Ebola virus outbreak MetallicaForever: This Ebola virus is threatening to kill more people in America, as it has already killed at least 4,500 people in Africa alone. We need to do something about this, or nobody will want to go outside. RUBY: there's so many deseases in this world that if we'd have to worry about them every min of the day we'll die just the thought of it I think best to do is just enjoy every min of our life Geoff: Ebola is far less contagious than influenza - it transfers only via bodily fluids. There is no recorded instance of a fluid-borne virus becoming air-borne, no matter what the panicmongers say. Influenza kills five times as many people each year as ebola has killed since it was discovered in the 1970s. Ebola is not going to wipe out humanity. Ebola is not going to result in a zombie apocalypse. Ebola is not a consequence of biological warfare. It's scary, because you don't die in a pleasant manner, but unless you live in a part of the world where it is prevalent, there's more chance of dying in a car crash than catching ebola. So don't worry about it. Geoff: Well - similar rate of infection (each person infected with it is likely to infect up to two other people - as opposed to a cold or the 'flu where they are likely to infect up to 20 others); and yes - like AIDS in that the reason it has spread in Africa so much is that there is insufficient infrastructure to deal with it. And it's helped along by superstition and ignorance, neither of which are helpful. MetallicaForever: Well Ebola started in Africa, and those are poor people. They carry diseases. What we need is for the president to ban all flight from and to Africa, then we wouldn't have to be worrying about this. dmajnoon: maybe if the world supported africa from being poor and giving them a better outlook in life. Geoff: The problem in the worst affected parts of Africa is that it is rife with internecine conflict and corruption. Geoff: Africa is a huge place - are you going to stop all travel to those parts where there is no trace of ebola? That would have a huge impact on international trade. What about people who have originated in Africa and then caught connecting flights from other places, how are you going to stop them? Geoff: Before judging your president so harshly, perhaps you should look into the consequences and difficulties of attempting to quarantine an entire continent. MetallicaForever: It's for the safety of the US. I don't want to get Ebola, over Obama being a fucking idiot. Geoff: -- Currently, fewer than 100 people enter the U.S. daily from Ebola-hit countries, Dr. Frieden said. Most are either U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, he said. About 70% come to six states, he said. New York is the most common destination, and Maryland is second. The other four states are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Georgia. Of 807 passengers from those countries who were screened at U.S. airports between Oct. 11 and Oct. 25, 46, or 5.7%, were health-care workers, he said. Even with the CDC’s guidance, states can follow their own policies except in specific situations, such as when the president declares a national emergency or the Department of Health and Human Services issues a public-health emergency. That occurred in 2009 over the H1N1 flu virus. -- Wall Street Journa; http://online.wsj.com/articles/federal-ebola-quarantine-guidelines-released-by-cdc-1414443143 | Off Topic Chat Room Similar Conversations |