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Why Airport Screening Won't Stop Ebola, The Economist Explains
Originally posted at The Economist,
Those who got sick, and there were many, developed large, dark blisters that oozed pus and blood. Later came fever and bloody vomiting. Long before Ebola, there was the Black Death, which killed millions in the 14th century. And as with Ebola, nervous officials tried to keep the sick from entering their cities. Venetian authorities held ships at bay for 40 days—hence the word quarantine—to check for infections. Still, the disease ravaged the republic. Today countries are screening air passengers arriving from the places affected by Ebola. Will these efforts prove more effective?
Ebola has killed more than 4,000 people, nearly all of them in west Africa. But the threat to countries outside the region became clear when a Liberian man, Thomas Duncan, was diagnosed with the disease in America. He probably contracted it while helping an infected woman in Liberia. He then hopped on a plane to America. Mr Duncan died in Dallas on October 8th, the same day American officials announced that travellers from the countries hardest hit by Ebola—Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone—would be questioned about their health, travel and contact with the sick, and have their temperatures taken at five large airports. Quarantine is an option for those suspected of being ill. A day later Britain announced that it would screen travellers from these countries at Heathrow and Gatwick airports (and two rail terminals). African and Asian countries have been screening air passengers for months, with some using infrared cameras to detect fevers. This is in addition to the screening of all departing air travellers in the affected countries.
Some governments are dusting off measures that were previously used to combat the spread of bird flu and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). But David Heymann, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says screening did not stop those diseases and it is unlikely to stop Ebola. Consider Mr Duncan, who did not have a fever when leaving Liberia, nor when landing in America. He only developed symptoms a week later. American officials admit that the new screening procedures would not have caught him. It can take up to 21 days for someone to show signs of Ebola. Passengers who wish to avoid quarantine, especially in African Ebola wards, or receive treatment in the West, may also lie. Mr Duncan did not tell Liberian officials that he had been in contact with the sick.
During the SARS outbreak, some air passengers took painkillers to reduce their temperatures. Others may not know that they are infected, and infrared scanners are not always reliable. "I would expect a handful of cases in the next few months," warned Sally Davies, Britain's chief medical officer, after the screening measures were announced.
Screening may at least calm people down, however. Notwithstanding the bungled effort to diagnose and treat Mr Duncan in Texas, where a health-care worker has also tested positive for the disease, developed countries are well-equipped to contain Ebola. The announcement of screening has focused minds. It is also a measured response—not as economically painful as a full travel ban, or as inconvenient as mass screening. But the best way to stop Ebola from spreading, say health experts, is to drain the reservoir of the disease, which means tackling it in west Africa. Doing that presents an entirely different set of challenges. When it comes to stopping Ebola, the rich world's self-interest aligns neatly with the needs of the developing world. But countries in a position to help have been slow to act.
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Quarantines for Black Death didn't work because they didn't know it was largely transmitted through fleas infecting seaborne rats.
Ebola is human to human. Inbound humans from hot zone areas can be quarantined for 21 days upon arrival in the US, where they can be treated if sick and restrict contagion.
More preferable than this fucking clown show currently on parade.
SARS 9% fatality rate
EBOLA 90% fatality rate
Ebola can be spread through sneezing, coughing, touching of bodily fluids etc. Depending on the environment it can survive on surfaces for as long as 72 hours. It is also present in sperm for up to 90 days. It has an incubation period of 2-21 days but some individuals have had longer incubation periods up to 28 days. It is even thought that there are carriers that exhibit NO SYMPTOMS yet can still transmit the virus (this has not been proven but some evidence points to this being a possibility) It can spread to pets and rodents and back to humans.
If a government agency says "no ebola is not airborne" all you have to to do is reference various pictures distributed by "reputable US news agencies" of US officials transporting known Ebola carriers WITH FULL SUITS EQUIPPED WITH RESPIRATORS.
Two US healthcare workers clearly took an abundance of caution knowing Duncan had Ebola....and still contracted it. In fact Ebola has disproportionately effected healthcare workers.
Obama said ISIS was Al Qaeda's JV team. Obama said my insurance premiums would go down. Obama says don't worry about Ebola.
Panic? Fuck Yes.
On Saturday prez 0bola said not to get caught up in ebola "hysteria." yeah, right.
Isn't it interesting that the CDC (center of disease confusion) "protocols" for dealing with ebola keep changing by the day?
One sneeze from an infected person indoors results in multiple surfaces covered with the ejecta not to mention every dust particle in the path of the ejecta.
re The Economist says screening wont stop Ebola... blah ... blah...
If The LOBOTomist is on board something, you just KNOW there's an "Establishment" agenda - no prizes for guessing what that is.
There ya have it.
The CDC is so feckless that we get our medical and scientific news from an economics journal.
I don't like this Ebola thing it sounds latinish. Ebolacola sunoco loco Fifi coco banana fana fo fans Hanna montana I wanna Lana in the Sana lakawanna Hanna bo bana
I think you are muey loco!
#Ebola
Ebola cruise ship ‘in utter panic’ as Mexico and Belize…
Passengers aboard the cruise ship at the centre of an Ebola scare are in a panic after being refused to dock at either Mexico or Belize, with one claiming “it’s like a floating petri dish.”
Latest:
http://tersee.com/#!q=ebola&t=text
"Out of an abundance of caution" ......... oh how TPTB are loving the unquestioned acceptance of that.
The best of the bad news in this media bonanza world seems to hit on the weekends. Sundays seem to be the favorite out of Saturday and Sunday.
What will it be today, if anything? A few more false alarm ebola sightings? A few real ones?
Or will we catch a break for once and have a peaceful Sunday in this new fear infested country.
Fear works.
No fear = danger to society.
We've got nothing to fear...but fear itself?
Not pain, not failure, not fatal tragedy?
Not the faulty units in this mad machinery?
Not the broken contacts in emotional chemistry?
With an iron fist in a velvet glove
We are sheltered under the gun
In the glory game on the power train
Thy kingdom's will be done
And the things that we fear are a weapon to be held against us...
Rush
The Weapon
SMOKE & MIRRORS
Why do you hire
Captain Solyndra kLAIN
He Is not back to cure OBOLA,or stop it.
Welcome to Global Warming REenergizer
"Stimulus Package" 2
He is back to setup the end run for global warming, which is a huge money laundering scheme moving money from the productive class of America to Democrat donor and the progressive's DNC's pockets.
Aint that right Mr.Po
All you need is paracetamol and you'd be through all screening.
Simple.
You want to stop Ebola?
Here's how:
Every person who catches Ebola gets a 9mm round in the back of the head.
Anyone caught hiding or helping somone with Ebola gets a 9mm in the back of the head, too.
Anyone with symptoms of possible Ebola gets scooped up, checked, and if positive, 9mm.
Turn in someone who has Ebola and you get a reward.
It's messy, but it cuts wayyyy down on the 70+ people requried per patient and cuts down on a lot of the exposure to the bug. All you need is 2-3 guys, a 9mm, maybe a paint tarp and some exposure gear + a bucket of bleach. It puts the onus on you to avoid sick people as much as possible, which is a good rule of thumb, anyway. Anyone with so much as a sniffle is likely to remain home, indoors, where they won't bother other people or spread their more mundane illnesses.
Sounds extreme, right? Well, someone got sick outside my office and puked and everyone panicked over potential illness. When that happens, it gets a lot more real than just reading headlines.