In Douglas Adams wise words, DONT PANIC! Youve probably heard by now of the first confirmed case of Ebola in the States, at a hospital in Dallas, Texas, from an individual who travelled 4 days prior from Liberia. The main thing to remember here is that North America is very different from Africa in terms of resources available for treatment and patient isolation, and (in many places) the attitude toward advanced medicine. (Of course, it will be vital for people to shrug off the anti-medicine attitudes inherent in the anti-vaccination movement, for example.) There is no reason to panic, and the disease is highly unlikely to escape containment and spread as widely here as it has in Africa. For those living in the vicinity of the infected individual, some of the important things to remember are to try to limit extensive physical contact with people for a little while, or at least to keep track of who they come into contact with, to listen for updates, and to watch for potential symptoms. Thanks to hard working scientists at the Winnipeg Level 4 viral lab and other research centers, a vaccine is already in the making, and recent developments will undoubtedly stimulate rapid continued work on vaccines and treatments. In any case, now is certainly *not* the time for avoidance of advanced medicine on the basis of a distrust of pharmaceutical companies and the like. Regardless of the position to which people hold on the subject, there are times when it is most prudent to band together to eliminate a disease threat by the most effective means known, which is scientifically strongly supported treatment and prevention. cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/s930-ebola-confirmed-case.html
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 04:53:48 +0000
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