Ebola

[Katz25]

Well this is a scarey article about Ebola as of yesterday 9-14:

 

http://www.wired.com/2014/09/r0-ebola/

 

Also posted on this site:

 

http://madtownpreppers.blogspot.com/2014/09/stark-ebola-warning-act-now-or-regret.html

Edited September 16, 2014 by Katz25

[Cat]

 

When the CDC Tells Us to Prepare for the Ebola Pandemic, Things Are About to Get Real

 

Daisy Luther

The Organic Prepper

September 15th, 2014

Reader Views: 2,385

 

http://www.thedailysheeple.com/when-the-cdc-tells-us-to-prepare-for-the-ebola-pandemic-things-are-about-to-get-real_092014

[Mt_Rider]

Guess it's time to actually READ [....follow directions, etc ] that pdf from the CDC that BeccaAnne linked us to. I just sent it to DH ...

 

 

MtRider Face masks, surgical gloves, ingredients for hydration fluid, ......oye!

Edited September 16, 2014 by Mt_Rider

[Katz25]

Well the first one scared me, the second didn't make me feel any better! This phrase is what scared me, "In a worst-case hypothetical scenario, should the outbreak continue with recent trends, the case burden could gain an additional 77,181 to 277,124 cases by the end of 2014."

[Katz25]

Guess it's time to actually READ [....follow directions, etc ] that pdf from the CDC that BeccaAnne linked us to. I just sent it to DH ...

 

 

MtRider Face masks, surgical gloves, ingredients for hydration fluid, ......oye!

I'm going to print it out at work tomorrow. Thank you BeccaAnne!

[Jeepers]

Also, thanks to Cat for posting those two websites. Lots and lots of good info I need to read through and take notes.

 

 

Edited to add: Thanks to Katz too. I hit the post button too fast.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Jeepers

[Katz25]

Well I just keep coming up with all kinds of things to scare me to death. If I understand right a 6-Month, $4.9M Contract is being awarded to Phoenix Air for evacuation of Ebola patients.

 

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=dede7398603a794323675588fbd4609e&tab=core&_cview=0

 

You can read the contract.

[Becca_Anne]

Oh and one thing I would like to point out is that you need N100 masks for Ebola, N95 masks will not be good enough. This is not just in case it becomes airborne, it is in case droplets are on the mask, as the virus is .03 microns in size but if there are droplets spewed in the air virus will take a ride. Since vomiting is one symptom of ebola you can guarantee that there will be droplets. You can find them here http://www.amazon.com/3M-Particulate-Respirator-8233-N100/dp/B008MCV43K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410844946&sr=8-1&keywords=n100+respirator+mask

 

Coverallls like these will also be good to have. http://www.amazon.com/DuPont-TY122S-Disposable-Elastic-Coverall/dp/B0008F5HIM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410846852&sr=8-1&keywords=tyvek+coverall+suit

 

Not sure why the editor just cropped my post but with rubber boots and gloves taped to the coveralls and goggles over the eyes and a respirator all the entry portals into the body will be covered. You must decontaminate with bleach solution after coming out of the exposure area. You will need to have a plan for this.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Becca_Anne

[sassenach]

I was getting ready to go snooze for the night.......... and on my wall on FB comes this article by foxnews... says Obama will send 3000 military troops to deal with Ebola in Africa. ( I am a veteran. I understand about certain contingency plans to deal with disasters, getting wells set up for villagers in remote places........ earthquakes, my marine daughter in law went to Haiti for two months and helped with logistics.........k....... I get that , I really do. )

 

But this?????????? hmm boots on the ground that come home with symptoms ....... needless exposure....... it makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO ME. What????

 

 

[sassenach]

Thankyou for the tip on the N100 masks, I have to wait til next month but that will be something I definitely order and more gloves. I will make up some kits for some friends from what I order. going to prep for SIP too . this stuff is going to come here. Between that and ISIS showing up on our streets, anytime they like I guess........ hmmm , DIS BITES!

 

did not know n95 masks wont work for Ebola, although I do have one box of those at least. Its better than nothing.

[Mt_Rider]

What Sass mentioned in Shoutbox, I think:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/16/health/obama-ebola/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

 

 

snip...

Washington has committed more than $100 million to combat Ebola, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. Obama plans to call on Congress to approve an additional $88 million as part of a bill to fund the federal government.

Last week, USAID said it would spend $75 million to build treatment facilities and supply them with medical equipment. The Pentagon says it's working to shift $500 million of not yet obligated funds toward the Ebola effort.

Working through the Defense Department, the United States will plan and construct treatment centers that could house up to 1,700 additional beds. With a U.S. general leading the effort from Monrovia, American military personnel in the region could increase by 3,000, administration officials say, under the name Operation United Assistance. ...snip...

 

 

Hmmm....this could explain what DH heard yesterday about [not sure of number and don't have website] govt sending out for a contract for 160,000 hazmat suits?

 

 

Since this is fast becoming a global problem, perhaps plugging the dike before it floods everything is a good idea. The compassion factor is good too. But how soon can they possibly get these up and running?

 

 

WH press secretary passed along this perspective:

 

 

"Right now, the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is very low," he said, "but that risk would only increase if there were not a robust response on the part of the United States."

 

 

....considering all the insane things our tax money is spent on, I'm rather leaning toward this being a good idea. Worried though, that so much superstition and lack of knowledge of basic microbe science will hamper the effort. But not a reason to give up trying.

 

 

MtRider

[Becca_Anne]

I'd also like to put out there that for those who cannot afford these items, plastic bags can be used as a "hazmat" suit if you are very careful taping it on and then cutting it off to dispose of it. Chances are we will not need these items and spending too much can impede our abilities to prep in other areas. A N95 mask is still lightyears better than a bandana, and any disposable gown will be better than nothing. For now this is not airborne so all the portals of entry we are likely to expose are in the face, or through cuts. So gloves, biohazard bags (or biohazard tape with regular double bagged plastic bags to dispose of waste), bleach, rubber boots, and eye coverings are the most important protectors if this is ever in the US. All items you can re-use or re-purpose if nothing happens. IF all you have is being re-used and laundered then that is still much better than nothing as long as you have face protection and gloves and process the waste and contaminated laundry properly wearing PPE.

[Becca_Anne]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/opinion/what-were-afraid-to-say-about-ebola.html?referrer

 

The author of this article was on NPR this AM and is very knowledgable

[dogmom4]

My imagination is just running too wild with so much info coming out pretty much daily. Anyone thinking about how to handle a quarantine situation...such as dealing with pets...livestock...garden produce...if this was to go airborne? I though I read somewhere that animals (dogs?)could pass it on? Perhaps a scenario Mt. Rider? I shouldn't be reading this before going to bed...makes it impossible to sleep.

[Mt_Rider]

What if..... ...that can be arranged, Dogmom.

 

 

MtRider ....hey, don't forget to breathe, my friend

[Mt_Rider]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/opinion/what-were-afraid-to-say-about-ebola.html?referrer

 

The author of this article was on NPR this AM and is very knowledgable

 

 

 

Whoa....is this correct?

 

"Liberia has only 250 doctors left, for a population of four million."

 

This is the country targeted for the to-be-quickly-established treatment facilities under "Operation United Assistance".

 

 

MtRider God, protect the medical folks in these countries.

[Jeepers]

"14 Numbers That Show The Magnitude Of The World's Worst Ebola Outbreak"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/16/ebola-by-the-numbers_n_5818834.html?icid=maing-grid7|maing9|dl1|sec3_lnk3%26pLid%3D530620


The devastating effects of Ebola have been felt in West Africa for nearly six months, but the outbreak has become even more dire in recent weeks as death tolls surged and health officials warned of a potential worldwide disaster.

In an effort to contain the outbreak, the United States announced this week that it's sending thousands of military personnel to bolster the region's crippled health care systems. The plan is a major milestone in what has been an especially slow response to a rapidly spreading disease.

In order to highlight just how severe the medical crisis has become in West Africa, The WorldPost has collected some of the most revealing stats on the fight against Ebola.


2,400
The number of estimated Ebola deaths as of Sept. 12, 2014.


4,784
The total number of Ebola cases reported as of Sept. 12, 2014. Due to many unreported cases, this figure is thought to be less than the actual number of people infected with the virus.


2
The age of the Guinean boy who some researchers think may have been "patient zero" in the Ebola outbreak. Scientists believe humans originally caught the virus from a sick animal.


5
The number of West African nations that have reported cases of Ebola. A sixth nation, the Democratic Republic of Congo, has also suffered from an Ebola outbreak, although it is a different strain from the one that originated in Guinea.
ebola


12-18
The number of months that U.S. scientists predict the outbreak will last under current conditions.


20,000
The number of Ebola cases that the World Health Organization estimates could occur by the time the virus is contained. It should be noted, however, that these type of long-term projections are prone to uncertainties and can vary. A recent New York Times report says that researchers at various universities predict the number could be more like 20,000 in a single month.


12,750
The total number of health workers that the World Health Organization has called for in order to stem the outbreak and treat people infected with the virus.


3,000
The number of U.S. military personnel that the United States is expected to send to West Africa to assist in medical training, distribution of aid and the building of health care facilities.
ebola


$1,000,000,000
The estimated global resources needed for the next six months in the fight against Ebola, according to U.N. officials. This is a 10-fold increase from just a month ago, and is what the U.N. says is needed just to keep the outbreak contained to tens of thousands of people.


400,000
The number of home protective kits that the United States reportedly plans to distribute to the four West African nations most affected by the outbreak.


178
The number of days since the outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization by Guinea's health officials.
ebola


52 percent
The approximate fatality rate of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Given access to proper medical treatment, especially adequate fluid replacement, the fatality rate of the Ebola outbreak can be significantly lowered.


1,700
The number of beds that the new U.S. aid effort will reportedly aim to set up in Liberia, one of the hardest hit nations.


0
The number of beds currently available to treat Ebola patients in Liberia, according to World Health Organization director general Margaret Chan.

[Jeepers]

If you go to the link below be sure to check out the interactive map on the site!

 

Ebola crisis: Eight Ebola workers, journalists found dead after attack in Guinea; WHO says outbreak is accelerating
Updated 19 Sep 2014, 8:46pmFri 19 Sep 2014, 8:46pm


Eight people who were part of a team sent to educate villagers in Guinea about Ebola have been found dead after they were attacked by angry locals.

Guinean government spokesman Damantang Albert Camara said the discovery was made in a remote area in the south-east of the country.

"The eight bodies were found in the village latrine," he said. "Three of them had their throats slit."

Guinea's prime minister Mohamed Said Fofana had earlier said seven bodies of nine missing people had been found.

He said six people have been arrested following the incident, which took place on Tuesday in Wome.

Mr Fofana said the team included local administrators, two medical officers, a preacher and three accompanying journalists.

Guinean officials have vowed to hunt down anyone else involved in the killings.

"Everyone involved in these murders will be hunted down and brought before the courts to be sanctioned under the law," government spokesman Damantang Albert Camara said.

The area is close to the town of Nzerekore, in Guinea's southeast, where Ebola was first identified in March.

Since then the virus has killed some 2,630 people and infected at least 5,357 people, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Most of the deaths have been in Guinea, neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia. It has also spread to Senegal and Nigeria.


WHO says 'upward trend' in Ebola cases continues

The WHO said more than 700 new cases of Ebola have emerged in West Africa in just one week, showing the outbreak is accelerating.

An Australian doctor in Liberia says time is running out to stop the outbreak from spiralling out of control.

"The upward epidemic trend continues in the three countries that have widespread and intense transmission - Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone," the United Nations health agency said.

The WHO said a surge in Ebola in Liberia is being driven by a continued increase in the number of cases reported in the capital, Monrovia.

The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution declaring the outbreak a threat to world peace and security, and calling on countries to provide urgent aid.

The resolution was adopted unanimously after UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon warned that the number of Ebola infections was doubling every three weeks.

The UN is set to create a special mission to combat virus, deploying staff in the worst-affected states.


Sierra Leone begins three-day lockdown

Sierra Leone has been worst-hit by the virus and has begun a three-day nationwide lockdown aimed at eradicating the virus.

The government said extreme measures are needed to try to contain the outbreak, but many fear it will bring more hardship to a nation that is already one of the poorest on earth.

Critics have also questioned whether it will be effective.

Initially a plan to locate the ill, the government said the lockdown will now seek to make people aware of the risks of Ebola and what to do if a family member falls sick.

About 30,000 volunteers have trained for their dawn-to-dusk information campaign, with residents flocking to buy food and medicine before the lockdown starts.

Queues formed along streets as people stocked up on fuel.

Banks, which have already been operating reduced hours to limit infections, overflowed as clients withdrew cash.

Some say a few days of hardship are worth it if it can help stop Ebola's progress across the country.

"It's better to stay at home for three days, even 21 days, than to lose thousands of people in a single day," Freetown resident Mahawa Allieu said.

"It's very important, necessary and called for."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-19/ebola-workers-journalists-found-dead-after-attack-in-guinea/5754654

[Jeepers]

Aid organisation to refuse Ebola cash from Australia
September 17, 2014

An aid organisation has rejected the Abbott government's multimillion-dollar pledge to help fight the Ebola epidemic, saying more personnel and equipment are urgently needed instead.

Medecins Sans Frontieres Australia (Doctors Without Borders) says the $2.5 million offered on Wednesday would be better spent providing the same sort of logistical help as provided by military assistance in major disasters.

"Let's be very clear. It's not MSF's role nor should it be to substitute the responsibility of the Australian government or any other state in addressing this (epidemic)," MSF Australia executive director Paul McPhun told AAP.

"This money would be better spent providing capacity that Medecins Sans Frontieres and other NGOs cannot.

"Our teams have been overwhelmed for some time now, and are forced to turn away patients that are highly infectious. What is needed is a massive increase in personnel, equipment and logistical support."

The government has promised $2.5 million each for MSF and the World Health Organisation, and $2 million to the UK to help its efforts to combat the disease in Sierra Leone.

The extra money brings Australia's contribution to $8 million.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government was monitoring the outbreak in west Africa and more money could be committed if it worsened.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop warned Australian medical personnel in west Africa their home country did not have the capacity to evacuate them.

"We have advised any Australians that are working in west Africa to ensure their employer has evacuation and contingency plans in place," she said on Wednesday.

The Abbott government's announcement came just hours after US President Barack Obama called for a global response to the "out of control" epidemic.

MSF has described the response so far as "lethally inadequate".

"The emergency we're facing is not just an emergency of containing an Ebola epidemic," Mr McPhun said.

"This is also a massive public health emergency where health infrastructure has collapsed and thousands of people are dying now of non-communicable diseases over and above the Ebola emergency.

"Sooner or later it will not be contained."

The UN says nearly $US1 billion ($A1.08 billion) will be needed to stop the worst-ever outbreak of the disease, which has killed more than 2400 people in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The UN predicts 20,000 people could be infected by Ebola by the end of the year, while President Obama says the virus could infect hundreds of thousands if it's not stopped now.

Labor supported the government's increased contribution, but noted the Coalition had cut $118 million in aid to Africa in its first budget.

Medecins Sans Frontieres and Ebola

* Began intervention in west Africa in March 2014.

* Operating in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

* Runs five Ebola case management centres with a total capacity of 480 beds.

* Has admitted 2077 people, of whom 1038 tested positive for Ebola and 241 have recovered.


http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/aid-organisation-to-refuse-ebola-cash-from-australia-20140917-10ifd0.html

[saintsfan]

Ok, I didn't take time to read all the articles listed above... but because I work in a hospital, we have been given updates from time to time about outbreaks. One thing that has been stressed over and over is that ebola will be very limited in the US simply because of our level of hygiene. Yes, I know there are sections in this country where cleanliness is not practiced. The keys we were told were to keep clean. Especially washing our hands and a day doesn't go by where I haven't washed, alcohol'd my hands at least a dozen times. I noticed today at some eating establishments that they are requiring employees to not only wash their hands regularly, but are utilizing rubber gloves. As for how it spreads, I am not sure. Of course body fluid exposure is tops on the list. So, just keep up with the news (not mainstream of course) and make sure to have good, adequate cleaning supplies handy.

[Jeepers]

Good advise Saintsfan. I've noticed a few places the cashiers are wearing gloves. Odd places like Wal-Mart and K-Mart not food service places. Not very many, but when you see it, it draws your attention. I wondered if maybe they had a cut on their hand or something and were protecting it from germs? I didn't see any band-aids though. And about a month ago when I was going through the line at Wal-Mart, the cashier struck up a lengthy conversation about Ebola and she was very up to date on the news. She started the conversion. At that time they were talking about bring that doctor and volunteer over here to Atlanta and the border crossings were hot topics. Now I wonder if the service people (not only food prep) are being updated on their job about cleanliness and their safety.

[Mt_Rider]

Handling money would be a way to pass many things. Think of where money goes....in a pocket with our kleenex? I'd be wearing gloves as a cashier!

 

MtRider ....I know someone who irons paper bills and washes coins during bad flu seasons....just sayin'

[Jeepers]

Bolding mine.

 

Obama urges world to do more to tackle Ebola

 

Published September 25, 2014

 

President Barack Obama, in a chilling assessment of international efforts to stem a deadly Ebola outbreak, said the world has not done enough to respond to a health crisis that poses a growing threat to regional and global security.

 

"There is still a significant gap between where we are and where we need to be," Obama said Thursday in remarks to a high-level United Nations meeting on Ebola.

 

The crisis in West Africa is the largest ever outbreak of Ebola, with more than 6,200 people believed to have been sickened, almost half of whom have died. U.S. health officials have warned that the number of infected people could explode to at least 1.4 million by mid-January, though they have also cautioned that the totals could peak well below that if efforts to control the outbreak are ramped up.

 

Margaret Chan, director of the World Health Organization, addressed the Ebola meeting ahead of Obama and warned that the outbreak will likely get worse before it gets better. The virus, she said, is "still running ahead, jumping over everything we put in place to slow it down."

 

Obama has dispatched 3,000 U.S. troops to Liberia to set up facilities and form training teams to help the Africans treat Ebola victims. On Thursday, top lawmakers in Congress also approved the use of leftover Afghanistan war money to begin funding Obama's $1 billion request to help fight the outbreak.

 

While Obama touted U.S. contributions, he warned other nations that the U.S. does not have the capacity to fight the epidemic on its own.

 

"Everybody's got to move fast in order for us to make a difference," he said. "If we do, we'll save hundreds of thousands of lives."

 

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also urged world leaders to "step up" efforts to fight Ebola.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/09/25/obama-urges-world-to-do-more-to-tackle-ebola/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec3_lnk4%26pLid%3D535659

[Jakk]

I have tons of N95 masks but none of the N100. My husband works in a hospital and I'm so afraid of him bringing anything home. He came down with Dysentery a few years ago and the only thing he can think of was he was working in the ER and must have caught it there. He isn't even a healthcare worker, he is a computer tech. I don't know what kind of masks they will provide him at the hospital so I think i will pick up a few N100's for him. The N95 will have to do for the rest of us because I can't afford to stock the N100's. I literally have hundreds of N95's. I'm going to have to prioritize supplies as I'm not working and we are living on one income. A few years ago I was well prepared for pandemic flu, but this time around I'm finding many gaps in my supplies.

[Jeepers]

I'm right there with you Jakk. I have quite a few of N95 masks but not one N100. I suppose I'll order some on line next month but I'd only be able to afford 5-6. Every time I think I have one area of my preps done something else pops up.