What You Need To Know About Ebola…A Layman’s Guide
Hey guys, so I just finished a thread at Balloon Juice, where I answered some questions from commenters; you can check it out at this link:
Check it out and maybe your questions were answered. I hope so. If not, here’s my layman’s “What You Need To Know About Ebola” factoid.
Ok.
What you need to know about Ebola.
1) The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history. The outbreak is affecting multiple countries in West African. The first “travel-associated case of Ebola in US” was Mr Duncan which was confirmed by CDC. About 1/2 of the people who have gotten Ebola in this outbreak have died and although the risk of spreading it in the US is low, hospitals (let’s forget about Presby for a minute) along with the help of the CDC are taking precautions to make sure it doesn’t spread in the US.
2) A person infected with Ebola can’t spread the disease until symptoms appear. Time from exposure to when signs and symptoms appear (incubation period) is 2 to 21 days, but on average, they occur between 8-10 days from exposure. Signs of Ebola: fever (+101.5F), Symptoms of Ebola: severe headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising.
3) Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with blood and body fluids (urine, feces, saliva, vomit, sweat and semen) of a person with Ebola. Objects like needles that have been contaminated with blood/body fluids of Ebola patients can also spread the virus.
EBOLA IS NOT SPREAD THROUGH AIR, WATER OR FOOD.
4) If you some way have to be in contact with a person who is suspected of having Ebola, protect yourself. There is no FDA-Approved vaccine available. Experimental vaccines and treatments are under development, but they have not yet been fully tested for safety and effectiveness. DO wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. DO NOT touch blood or bodily fluids of people who are sick. DO NOT handle items that may have come in contact with sick person’s blood or body fluids. DO NOT touch the body of a person who has died of Ebola.