selling subscriptions to the WSJ? No mention of a person doesn't negate his existence - he may well have recovered.

Sorry, no, I hold no brief from the wsj, in fact I detest Murdoch, but that's beside the point.

I had googled 'ebola' & 'nigeria', and got that link on the first page of citations, it led me to the full article & not the cut-short version, which I now see my link leads to, sorry about that.

The article included the sentence which I quoted, but didn't mention any stupid diplomats.

Further reading uncovered Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian government official (diplomat?) who flew into Nigeria which suffering from Ebola and who is blamed for the outbreak there. Megaranter appears to have been correct.

google Patrick Sawyer Liberia for multiple links

[Bluespunk]

The 2 US citizens returned there have been released from hospital and "no longer a danger to public health". Does this mean the virus has been eliminated from their bodies, and how do health authorities tell if this is so?

Many viruses (HPV, HS1 &2, HIV) can be eliminated down to a certain level only to return immune to the earlier treatment. HIV is regularly is reduced to non-detectable level, but it is not a cure, only a delay.

I think that if you survive the main stage of the infection you are clear.

[Bluespunk]

some bright spark said the other day that Ebola was not airborn

well guess what?

getting on a plane from one of those countries makes it airborn

time to profile people i think

Based on what?

[slipperylobster]

Thailand is up to speed on Medical Technology...if need be. That is not the real issue. Bangkok Airport is...(a hub)...pretty much the crossroads for this part of the world. Just one traveler here can infect at least one other (if not more). Imagine somebody coughing and sneezing/wiping noses and sitting in the middle of the row. Now that person is in a crowded aisle, awaiting debarking of the aircraft, and sneezes all of a sudden. The infected mist suspends in the air and 10 other people (from various countries) inhale it.

It is not the medical issue here....it is the rate and which it could spread, simultaneously, elsewhere.

The outbreak now has a fairly good survival rate. However, we all do know what viruses do best. Mutate for survival.

Edited September 3, 2014 by slipperylobster

[Bakseeda]

Ebola is nothing... unless you happen to have it. only between 700 and 800 died last year from this virus. 1,200,000 yes one point two million people died of HIV/Aids . Now that's a virus to be worried about, In fact last year over 1000 peoples died from coconuts falling on their heads.. so lets get real and not let the media throw up another false scare... Pass the Chang..!

[slipperylobster]

1000 peoples died from coconuts falling on their heads.. so lets get real and not let the media throw up another false scare... Pass the Chang..!

That is why I hate leaving the bar too....all those falling coconuts scare me to death.

[mjakob007]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Thailand is up to speed on Medical Technology...if need be. That is not the real issue. Bangkok Airport is...(a hub)...pretty much the crossroads for this part of the world. Just one traveler here can infect at least one other (if not more). Imagine somebody coughing and sneezing/wiping noses and sitting in the middle of the row. Now that person is in a crowded aisle, awaiting debarking of the aircraft, and sneezes all of a sudden. The infected mist suspends in the air and 10 other people (from various countries) inhale it.

It is not the medical issue here....it is the rate and which it could spread, simultaneously, elsewhere.

The outbreak now has a fairly good survival rate. However, we all do know what viruses do best. Mutate for survival.

If BKK is a risk hub, London, paris, Frankfurt, Dubai etc is even at a higher risk as they have daily flights from the affected countries

[slipperylobster]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Thailand is up to speed on Medical Technology...if need be. That is not the real issue. Bangkok Airport is...(a hub)...pretty much the crossroads for this part of the world. Just one traveler here can infect at least one other (if not more). Imagine somebody coughing and sneezing/wiping noses and sitting in the middle of the row. Now that person is in a crowded aisle, awaiting debarking of the aircraft, and sneezes all of a sudden. The infected mist suspends in the air and 10 other people (from various countries) inhale it.

It is not the medical issue here....it is the rate and which it could spread, simultaneously, elsewhere.

The outbreak now has a fairly good survival rate. However, we all do know what viruses do best. Mutate for survival.

If BKK is a risk hub, London, paris, Frankfurt, Dubai etc is even at a higher risk as they have daily flights from the affected countries

I believe hubs are many.

Edited September 3, 2014 by slipperylobster

[Ricardo]

Further reading uncovered Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian government official (diplomat?) who flew into Nigeria which suffering from Ebola and who is blamed for the outbreak there. Megaranter appears to have been correct.

google Patrick Sawyer Liberia for multiple links

With respect, MR claimed "save for a stupid diplomat that left Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was already cornered in Nigeria."

It was not a diplomat who transferred it from Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was clearly the doctor who transferred it and led to three others becoming infected.

He also said "an american deliberately brought it to Nigeria", but he was as you say Liberian, not American.

And he was an employee of ArcelorMittal, not a diplomat. http://allafrica.com/stories/201408120233.html

[whybother]

Ebola is nothing... unless you happen to have it. only between 700 and 800 died last year from this virus. 1,200,000 yes one point two million people died of HIV/Aids . Now that's a virus to be worried about, In fact last year over 1000 peoples died from coconuts falling on their heads.. so lets get real and not let the media throw up another false scare... Pass the Chang..!

What is the kill rate of those that catch HIV/AIDS? These days, a couple of percent. Also it has a low infection rate.

Ebola has a kill rate of 70-90%. You catch from touching any bodily fluids and has an infection rate just under that of flu.

You shouldn't be looking at this from what it's done so far, but what it has the potential of doing.

[harryfrompattaya]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

Yes about 3K cases in 3 months. Hardly an epidemic really compared to more common diseases.

Yes its serious, and yes it can be contained fairly easily given the correct monitoring and equipment.

More people probably die of more perfunctory diseases everyday but they are not receiving the coverage of this.

Have you ever lived in Africa I did and I have relatives their ath this time.

I will not believe only 3,000 maybe 50,000 at least.

Before you attack me think how white Doctors and nurse have it

I truly you hope you are right

Many of mine brothers and sisters are right leaving for EU right now they are afraid

[whybother]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

Yes about 3K cases in 3 months. Hardly an epidemic really compared to more common diseases.

Yes its serious, and yes it can be contained fairly easily given the correct monitoring and equipment.

More people probably die of more perfunctory diseases everyday but they are not receiving the coverage of this.

Have you ever lived in Africa I did and I have relatives their ath this time.

I will not believe only 3,000 maybe 50,000 at least.

Before you attack me think how white Doctors and nurse have it

I truly you hope you are right

Many of mine brothers and sisters are right leaving for EU right now they are afraid

I don't believe I'm right. There are about 3000 reported deaths. There are thousands more that haven't been reported. No one knows what the real number is.

[mjakob007]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Further reading uncovered Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian government official (diplomat?) who flew into Nigeria which suffering from Ebola and who is blamed for the outbreak there. Megaranter appears to have been correct.

google Patrick Sawyer Liberia for multiple links

With respect, MR claimed "save for a stupid diplomat that left Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was already cornered in Nigeria."

It was not a diplomat who transferred it from Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was clearly the doctor who transferred it and led to three others becoming infected.

He also said "an american deliberately brought it to Nigeria", but he was as you say Liberian, not American.

And he was an employee of ArcelorMittal, not a diplomat. http://allafrica.com/stories/201408120233.html

Patrick was of Liberian origin but American passport holder. his family still lives in Minnesota.

Arcelor mittal fired him, when his sister died of ebola and he chose at attend her funeral.

he further came to Nigeria under ECOWAS (similar to Euro passport or Asian), so was treated as a diplomat

[MaxLee]

I'm sure the Thais have it all under control with a full court of antibiotik.

And if anything is leaking by any chance, blame the victim

[Ricardo]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Further reading uncovered Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian government official (diplomat?) who flew into Nigeria which suffering from Ebola and who is blamed for the outbreak there. Megaranter appears to have been correct.

google Patrick Sawyer Liberia for multiple links

With respect, MR claimed "save for a stupid diplomat that left Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was already cornered in Nigeria."

It was not a diplomat who transferred it from Lagos to Port Harcourt, it was clearly the doctor who transferred it and led to three others becoming infected.

He also said "an american deliberately brought it to Nigeria", but he was as you say Liberian, not American.

And he was an employee of ArcelorMittal, not a diplomat. http://allafrica.com/stories/201408120233.html

Patrick was of Liberian origin but American passport holder. his family still lives in Minnesota.

Arcelor mittal fired him, when his sister died of ebola and he chose at attend her funeral.

he further came to Nigeria under ECOWAS (similar to Euro passport or Asian), so was treated as a diplomat

"Patrick was of Liberian origin but American passport holder."

Fine, I accept that he might well have had dual-nationality, but he was also described in the cited source as ("The Liberian Government was aware that Patrick Sawyer, its citizen") a Liberian citizen, correct ?

"Arcelor mittal fired him"

The cited source only says that his employer "suspended him from work and isolated him after it became aware that he had contact with his sister who died of the virus on July 8." Quite right too, obviously the correct and cautious thing to do, as a responsible employer.

Also that "the employee is being monitored on a daily basis and will continue to do so for a period of 21 days. During this time the employee will be absent from work.", which suggests that perhaps he hadn't been fired, do you have a source for that ?

Then it says that "Patrick was submitted to the Ministry of Health for a medical observation and isolation and requested not to return to work until he had passed through the incubation period. He has not been at the Buchanan site or in any ArcelorMittal office since that time."

Why would the company request him not to return to work, until after he had passed the incubation period, unless he was still their employee ?

Perhaps a non-native speaker of English might confuse "suspended" with "fired" ?

"he further came to Nigeria under ECOWAS (similar to Euro passport or Asian), so was treated as a diplomat"

Whereas the cited source says only that "the Liberian Government, through its Deputy Finance Minister For Fiscal Affairs, Sebastian Muah, cleared Mr. Sawyer to travel to Nigeria for an ECOWAS convention in Calabar."

So he was merely attending an ECOWAS convention, not travelling as an official of ECOWAS, or a diplomat or official representing the Liberian government.

But I'd be happy if you can supply another source, suggesting otherwise ?

But to suggest that he was an American diplomat, stupid or otherwise, who "deliberately brought it to Nigeria", or that he was the primary source of infection "that left Lagos to Port Harcourt", was surely mistaken, on the evidence as it now stands ?

What really concerns me, and I suspect others, is that one part of the Liberian government deliberately allowed him to travel, while another supposedly had him "under isolation and observation for the deadly disease". And that the infection thus reached another country, where he died, but not before spreading the disease further.

Can it really be said that current precautions are sufficient, to prevent the further spread of Ebola, when such things can happen ?

Edited September 3, 2014 by Ricardo

[tifino]

yeah, look at'em, and how many it took to herd one getaway back to the hospital in 'somewhere' in W.Africa.

Bluddy fella was eeking out food - Wards are probably starving them to death in order to get it over and done more quickly

[chotthee]

I have the Ebola African woman don't infect Thai people.

[laocowboy2]

Even given the severity of the disease, its obvious lack of transmit-tent capability I would be confident of any country (Thailand included) to contain an outbreak relatively well..

Lack of 'transmit-tent' capability?? I think you need to read up on it a bit more.

With its flu like symptoms, people can transmit it before they know they've even got it. It's not as virulent as flu but kills a higher percentage of people that catch it.

Ability to transmit after infection depends on viral load - and the latter tends to be low until symptoms are readily apparent. So contact with say sweat or clothes in initial infection period is low risk. Actual exposure to blood (or probably sex) much more dangerous.

[BAMBOO13]

I would think that Thailand would think of banning people from the infected countries.

I am sure that Thailand could handle this , they have great hospitals!