Ebola in the US

[JasonPratt]

Incidentally, Rainbow Six, like a few other Clancy story elements, is borrowed pretty directly from Don Pendleton novels about Mack Bolan the Executioner, specifically the first team-up novel between Bolan, the Phoenix Force (foreign anti-terrorist team whom Rainbow 6 is patterned after, with "John Clark" being a strong expy of Mack Bolan, who was involved in starting the team as John Phoenix) and Able Team (originally Vietnam A-Team expy with personal ties to Bolan, who started a private investigation company but were drafted into the Stony Man group to fight domestic terrorism) -- they all get together to stop a Malthusian cult dedicated to using an engineered virus to wipe out 99% of the human race, and have a big showdown at the cult's base in South America.

So credit where it's due: Pendleton (or rather his ghostwriter, maybe, though he's credited with it) wrote it first in Stony Man Doctrine.

Bolan and Stony Man Team novels are still being released several times a year, by the way, and Bradley Cooper was picked up earlier this year to play Mack Bolan in a forthcoming movie -- or so says Wikipedia; I hadn't heard of that yet. But my brother and I grew up reading the series, though I only ever really cared for the Phoenix Force branch, so when "John Clark" was introduced in Clancy's novels I picked up on who he was 'supposed  to be' pretty quickly. ;) (Ditto the Punisher, Marvel's expy of the character!) Though I was surprised how far Clancy eventually took it, with the Without Remorse and Rainbow 6 novels!

I dropped out of the Clancy series after The Teeth of the Tiger, which I never did read; I see the Ryanverse books have continued on into this year (next to be released in Dec), though now written by one of his collaborators of course.

[BanzaiCat]

I am convinced the two posts to support that terrible Ebola joke were only positive thanks to bouncing Asian breastiges.

But that's okay. I will sleep fine tonight.

[GDS_Starfury]

I told that joke at a party tonight and everyone loved it!
except the dipshit chick who never gets anything.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

I seriously hope people take this as a wakeup call to put funding into infectious disease containment over the stupid scan/ grope fiasco. Terrorists may kill a few people, infectious disease can wipe out large %ages of the world population. Emergency response really has to have it's shit together for flues and other nasties.

[GDS_Starfury]

a local radio host put it this way today an Im pretty hard pressed to not agree.

in the US last week there were 2 cases of ebola and one of them died.
how many people in the same geographic sphere died from the common flu in the same time period?
how many died from car accidents?
how many died from violent crime?

it might be true that more people died last week from an undiagnosed std like syphilis then died from ebola.

another great job by current news outlets.

[Toonces]

^ There are significant flaws in your argument, but I'm too drunk to point them out.  Something about Ebola being infectious, deadly to anyone who gets it, and with no known immunization or cure.  Something like that.

[GDS_Starfury]

[GDS_Starfury]

and Meg wasnt even wearing a big watch.

[MikeGER]

how many people in the same geographic sphere died from the common flu in the same time period?
how many died from car accidents?
how many died from violent crime?

against flu (the real flu not the 'cold') there is a preemptive vaccine-shot every autumn  ...but  a lot of people don't went for it, even when its free (like here)
car accidents don't spread, well ...violent crimes only when the critical mass 'of anarchy' is reached  ;)

let's shut down fast private travel options to/from those African countries
and never ever get a ill person for treatment on a plane and rest of world is safe (the UN + NGOs can set up shop down there for there in-country privileged staff) so the rest o world is safe ....until the virus may mutate or not

and stay away from cheap hookers who love to cater to far-traveling black boys ...the semen-fluid of Ebola survivors stays infectious for up to several month (test after 49 days was positive)   

[LongBlade]

how many people in the same geographic sphere died from the common flu in the same time period?
how many died from car accidents?
how many died from violent crime?

against flu (the real flu not the 'cold') there is a preemptive vaccine-shot every autumn  ...but  a lot of people don't went for it, even when its free (like here)
car accidents don't spread, well ...violent crimes only when the critical mass 'of anarchy' is reached  ;)

let's shut down fast private travel options to/from those African countries
and never ever get a ill person for treatment on a plane and rest of world is safe (the UN + NGOs can set up shop down there for there in-country privileged staff) so the rest o world is safe ....until the virus may mutate or not

and stay away from cheap hookers who love to cater to far-traveling black boys ...the semen-fluid of Ebola survivors stays infectious for up to several month (test after 49 days was positive)   

If this were a routine disease like the flu, I'd agree with you, Mike.

However, governments do not break out the hazmat suits for the common cold or the flu. Ebola is different.

The measures you cite sound good, but the guy who just died in TX demonstrated that what looks great on paper doesn't necessarily translate into a reality:

First, the guy reported to a hospital, advised them he was ill and from W Africa. They turned him away. Second, one of the first responders appears to have contracted it. Third, the ambulance that transported him wasn't sterilized until half a dozen more patients were transported in it.

Ebola is not "just another disease."

[Staggerwing]

I may be behind on the news reports but I was under the impression that only one other patient rode in that ambulance who is now in isolation and that no health care workers are sick after coming in contact with Duncan. The situation with the ambulance and nurse with Ebola seems to match what happened in Spain where there is also an Ebola patient (a priest returning from W. Africa) who recently died. It was the first reported Ebols incident in Europe and the ambulance used to transport the (later) deceased patient was used on (iirc) 7 more runs before being taken out of service.

[Staggerwing]

^Spoke too soon. Texas Dept of State Health Services just reported one of the folks who cared for patient Duncan has tested positive:

https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/news/releases/20141012.aspx

The nurse in Spain who cared for the priest from West Africa is still in serious condition but showing signs of improvement. Word is that the Spanish Gov't was able to procure a course of the very rare experimental anti-ebola drug ZMapp for her.

[LongBlade]

Saw that. The CDC says there was a "clear breach of protocol" when he handled the patient.

Problem is, we're a 1st world nation and that was a hospital which knew it was handling a potential case.

Human error, and the fact that some caregivers may not know what they're dealing with until too late is what makes this a huge potential problem.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Saw that. The CDC says there was a "clear breach of protocol" when he handled the patient.

Problem is, we're a 1st world nation and that was a hospital which knew it was handling a potential case.

Human error, and the fact that some caregivers may not know what they're dealing with until too late is what makes this a huge potential problem.

I agree. Even if it isn't, it is a practice run for the inevitable future outbreak of something.

[Labbug]

Something that is not really being discussed, is the possibility of an ebola virus reservoir being established in some animal species in the US.  It is believed that fruit bats are the largest reservoir in Africa; they are just carriers and not affected by the virus (there are five strains of the virus).  Primates do carry the virus but do become sick and die.  The virus has not been detected in a lot of animals, but has been detected in dogs, pigs and horses according to the information I have seen.  So is this something we should worry about?