The Hot Zone

[Jason Rayes]

Ehhhh...

Ebola would not be a problem in the west. For the most part we trust our medical professionals, and we're so scared of death that we give our corpses a very wide berth.

It's spreading in Africa because they're terrified, prefer to be sick while surrounded with family rather than in seclusion, and can't keep their hands off their dead.

Not to mention the whole lack of medical infrastructure.

It's one of those things where the cultural values are very much to blame for the epidemic. It'll sort itself one way or the other.

See my response above

 

[Gennadios]

See my response above

The thing is, Ebola's symptoms are far easier to catch than Mad Cow disease and it's not as virulent as any of the fancy new Flues.

It can be foiled with the basic contact precautions that every modern hospital has as standard policy.

It's about as contagious as scabies. How many non-homeless people in the developed world have scabies?

 

[Jason Rayes]

See my response above

The thing is, Ebola's symptoms are far easier to catch than Mad Cow disease and it's not as virulent as any of the fancy new Flues.

It can be foiled with the basic contact precautions that every modern hospital has as standard policy.

It's about as contagious as scabies. How many non-homeless people in the developed world have scabies?

A repulsive but hilarious example

 

[Vault101]

But then I also remember the WHO freaking its shit over the swine flu.

swine flu was only a risk to the young and elderly....if I recall

Not to dismiss anyone's fears, but you might want to look at the socio/cultural reason for the spread of the disease. In a 1st world country like the UK or the US, a quarantine is going to be somewhat easy to maintain should it spread to here. We know how to handle the bodies, we would have the right faculty, and so forth. However, because of how the society has shaped much of Africa, this isn't as easy there.
.

not to mention last night on the news I saw video footage of an ebola patient who had escaped and wandered into a local market in search of food...he had to be wrestled down by guys in hazmat suits....aside from possible negligence apparently patients weren't getting fed

..yeah pretty grim stuff