Hey! It's Ebola!
The sight of first world citizens agonizing over how they can "catch" Ebola is one I find sad, funny and frankly another indictment of the American educational system, at least when it comes to teaching science. I am also shaking my head because when Ebola "only" affected thousands of nameless and faceless people in Africa, when it was those "other" people who were getting sick and dying, Ebola didn't even crack the top 10 headlines here in the states (and there have been outbreaks on and off for years). Put one American doctor on a plane home, who contracted it doing extremely necessary work under appalling conditions in Africa, and what is it? Three other cases? And suddenly we want to douse people in Lysol before they go through customs. Don't get me started on the other stuff - that in Lsoto and other countries, aid workers and MSF workers, and people from a lot of other aid organizations have been attacked, run off, and in some cases killed, because the local people are convinced that Ebola is some government lie or witchcraft, or a way for their governments to kill them off. Just like very few headlines were made here when people in the Sudan and Darfur were dying in droves. Heck, even George Clooney could only generate so much interest in Darfur. I suspect the US government would have been in there with a significant presence if only there had been some large oil reserve under these countries; but there isn't, so after all, well, it's just a bunch of people "over there."
G-d forbid we think globally and more than five minutes ahead.
Ebola is a virus. When I was reading a lot about virology, millions of years ago, it was classified as a filovirus - if you look at them they are a long line with a short "shepherd's crook" at the end. It's nasty. At some point it's going to mutate, because that is what viruses do. If that mutation or mutations happen, could it become as easy to catch as the common cold? Sure.
But the important point is - that has not happened yet. And the current virus we're dealing with is not easy to contract. Like - it's You have to come in direct contact with blood and body fluids of an infected person AFTER their symptoms have developed. It's a hemorrhagic disease. And it really is horrible - Like its kissing cousin, Marburg, you sort of melt-down literally and your organs liquify. Yeh. Ugh.
So basically - if you are worried about Ebola in general, great - send some money to MSF or whoever you like, so they can deal with it in the field. If you're worrying about somebody sneezing it on you - just relax.
G-d forbid we think globally and more than five minutes ahead.
Ebola is a virus. When I was reading a lot about virology, millions of years ago, it was classified as a filovirus - if you look at them they are a long line with a short "shepherd's crook" at the end. It's nasty. At some point it's going to mutate, because that is what viruses do. If that mutation or mutations happen, could it become as easy to catch as the common cold? Sure.
But the important point is - that has not happened yet. And the current virus we're dealing with is not easy to contract. Like - it's You have to come in direct contact with blood and body fluids of an infected person AFTER their symptoms have developed. It's a hemorrhagic disease. And it really is horrible - Like its kissing cousin, Marburg, you sort of melt-down literally and your organs liquify. Yeh. Ugh.
So basically - if you are worried about Ebola in general, great - send some money to MSF or whoever you like, so they can deal with it in the field. If you're worrying about somebody sneezing it on you - just relax.