Saturday 4 October 2014

The stuff they say about Ebola - Half way through

I promise I am half way through the cortege and the forecourt already holds a lot of stuff we didn't
really know about. It has been fun, but overall fulfilling to read so much and such variety of opinions about this hot topic Ebola. Because it's Saturday and TV will be flooded with cooking shows, I will follow the same tendency and present you with a nice two-dish menu where "spicy" is definitely the dominant note. Welcome to the scientific gourmet of the stuff they say about Ebola.

Ebola could reach the U.S. by the end of this month [Access here]

"There is an 18 percent chance that a case of the Ebola virus will reach the United States by the end of September, according to a study published on Tuesday in PLOS Currents: Outbreaks. Despite restrictions reducing travel in and out of the infected countries by 80 percent, the study, which analyzes global flight patterns, suggests that a case of Ebola in the U.S. is becoming increasingly harder to avoid. It also lists the chance of the virus reaching the United Kingdom between 25 and 28 percent."

"Yes, ebola could reach America in the next four weeks. I could also get hit by a cement truck this morning or have my building commandeered by some Muslim extremists. Ebola is a serious disease, but lets not panic over the possibilities."

"I don't think it is about panic. I think it's about trying to get the American public, which is often preoccupied with trivia, to take note. I have been watching the numbers since the outbreak started, and the disease is increasing exponentially. Not our problem TODAY! However, the world has moved very slowly on this. The article would suggest that we get out of ourselves, and push OUR government to get more involved IMMEDIATELY! True enough, if it came here, we MIGHT control it quickly. However...anyone reading this want to volunteer to be one of the hand-full that do get it? It's not a joke!"

WHO: Fight Ebola Now, Solve Patent Issues Later [Access here]

“At the end, when the Ebola outbreak will fortunately be terminated, there will need to be discussions with the owners of the patents and the manufacturers who are making these products to see how they can be made available at appropriate and affordable cost to the populations who need them,” she added."

"The expert consultation also concluded that in addition to blood therapies and candidate vaccines, it is worth considering “the availability and evidence supporting the use of novel therapeutic drugs, including monoclonal antibodies, RNA-based drugs, and small anti-viral molecules,” as well as the potential use of existing drugs approved for other diseases, according to the statement."

Lesson #6 - Action or Reaction (if you prefer) is already taking place. Panic is never an educated response to anything.

Image taken from bloglovin', [http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/post/1673193/3522599011]

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