Ebola

[KateLMead]

Should we fly back here people from infected areas where Ebola is rife? I am in a quandary, some say yes! Some say no.
We are a small Island, if this Ebola is triggered off here the population does not stand a chance, and with the massive population it could spread like wildfire, the Royal Free that has hundreds of other patients could also be put at risk, we have just one isolation unit suitable in UK. And let us not forget the legals and ILLEGALS who enter this country from Africa and other areas infected in Africa..
We have little protection from this terrible scourge that can be likened to The a Black Death.
A child from Africa has been taken violently ill on a flight to UK and has been hospitalised, the passengers had to stand for over two house
On the runway.
I hate to be the one who brings up these subjects and others that are depressing to some I am sure, however I would like to
Know what others think.

[pederito1]

Definitely not bring any non-national from W.Africa here for treatment and those arriving legally or otherwise should be quarantined. Lets hope the antibody based drug can be produced quickly and in large quantities. In previous outbreaks the human to human transmission has seen the virus weaken and become self limiting, lets hope too the same can happen now.

[Workingman]

The man, a nurse, was doing one of the most noble things in volunteering to put himself in danger in order to help save others, so, yes, we should help him. At the same time we must remain vigilant at the borders and try to identify those who might be, or become, infected.

Ebola is not an airborne virus like flu, so the chances of it running wild in the UK are very low; and most large hospitals do have isolation wards to contain infectious patients.

What I find well OTT is the news that the man is to be kept in a special unit "The only one of its kind in Europe". It plays to our fears, and some will see it as a sign that the UK can only treat one person at a time. It is nonsense.

Look at the pictures from W. Africa. Patients are being treated in multiple occupancy wards isolated by nothing more than an impermeable tent over each bed; and survival rates are increasing. It is those treating them who are in full protective gear and who have to pass through a decontamination unit when entering or leaving the ward.

[TheOstrich]

No, we should not have brought him back here. The decision was crazy. Who sanctioned it?

And to cap it all, to the Royal Free in North London? Why not Porton Down?

Do we really trust the NHS to keep this virus at bay and out of the general population? I don't. Viruses mutate, you know .....

[cromwell]

Volunteering to help fight Ebola is Africa is noble, bringing an Ebola sufferer back to the UK is extremely risky if there is no cure. But, an American Ebola sufferer has made a full recovery thanks to new drugs, so there is hope amongst the danger.

[Aggers]

It is my opinion that we in this once safe haven called England are all at great risk .

And I don't mean just from Ebola.

[KateLMead]

You are right Aggers.. Immigration is out of control, latest ploy is the French are going out of their way in Calais to accommodate illegals until they can get to UK even advising them how to apply for citizenship. Governments are and always have been Not Fit For Purpose, we are hoodwinked expecting into believing their crap. Those a fighting to get here are not the problem via Calais, but flights into UK do present a big one. We can only await the outcome and hope for the best...

[Kaz]

No, we should not have brought him back here. The decision was crazy. Who sanctioned it?

And to cap it all, to the Royal Free in North London? Why not Porton Down?

Do we really trust the NHS to keep this virus at bay and out of the general population? I don't. Viruses mutate, you know .....

This

[Workingman]

I see the Media has done its job of frightening the living daylights out of everyone.

The latest outbreak of Ebola is the worst on record, and it is spreading by the day; all of which is true. There have been 2,127 reported cases and 1,145 deaths, that is about a 54% kill rate.

However, all of this has happened over a period of six months in Ebola's own back yard, the Tropics, where conditions are optimal for its spread. It is an area about the size of the UK and with a population of 20 million. There is little infrastructure, except in the towns, and there are not many towns. Sanitation is poor, even where it exists, so is hygiene; and some cultural practices help to promote the spread. Medical facilities are few and far between.

It is light-years away from how it would be dealt with in the UK.

[KateLMead]

Let us hope you are right Frank. Didn't a fellow come in who was suspected of having Ebola a couple of weeks ago quarantined for a few days, turned out to be a false alarm.
I admire those volunteers working with infected people in such terrible conditions, but sadly I think we will have a lot more of those individuals being stricken with this terrible disease, and that this is probably the beginning of those who are unfortunate enough to be stricken with Ebola being returned to the UK to the Royal a Free.