WEVE BECOME TOO USED TO THE TERM FAIR AND BALANCED... And just because Fox News uses that phrase as their tagline, it does not mean that whatever you hear on Fox News, you can take to the bank. Regardless of the trustworthiness weve come to expect and accept from Fox, we still have to be objective and draw our own conclusions and do our own homework - case in point, the issue of the Ebola virus. If you will recall, this virus is deadly - and that does not mean that all the precautions that are being taken by those transporting this victim, Dr. Kent Brantly, will keep it contained. Let me repeat; THIS VIRUS IS DEADLY! Lets look at some of the facts about this disease and you can decide for yourself whether or not you want to remain calm about the kindly doctor coming back to the United States with a highly contagious, to-date incurable, and 90% fatal disease. The latest outbreak of the Ebola virus in Africa is the deadliest in recorded history. It has killed at least 729 people since March and infected more than 1,000, including several Americans. The Ebola virus disease is a severe, contagious illness that damages the vascular system, causing bleeding and high fevers. It has a high fatality rate: from 60 to 90 percent. Doctors Without Borders said the disease, which has been raging for months, is totally out of control, and efforts to stop its spread have proved difficult. The Ebola virus causes severe bleeding and organ failure. Initial symptoms include fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. These symptoms are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, impaired kidney and liver function, and sometimes internal and external bleeding. (Not a pretty sight at all!) The disease is also difficult to detect in the early stages, as it shares symptoms with many other diseases. By the time the virus is detected, the infected person will be very sick and will likely have transmitted Ebola to other people. Once a patient is infected with Ebola, the incubation period is 4 to 16 days. The onset of disease is sudden, with fever, chills, headache, anorexia, and muscle pain. As the disease progresses, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, stomach pain, and diarrhea are common. Most patients develop severe hemorrhages, usually between days five and seven. Bleeding occurs from multiple sites, including the digestive tract, lungs, and gums. Death occurs within 7 to 16 days. Epidemics result from person-to-person contact within communities, families, and hospitals, or from inadvertent laboratory exposures. The means of infection and the natural ecology of these viruses are largely unknown. PRECAUTIONS: * Reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission from contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat. Animals should be handled with gloves and other appropriate protective clothing. Animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption. * Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission in the community arising from direct or close contact with infected patients, particularly with their bodily fluids. Close physical contact with Ebola patients should be avoided. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand washing is required after visiting patients in hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at home. * Communities affected by Ebola should inform the population about the nature of the disease and about outbreak containment measures, including burial of the dead. People who have died from Ebola should be promptly and safely buried. And while Im on the subject, just think of all the imports we have from the geographic location of the outbreak of this virus. Have we seen any precautions from the government in response to eliminating or controlling this fatal disease? Not lately... And what about identifying a victim? Its not like they have a large, flashing, neon sign on their foreheads that read: CAUTION: EBOLA VICTIM. On the contrary, and you wont hear that mentioned anywhere either. Really now; do you honestly believe the federal government suddenly sprouted wings and seeks to inform the general public about this disease? *psh*...Yea, right! 7 to 16 days?? Ive seen meningitis patients expire much the same way - and thats taking every precaution known to man and trying to treat the disease the best way possible...you win some; you lose some - and unfortunately with diseases, as is characteristic of most, you cannot predict how each case will run its course. You always have to treat, and wait and see. But with a deadly virus like Ebola now in our presence, how long do you think it will take before *woops* someone who had come in contact with the victim walks out of that hospital untreated, unnoticed, and (if the news gets wind of it) UNbroadcast? The media will try and downplay the situation should this take place; and in a worse case scenario, it wont be mentioned at all. So, considering just these few facts about this heretofore untreatable and nearly always fatal disease, are you still going to sit there and watch while the headlines that flash across the bottom of your television read EBOLA VIRUS NOT AS DEADLY AS SOME MEDICAL EXPERTS CLAIM ...? No known cure, and thus far only experimental treatments are being used - all that is being implemented now is just supportive therapy to control body temperature and blood pressure...because quite frankly, even the medical experts dont know where to go with this thing; just to keep the patient as comfortable as possible until the tall silent hooded figure with the bony finger and scythe shows up on the victims doorstep. Methinks this disease will run rampantly through the United States because of the ability of our media to quickly extinguish the fires of truth - and unfortunately the gullibility of most of us to believe that just because a news source has been correct in the past, will always remain a viable and trusted avenue for information. Well, if you really want to know; do the research yourselves and understand what we are honestly up against. In order to form an intelligent opinion, one must educate themselves. And more importantly, remember this: Ignorance of the facts does not make it go away...
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 19:21:22 +0000
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