Is Ebola making you think twice about travel?
Oct 9, 2014, 8:53 pm
#46
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...and stupid jokes start to fly around already...
Oct 9, 2014, 9:20 pm
#47
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Oct 9, 2014, 9:31 pm
#48
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Oct 9, 2014, 9:55 pm
#49
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This is certainly what the medical community is saying. Which is why I'm watching what happens with the victim's family in Dallas and the husband of the nurse's aide in Madrid. If those families don't contract ebola, you can see that the risk of an epidemic outside of Africa is exceedingly small (even if they do get it, the risk of an epidemic is still small, but stricter procedures would be advisable).
I'm particularly concerned about the Dallas family due to the seeming incompetence of the hospital staff in sending the victim home when he first reported with the ebola symptoms. Logic suggests he might have been contagious during that time he returned to the apartment. So if that family doesn't contract ebola, it's incredibly unlikely that anyone who has mere "casual contact" with an ebola victim would catch the disease in the developed world.
I'm particularly concerned about the Dallas family due to the seeming incompetence of the hospital staff in sending the victim home when he first reported with the ebola symptoms. Logic suggests he might have been contagious during that time he returned to the apartment. So if that family doesn't contract ebola, it's incredibly unlikely that anyone who has mere "casual contact" with an ebola victim would catch the disease in the developed world.
Oct 9, 2014, 10:10 pm
#50
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Yeah, there was a massive screw-up but, knock-wood, the family seems to be OK. The doctors say that most people who get the disease show symptoms within 8 to 10 days. The family's last exposure to him was Sept. 28 -- 11 days ago. In theory, the incubation period can be as long as 21 days, so they're not out-of-the-woods, but this is obviously very encouraging. And if what is said about transmission is true, there seems to be very little risk of anyone else in Dallas now getting ebola.
Oct 9, 2014, 10:26 pm
#51
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There is no case in Australia. Ms. Kovack tested negative for Ebola.
As for Macedonia, I understand samples were sent to Germany for testing. I do not believe there are reported results yet.
This is a caregivers' disease. It is difficult to transmit. Children touch everything and seldom get it. I was reading the various headlines regarding the Australian nurse ..."Nurse With Suspected Ebola Hospitalized" is certainly far more attention-getting (and fear-inducing) than "Nurse Tested for Ebola."
As to the question, I'm not changing my travel plans. In fact, my son is a virologist who works with Ebola. I will continue to see him as often as I can.
As for Macedonia, I understand samples were sent to Germany for testing. I do not believe there are reported results yet.
This is a caregivers' disease. It is difficult to transmit. Children touch everything and seldom get it. I was reading the various headlines regarding the Australian nurse ..."Nurse With Suspected Ebola Hospitalized" is certainly far more attention-getting (and fear-inducing) than "Nurse Tested for Ebola."
As to the question, I'm not changing my travel plans. In fact, my son is a virologist who works with Ebola. I will continue to see him as often as I can.
Oct 9, 2014, 11:29 pm
#52
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Surely the most logical place to do any screening is in BRU, even if it only catches people who have managed to fly at exactly the time they are showing symptoms.
Oct 9, 2014, 11:46 pm
#53
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I've just returned from a work trip to Kenya an Rwanda. I laughed when people (yes, more than 1!) asked me if I wasn't afraid of going because of Ebola, given the distances and all. I have to admit though, that the endless Ebola prevention ads on DSTV started to make me paranoid - particularly the warning that Ebola can be passed through contact with sweat. Though that just meant I was more careful than usual about washing hands regularly, good practice regardless.
I think more interesting here, though, are the measures I observed at the four African airports I passed through: At NBO and MOI they have voluntary hand sanitation stations set up outside the controlled areas (literally on the curb at NBO). At KGL they have contact-less thermometer checks on entry (I wondered what would happen if I happened to have a fever). At ADD (transit only) I didn't see anything at all.
I think more interesting here, though, are the measures I observed at the four African airports I passed through: At NBO and MOI they have voluntary hand sanitation stations set up outside the controlled areas (literally on the curb at NBO). At KGL they have contact-less thermometer checks on entry (I wondered what would happen if I happened to have a fever). At ADD (transit only) I didn't see anything at all.
Oct 10, 2014, 12:17 am
#54
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no... the risk is way too small to be concerned about at this point in time. When people start dying like flies all around the US then I will start getting concerned but my thought is that we are never going to see that day so let's all relax. 1 or 2 people dying in a population of 400 million? c'mon now... I think more people are dying crossing the road than from Ebola at this point in time!!!
EVEN in West Africa, the absolute number of people relative to the overall population is quite small... infact I have plans to go to Africa next year and I am least concerned...what concerns me more is Malaria not Ebola!!
EVEN in West Africa, the absolute number of people relative to the overall population is quite small... infact I have plans to go to Africa next year and I am least concerned...what concerns me more is Malaria not Ebola!!
Last edited by k374; Oct 10, 2014 at 12:23 am
Oct 10, 2014, 4:30 am
#56
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It hasn't changed my plans to go to Venice next week. But I wouldn't travel to an infected country and would check what my travel insurance has to say about cancelling due to an epidemic before committing to any more travel. I'm not very worried about ebola as it is, but if it mutates things could get rather nasty.
Oct 10, 2014, 5:30 am
#57
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I pretty much echo most of the thread. I'm not worried about it and it won't change my travels. My only concern is the possible overreaction at airports and with the traveling public.
Oct 10, 2014, 5:57 am
#58
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It's obviously natural to worry about this, but the epidemiologists says it's quite improbable that ebola will mutate into something "nastier," like the capacity for airborne transmission. It's apparently not structured like influenza.
Oct 10, 2014, 6:40 am
#59
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