#filoviruses

[tallon-underworld]

You can fit so many deadly zoonotic filoviruses in this little guy

[thegoldfisharmy]

Infodump on Irken DNA in the fanfiction I'm working on, since I put way too much thought into this for lore that might not even make it into the fic

The need to conquer is literally in Irken DNA. That is to say, when removed from the species of origin, it behaves like a virus. If introduced to a host body, it begins to infiltrate host cells, studying their weaknesses, and then completely taking over the host body, re-purposing it for it's own needs.

It does this by disguising itself as a communication protein, allowing itself to be absorbed into the host cell. From there, it makes it's way into the cell nucleus, where it re-writes the genome to manipulate the cells to produce proteins they wouldn't otherwise. Proteins that create a more ideal environment for the invading Irken cells.

This is an adaptation developed alongside the species reliance on PAKs for survival, as a way for a part of the body to "survive" if separated from the mind (PAK) and destroyed.

In humans (aka Dib), being invaded by Irken genetics results in the emergence of Irken-like physical traits, such as discoloration of the skin and eyes, allergic reactions to hard water, and minor physical deformities.

Unlike Zim himself, his cells are extremely proficient at invading, making his blood extremely potent and quick-acting when infecting Dib.

This is largely inspired by real-life filoviruses, such as the Ebola Zaire, which is infamous for it's fast-acting and often-deadly symptoms; and current research being done into the use of genetically-modified retroviruses to treat genetic disorders and autoimmune diseases. I read The Hot Zone in middle school and I've had a fascination with viruses and epidemiology ever since. I highly recommend that book btw, it's a thriller based on the real-life stories of researchers dealing with the first Ebola outbreaks.

(I finally finished chapter 2 and I'm working on proofreading it right now and I'm going to be adding it onto the end of chapter 1 to assist with story flow. I'm so excited for chapter 3 man, that's the bit where Dib tries to murder Zim which is one of my favorite things I've ever written alongside the Jay and PIXAL interactions in my Ninjago fanfiction)

[sootyships]

🧸 for the cutesy selfship ask game !

My first instinct is to say "no", because I'm not attached to stuffed toys and I've never considered that any of my F/Os would be either, but that would be boring, so... I do actually have one IRL, and...

🧸 - do either of you have any stuffed animals? how does the other feel about them?

I have a stuffed giant ebola that I use to weird people out. (Wanna know something disgusting? Did you know that ebola, or maybe it was marburg, can cause [REDACTED] and then you might even [REDACTED]? EUGGHH JUST IMAGINE.) Whirl loves it. (Of course, he approves of the shenanigans.) He has no stuffies but he has a bajillion watches he works on.

Oh wait I can put it under a cut! CW: ⚠️ Horrible things that certain filoviruses may cause ⚠️

Ebola or marburg can cause the skin of a person's tongue to slough off and you might even end up swallowing the skin. Allegedly. Just imagine. I'm screaming internally in terror. For additional weirdness, imagine me telling you this with an utterly delighted grin.

[kramlabs]

They want you focused on Wuhan and China not Montana and DARPA

:

SARS cov-2 is a SARS1 bat vaccine:

[hyenaswine]

what's your disguising tropical disease book called 👀 it sounds interesting

THE HOT ZONE

it's primarily about ebola & its fellow filoviruses that cause very horrible hemorrhagic fevers, described in graphic detail

also i don't know if that's your typo or mine but PLEASE don't try to disguise your disgusting tropical disease, i'd say the book argues pretty vehemently against that

[mcatmemoranda]

Reviewing questions:

Tx for yersinia pestis (plague) = gentamicin 2 mg/kg

Yersinia pestis is a gram-negative coccobacillus that causes the plague. Early recognition and treatment of pneumonic plague is imperative as it carries a high mortality rate. Aminoglycosides are the first line agents for Y. pestis infections, with tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones being alternative agents. Antibiotic resistance does not appear to be common among isolates, but it is classically resistant to penicillins, ampicillin, and first-generation cephalosporins.

A gram stain often shows gram-negative coccobacilli. Wayson's stain (fuchsin-methylene blue and ethyl alcohol-phenol), shows bipolar staining often referred to as a "safety-pin" appearance. Its rapid disease progression, lethality, and ability to be transmitted by aerosolization have raised concerns about its potential use as a biological weapon. Such agents are deemed "Category A" agents by the Centers for Disease Control due to their high mortality and easy dissemination. Similar agents include Variola major (smallpox), Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism), Francisella tularensis (tularemia), Filoviruses (Ebola, Marburg), and Arenaviruses (Lassa, Junin, and related viruses).

There are 3 major clinical syndromes associated with Yersinia pestis: Bubonic plague - skin lesions at the site of flea bites that range from asymptomatic to necrotic lesions

Septicemic plague - a bubo might be present, associated with gastrointestinal symptoms developing into multiorgan failure.

Pneumonic plague - within hours-days from inhalation of infected droplets, patients present with sudden onset dyspnea, high fevers, pleuritic chest pain, and cough. This is rapidly fatal unless prompt antibiotics are given. Mortality rate is 100% if untreated, and 50% if treated.

Tx for anthrax = ciprofloxacin + clindamycin + anthrax immunoglobulin

Inhalational anthrax usually occurs in textile and tanning industries among workers handling contaminated animal wool, hair, and hides. Inhalational anthrax begins abruptly, usually 1 to 3 days (range, 1 to 60 days) after inhaling anthrax spores, which are 1 to 5 µm in diameter. The number of spores needed to cause inhalational anthrax varies. As evidenced by anthrax cases in the United States in 2001, fewer spores of weapon-grade anthrax may be required to cause inhalational anthrax. Patients with inhalational anthrax present initially with nonspecific symptoms, including a low-grade fever and an unproductive cough. They may report substernal discomfort early in the illness. After initial improvement, inhalational anthrax progresses rapidly, causing hemorrhagic mediastinitis and rapid clinical deterioration. The following symptoms may be present: high fever, severe shortness of breath, tachypnea, cyanosis, profuse diaphoresis, hematemesis, and chest pain, which may be severe enough to mimic acute myocardial infarction. Treatment of inhalational anthrax without meningitis includes ciprofloxacin plus clindamycin plus anthrax immunoglobulin or raxibacumab.

Bottom Line: Raxibacumab is a human monoclonal antibody intended for the prophylaxis and treatment of inhaled anthrax. A common therapeutic combination is raxibacumab plus ciprofloxacin, which are given intravenously. Antibiotics are usually taken for 60 days by people who have been exposed to anthrax, because it can take spores that long to germinate. Septicemic anthrax refers to overwhelming infection by anthrax bacilli. This form of anthrax may complicate inhalational anthrax. The anthrax bacilli multiply in the blood and proliferate to outnumber red blood cells. Another name for anthrax is black blood, which refers to the very dark color of the blood of animals or humans with overwhelming septicemic anthrax. Because humans are relatively resistant to invasion by Bacillus anthracis, most cases of septicemic anthrax occur following inhalational anthrax. The number of organisms released from the liver or spleen into the bloodstream overwhelms host defenses and produces massive amounts of lethal toxin that cause shock and death.

It is believed that amniotic fluid embolism causes a catastrophic inflammatory response to various substances within the amniotic fluid when it enters the maternal circulation. It usually occurs during labor or in the immediate postpartum period, although it can theoretically occur any time during pregnancy when there is a potential exposure (ie, trauma).

Amniotic fluid embolism can cause sudden, rapid cardiopulmonary collapse and DIC, often leading to complete cardiopulmonary arrest. The presentation is variable, depending on the amount of exposure, and can include hypotension, dyspnea, hemorrhage, altered mental status, pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest, and death.

There is no definitive diagnostic test. Rather, the diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion and exclusion of other causes. Treatment is entirely supportive and includes cardiac life support, pressors, blood products, oxygen, airway support, and cesarean section, depending on the timing and status of the fetus. The mortality is widely variable, but severe cases have high rates of mortality and long-term sequelae.

Pulmonary artery hypertension is often treated with prostaglandins, such as epoprostenol.

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: OklahomaStateU.InfectiousDiseaseDynamics

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: OklahomaStateU.InfectiousDiseaseDynamics > Date: 14 February 2024 at 06:43:00 GMT > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > Post doctoral position in statistical modelling of infectious disease > dynamics > > The Stephens lab at Oklahoma State University (Stillwater OK) has > a post-doctoral position to create statistical models of large scale > infectious disease dynamics available. The position will involve comparing > and contrasting the influence of eco-environmental factors (e.g., > temperature, rainfall, mammalian host diversity) and socioeconomic factors > (e.g., human population density, poverty, health care infrastructure) on > infectious disease outbreak risk and outcomes. Specific projects include > variation in realized case numbers of COVID-19 and other respiratory > disease in Oklahoma, and outbreaks of filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg) > in sub-Saharan Africa. > > I am looking for individuals with proficiency in R, statistical modelling > (especially ensemble machine learning methods like boosted regression > trees), and GIS. The starting salary will be $58,000, which is enough > to live quite well here in Stillwater. You can find the formal job > description here: > > https://ift.tt/kpgKs9Q > > Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions. > > To apply, please submit a cover letter addressing why you are interested > in the position and think you are a good fit, a CV, one representative > publication, and contact info (phone and email) for three references > to Patrick Stephens (patrick.stephens@okstate.edu). > > Please include your name and the name of the position (i.e., > "Statistical Modelling of Infectious Disease Dynamics: LASTNAME") > in the e-mail header. > > Patrick R Stephens > Assistant Professor > Department of Integrative Biology > 420 Life Sciences West > Oklahoma State University > Stillwater, OK 74078 > > "Stephens, Patrick"

[heepthecheep]

Oof even though I'm not the biggest fan of apocalypse/post apocalypse stories I'm having brain rot for this one idea I had....

Basically, in the 1930s, there was a massive break out of a filovirus disease. Because there was a very poor understanding of viruses and an even poorer, if not entirely non-existent, understanding of filoviruses, this virus rises to pandemic levels. It infects humans, but maybe it has the ability to jump to other mammals as well? Like, not over night, but maybe eventually there'd be a strain that infects cattle, or a strain that infects horses, or something. The virus also seems to linger, in the soil, in the water, again, in ways that the people of this time couldn't understand.

So a lot of people die. Infact, it would seem that most people died from this disease. Of course, there are several places where this disease didn't kill everyone.

Four generations after the initial outbreak of the disease, there are several small communities that eek out an existence for themselves. Because of the break down of any sort of mass or quick communication, these settlements genuinely believe that they are the last people left on earth.

First, there is a settlement deep in the mountains of Appalachia. They were remote when the pandemic began, and protected themselves by enforcing strict boundaries and physical borders. These people are deeply religious and superstitious. From this group comes "Johnny"

Another group lives in what was once coal mines, that they've converted the mines into a space somewhat habitable for humans. They've also expanded these mines. These people fled underground during the pandemic, and have kept themselves somewhat healthy by avoiding the aboveground. I think it would be neat to explore how they made food and resources, and what exactly their culture got up too. I think they'd be somewhat...impersonal? Like, purely utilitarian, to the point where they avoid close relationships, and only have intercourse to reproduce? Anyways, "Eve" is from this group.

Finally, there's a scattered group of people that lives in what remains of human buildings and homes. These people protect themselves by staying far apart from each other, only communicating through systems of messages that they invent. Children are raised by a single parent, a person who has proven themselves to be an efficient member of the community, until they are eventually left alone to care for themselves. From this group comes "Anne"

Anyways, for there own reasons, each of these people leave the group that they were raised in, and find each other. Something happens, like maybe they have to go and find a cure? Or uncover government plans for a vaccine? Or something idk. I'm just fond of these kiddos owo.

Uhh.... Pennsylvania hopeful post apocalypse story

[worstlovesong]

Hey besties my filovirus hyperfixation is back momentarily at the fault of my microbiology class so I will be rewatching The Hot Zone and also shitposting about Marburg far too much

[oqulis]

Y’all I’m,,,,

[nasa]

Ever wanted to ask a NASA astronaut a question? Here’s your chance!

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins will be taking your questions in an Answer Time session on Thursday, October 17 from 12pm - 1pm ET here on NASA’s Tumblr! Find out what it’s like to live and work 254 miles above our planet’s surface. Make sure to ask your question now by visiting http://nasa.tumblr.com/ask!

Dr. Kate Rubins was selected in 2009 as one of nine members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. During her first spaceflight from July - October 2016 as a member of the Expedition 49 and 50 crew, Dr. Rubins made history by becoming the first person to sequence DNA in space. She also worked on the Heart Cells Experiment which studied how heart muscle tissues contract, grow and change in microgravity. Before becoming a NASA astronaut, Dr. Rubins worked with some of the world’s most dangerous pathogens, heading 14 researchers studying viral diseases that primarily affect Central and West Africa. 

Dr. Kate Rubins Fun Facts

Dr. Rubins and colleagues developed the first model of smallpox infection.

She conducted her undergraduate research on HIV-1 integration in the Infectious Diseases Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. 

She conducted research on filoviruses (Ebola and Marburg), Arenaviruses (Lassa Fever) and collaborative projects with the U.S. Army to develop therapies for Ebola and Lassa viruses. 

She has logged 115 days in space and 12 hours and 46 minutes of spacewalk time.

She enjoys running, cycling, swimming, flying, scuba diving and reading. 

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com. 

[warcrimesimulator]

I've been saying that the Nipah and Hendra viruses (Henipaviruses) are dangerous and overlooked. SARS and COVID-19 are probably among the least deadly viruses that can be spread to humans via bats. And then at your most dangerous you've got filoviruses like the Ebola and Marburg viruses.

COVID-19 was handled fucking terribly in many countries around the world- I don't think anybody is ready for something significantly more deadly.

[sukifans]

Hi!! I'm avoiding actually working because I don't like my job and I'm down to learn ebola facts!!

What actually is it? And how bad are the symptoms? -🍓

okay uhh GENERAL CW for lots of gross death and disease stuff (my fave)

oh now you’ve gone and done it lol. okay so basically it’s a family of viruses called filoviruses: threadlike chains of proteins that look like spaghetti under an electron microscope. they are rna viruses and contain only 7 different proteins and at the time of this book being written (1994), three of them were vaguely understood and other four were completely unknown. so far they’ve found marburg, ebola sudan, ebola zaire, and ebola reston. ebola reston is asymptomatic in humans and broke out in a facility in reston, va in 1989 where monkeys are shipped in from asia and africa and then are sent out to research centers around the country. marburg, sudan, and zaire are all highly lethal in humans—about 30%, 50%, and 90% fatality rates respectively. luckily for us, the known strains of ebola seem to bd pretty hard to catch (ie they are not known to be airborne, only infectious when contaminated fluids come into contact with a person’s blood, open skin, or mucous membranes). ebola reston seemed to be transmissible via air droplets, based on what happened with the monkeys, but it didn’t cause illness in humans.

here’s a basic overview of how the viruses attack cells: they can penetrate the cell membrane and use the cell’s machinery to replicate itself (viruses cannot “live” without a host). ebola replicates itself to form “bricks” of virus in inclusion bodies, until the cell gets so packed with virus that it bursts and releases the pathogen to other cells. some viruses are specialized to certain cell types—red blood cells, lung tissue cells, intestinal cells, etc, but ebola targets basically everything, which is why it’s so devastating. zaire attacks every organ and tissue except skeletal muscle and bone.

the symptoms are basically the result of the virus liquifying you from the inside out, turning all your cells into viral-loaded mush. it usually starts out with some flulike symptoms like headache/fatigue/backache which escalate into vomiting, bodyache, and fever. then people’s faces tend to go “expressionless” with droopy eyelids and red eyes and the pain in the abdomen and muscles intensifies. the skin becomes jaundiced due to liver damage and a spotty red rash that starts to spread all over the body due to hemorrhaging under the skin. personalities often start to change as clots start to throw in the brain and cause damage. small clots that started in blood vessels all over the body are causing the blood to thicken and stick to vessel walls. this causes bigger clots and can cut off blood supply to cause dead spots in organs and skin tissue (the hemorrhage rash). the virus destroys collagen and connective tissue so the skin and organ walls start to go soft and mushy. the skin basically sags off the body, and the red rash turns into massive bruises

then, the real fun of “hemorrhagic fever” begins—the patient starts to bleed from every opening in the body, which can even include weeping blood and bleeding around the teeth and salivary glands. the problem is, the bleeding continues without clotting, almost as in hemophilia, because all the clotting factors have been exhausted at the massive clots around the body. at this point, the patient is now throwing up “black vomit” which is a mix of fresh blood and black granules of old blood. in this process, the linings of the windpipe, throat, and surface of the tongue can be sloughed off and vomited up. the intestinal lining is also sloughed off with large amounts of blood out the anus. this is the “crash” stage of ebola—at this point the patient is nearly braindead from clots cutting off oxygen to the brain (more pronounced in ebola infections vs marburg and can cause grand mal seizures) and the heart muscles has been softened to the point where blood leaks into the chambers and floods the chest cavity. often the patient is killed from blood loss and shock due to the crash, or can go into a coma or suffer a heart attack. basically, ya dead

autopsies of ebola victims are pretty brutal. the organs look like they belong to someone who was basically walking dead—a corpse a few hours old can look as if the person died days before. the abdominal cavity is filled with blood, the organs are mush, and there are necrotic spots all over the tissue from the blood clots. not fun!! nasty stuff!!

i bought his newer book about the 2013-2014 outbreaks that we all probably remember and i’m excited to read it bc all this info is from the 90s and i wanna know what new stuff has been found out while i also go find free copies of journal articles lol

[peruditemae]

Ebola Virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) which is caused by Filoviruses.4 According Mbonye et al., the Ebola virus is contagious through direct contact 4– there was a physical contact between an infected and a susceptible person.1 The Ebola virus received its name from it’s origin, the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo.3 This goes for the other subspecies of the Ebola virus. For example, in Mbonye et al.’s 2012 report on the Ebola case in Uganda, they discovered the Ebola virus contained four subspecies of viruses that came from Sudan, Zaire, Bundibugyo, and Ivory Coast. This deadly virus was discovered in 1976, as it swept through African cities,2 infecting and killing hundreds of people. A major Ebola epidemic occurred in 2014, affecting several countries in West Africa.2 

It takes 2 to 21 days for symptoms of the Ebola virus to occur.9  Some symptoms of the Ebola virus include “high fever, headache, muscle ache, abdominal pain, tiredness, and diarrhea.8” These symptoms occur within a few days after the disease affected the person. Some people have also reported to experience bloody diarrhea and vomit blood. Recovery is possible at this stage.8 However, for most infected persons, the “disease progresses within days to produce copious internal bleeding, shock, and death.8” Unfortunately, there is no definite cure for the Ebola virus,8 however there are proper prevention techniques that health ministries promote and follow to control epidemics such as this. 

The Ebola virus can be transmitted sexually, however, there is a much more need in surveillance data and research for this particular topic, specifically on “the prevalence of viable and transmissible virus in semen over time.9” WHO recommended that male survivors of the Ebola virus should use condoms during sexual intercourse “until their semen has been twice tested negative” for the virus.9 The testing should be offered over a course of two months after onset of disease. If the results were tested positive, testing should be after every month until results are tested twice as negative.9 According to the WHO Advisory Group on the Ebola Virus Disease Response and ongoing research, male survivors should not only practice safe sex for “12 months from onset of their symptoms or until their semen tests negative twice for Ebola virus,9”  but to also implement safe hygienic practices into their everyday routines.9 This includes good hand and personal hygiene– immediately and thoroughly washing hands with soap and water when come into contact with semen, including after masturbation.9 Additionally, handling and disposing condoms in a safe matter can help prevent transmission of the virus.9    

There are other prevention and control techniques for the Ebola virus. These prevention techniques include early diagnosis to prevent the transmission of the disease, isolating and caring for patients that have the disease, “infection control”, practising safe burial procedures, meticulous contact tracing, and targeted vaccination.7 Another prevention and control techniques include limiting human contact with wildlife. Since fruit bats and monkeys/apes are considered to be the primary source of the Ebola virus,3  precautionary measures should take place such as wearing appropriate protective gear (i.e. gloves), when handling animals, or cooking animal products thoroughly prior to consumption.9  As stated, the Ebola virus is contagious through direct contact with infected people, particularly their bodily fluids.9  Therefore, wearing appropriate protective accessories are required when caring for infected patients, along with practicing personal hygiene.9  

There has been a recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On 8th May, 2018, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo reported an Ebola outbreak that has occured in Équateur Province.7 It was reported that this Ebola virus case contains five subspecies– Zaire, Bundibugyo, Sudan, Reston, and Taï Forest.7 Out of all of these subspecies, the Zaire stream is considered to be the most fatal, accounting for 69% to 88% of fatalities.7 This isn’t the first case of the Ebola virus that has occurred in the DRC; in 1976, the government recorded eight cases of the Ebola virus; in May, 2017, there were eight cases with four deaths. Most of these outbreaks occurred in remote rural areas.7 When an Ebola virus occurs in remote rural areas, the virus is reported to rapidly spread among susceptible persons.6 These remote rural areas include Bikoro and Iboko which are closely located to the Congo River.6 According to Nkengasong and Onyebujoh, this river “serves the two neighbouring countries of the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo…6” Due to the river’s relevance among these two countries, the virus can easily spread to susceptible persons as it is a gateway for the disease to travel to other countries. This then contributes to the Ebola virus epidemic.

In 2018, the first four Ebola virus cases have occured in the capital city of the Équateur province. The city has an estimated populations of 1-2 million residents,6 making it a breeding ground for the virus. If not controlled, the virus will put others at risk. There have been 11,310 deaths reported during the 2014-16 Ebola virus outbreak in west Africa.6 This demonstrates how rapid the transmission of the Ebola virus can take place within neighbouring countries. This is the first time that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government and health ministries have approached this issue in an urban city.6 The DRC government and its partners have been developing and establishing special procedures to control this outbreak.

At the end of April, 2018, the Provincial Health Division of the Équateur Province reported and informed national authorities of “21 cases of potential haemorrhagic fever, including 17 deaths in the Ikoko-Impenge health area.5” On 5 May, diseases experts identified five possible cases: “A blood sample was taken from each individual, two who were hospitalized in Bikoro and three at the health centre of Iboko.5” It was reported that two of the samples were positive of the Ebola virus.5 Because of these results, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government and its partners took on procedures that were stated earlier. 

To reiterate, the prevention and control procedure of the Ebola virus includes the following: early diagnosis, isolating and caring for patients, infection prevention, safe burials, contact tracing, and vaccination 5.  As vaccination is highlighted as one of the prevention and control procedures for the Ebola virus, in 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that vaccination is effective and safe for prevention for a Zaire ebola virus outbreak 5. As stated, the Zaire ebola virus is the most fatal stream,7 hence the need for vaccination for this particular virus. This vaccine has proved itself during the fall of the Zaire Ebola Virus Outbreak (EBOV) epidemic in Guinea in 2015 and the rise of the disease in rural Guinea in 2016.5  This vaccination is called rVSV-ZEBOV, which was part of an experiment with 11,841 associates during 2015.9 The experiment was directed by WHO, along with Guinea’s Ministry of Health, Médecins sans Frontieres and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, accompanied by other partners world-wide. For 10 days or more, they documented 5837 people who received the vaccine in which no Ebola cases were found.9 They compared these results with those who were not vaccinated. The results showed that “there were 23 cases 10 days or more after vaccination…9”

With the alliance of the World Health Organization (WHO), The Democratic Republic of Congo has set up a vaccination ring programme to control the Ebola virus.6 The programme is using a Merck-produced vaccine, to which it will be the first time a vaccine has been used outside of West Africa in 2014-2016.6  This vaccine is being utilized as an international approach for active relief of an outbreak,  however, there are controversies relating to redistributing this vaccine, which includes ethical, equitable, and accessible considerations.6 

Although many prevention and control techniques have been employed for this outbreak, many gaps still remain when establishing an extensive response to this crisis: the DRC’s long history of conflict, particularly in their economy and politics, has resulted in a feeble health system.6 This all can be fixed if effective leadership can take place within the Government of the DRC.6 Regarding this, international financial, human, and material assistance to the DRC are essential for an effective response.6 Without proper leadership, there is no end to this outbreak. Furthermore, there has been logistical challenges when transporting health supplies and workers to designated areas. These challenges include non-commercial flights and inaccessible roads to affected areas.6 Although the World Health Assembly has proclaimed financial and material support for the DRC, it is not yet evident that the DRC has fully received these commitments.6

References

1. Michelle Letchumanan. Public health in the context of infectious disease. 2018.

2. Schneider M. Introduction to public health. 5th ed. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC; 2016.

3. Seven important facts about ebola virus and ebola disease: Every person should know [homepage on the Internet]. . 2015 6 January. Available from: https://microbeonline.com/seven-important-facts-ebola-virus-ebola-disease-every-person-know/.

4. Mbonye A, Wamala J, Winyi-Kaboyo, Tugumizemo V, Aceng J, Makumbi I. Repeated outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers in uganda. Afr Health Sci. 2012 December 01; 12(4): 579-583. PMCID: PMC3598306.

5. Mbala Kingebeni P, Villabona-Arenas C, Vidal N, Likofata J. Rapid confirmation of the zaire ebola virus in the outbreak of the equateur province in the democratic republic of congo: Implications for public health interventions. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2018.

6. Nkengasong JN, Onyebujoh P. Response to the ebola virus disease outbreak in the democratic republic of the congo. The Lancet. 2018; 391(10138): 2395-2398.

7. Barry A, Ahuka-Mundeke S, Ali Ahmed Y, Allarangar Y, Anoko J, Archer BN, Aruna Abedi A, Bagaria J, Belizaire MRD, Bhatia S, Bokenge T, Bruni E, Cori A, Dabire E, Diallo AM, Diallo B, Donnelly CA, Dorigatti I, Dorji TC, Escobar Corado Waeber, Aura Rocio, Fall IS, Ferguson NM, FitzJohn RG, Folefack Tengomo GL, Formenty PBH, Forna A, Fortin A, Garske T, Gaythorpe KA, Gurry C, Hamblion E, Harouna Djingarey M, Haskew C, Hugonnet SAL, Imai N, Impouma B, Kabongo G, Kalenga OI, Kibangou E, Lee TM, Lukoya CO, Ly O, Makiala-Mandanda S, Mamba A, Mbala-Kingebeni P, Mboussou FFR, Mlanda T, Mondonge Makuma V, Morgan O, Mujinga Mulumba A, Mukadi Kakoni P, Mukadi-Bamuleka D, Muyembe J, Bathé NT, Ndumbi Ngamala P, Ngom R, Ngoy G, Nouvellet P, Nsio J, Ousman KB, Peron E, Polonsky JA, Ryan MJ, Touré A, Towner R, Tshapenda G, Van De Weerdt R, Van Kerkhove M, Wendland A, Yao NKM, Yoti Z, Yuma E, Kalambayi Kabamba G, Lukwesa Mwati, Jean de Dieu, Mbuy G, Lubula L, Mutombo A, Mavila O, Lay Y, Kitenge E. Outbreak of ebola virus disease in the democratic republic of the congo, April–May, 2018: An epidemiological study. The Lancet. 2018.

8. Hoyle B. Ebola virus. In: Lerner KL, Lerner BW, editors. The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. 5th ed. ed. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale; 2014.

9. Ebola virus disease [homepage on the Internet]. . 2018 12 February. Available from: http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ebola-virus-disease.

[dreamlordmorpheus]

is this what the kids call hip

[goldkirk]

If I remember correctly, you did a post about the Corona virus relatively recently. So I was wondering, considering the amount of increased confirmed cases and news going on and on and on about it potentially being a global pandemic/being in the throes of the start of a pandemic. Is this just more fear mongering? Or is this something to actually start worrying about. I'm assuming it's just more fear mongering?

So for future reference, I am typing my answer to this ask on Friday, February 28, 2020, and everything I state here is as up to date as possible with the information we have TODAY. I can’t predict the future, unfortunately, lol.

Hi anon!!! Sorry it took me a bit longer than expected to answer. Let’s just quickly cover a few facts really quick, for anyone who hasn’t been able to keep up with all the updates and research on their own.

First: What’s a pandemic, really? That’s a scary word. And in movies, games, books, etc., it’s been hyped up to be a super big deal. But is it as scary as we feel like it is? What’s the difference between a pandemic and epidemic?

An epidemic is a sudden increase in cases of a certain illness/disease across a certain area. I.e., the epidemic of Ebola in west Africa that suddenly started in 2014.

A pandemic is a sudden increase in cases of a certain illness/disease that is spread across several nations or continents. So it’s just an epidemic that’s happening at the same time in lots of places—or, more accurately, a global epidemic. Technically, this happens literally every year, twice, during each hemisphere’s cold and flu season. We just don’t particularly notice or care unless a strain of a flu has cropped up that’s worse than usual.

So! COVID-19, as a quick recap for anyone who’s been busy, not paying attention, or just plain confused or overwhelmed, is a fancy-pants new virus that’s starting to circulate around the world. It’s not new, period, it’s just new to human beings. We didn’t used to get it, someone got infected in Wuhan and is now the index case for this whole shebang, and the virus made a successful jump from its animal host species (we think bats) to the human species. Hooray for it, not so hooray for us. We’ve got, like, a bajillion viruses already, give us a BREAK. 

Anyway. Recapping. So, COVID-19 is the SEVENTH coronavirus (that’s one of many, many types of virus “families” in the world—like rhinoviruses, which cause a lot of annoying colds, or filoviruses, which are shaped like fibers, like threads or spaghetti, and include Ebola) that has now been known to infect human beings. One is the virus that causes SARS, one is the virus that causes MERS, one is this new COVID-19, and FOUR cause nothing more than common colds.

The United States CDC has three criteria for something being a pandemic. It has to spread between people (duh), it has to kill, and it has to spread worldwide. Since the virus, at my last check, has cropped up with at least one case in each of 38 (39?) countries, you’d think the CDC would just call it already, right?

But it’s not quite so simple. First, there is no global 100% agreed upon criteria for what defines a pandemic, officially, so different places are going to call it at slightly different times. The World Health Organization (WHO) is essentially the big guiding hand behind situations like this, and so far, they’ve continued to make the decision at the end of every day NOT to declare COVID-19 a pandemic.

Why?

Because once you bring in the P-word, officially, a LOT of shit goes down. It’s like when alarms go off on a Star Trek spaceship. Stations have to be manned, alarms have to be checked, protocols suddenly have to be changed, schedules and normal business get thrown out the window, lives are interrupted. So if the alarms are going to go off and disrupt things, they’d better darn well be necessary, and not a false alarm because of faulty wiring or the new ensign down in engineering.

Countries and organizations like the WHO have pandemic plans that activate once one is declared. These plans have specific rules and procedures that have to be followed that people agreed on and wrote down and planned out in the past. They put together strategies that, in the event of a big influenza pandemic like in the early 1900s, or a global Ebola pandemic, or a resurgence of tuberculosis, or WHATEVER, should keep things from going completely awful and give people the best possible chance of stopping the pandemic, or at least making it less bad before it runs its course.

These plans cost money. They shift resources. They change schedules, they change rules, they require workplace and lifestyle changes, they have the potential to disrupt a lot of areas of life and government. It’s for good cause, sure! But it’s still a Big Deal. And we have to be sure that it’s a real Big Deal before we start the machines in motion. And in addition to all that, these plans attack pandemics from certain angles, right, but not every virus or pandemic is the same. So if you put a country’s pandemic plan into motion, but it’s a response that isn’t the most helpful in presenting the spread of THIS particular pathogen and instead makes it even EASIER for it to infect certain populations, then you’ve done something WRONG, haven’t you?

Bottom line is: it’s complicated. I’m glad I’m not one of the people having to evaluate this every day and make decisions.

Now, addressing your question about all the hullaballoo—is it worth actually worrying about? Is it just the news fearmongering and getting people stirred up for views, and people getting their communities freaked out because the information is new and unknown and stressful?

Yes and no.

Yes, all the news sites and stations are doing a terrible job of covering this. They’re sensationalizing EVERYTHING, and even if you know all the facts and are calm about it before watching a news segment, by the end of the news segment you end up feeling stressed out just because they’re so intense about everything they’re saying. It’s not like they’re lying about the facts, but they’re presenting them in fear-inducing ways because that’s what grabs and maintains the attention of viewers. Same thing happens when bad weather is coming, we know the drill, but this is NEW and different and we need to know what’s going to HAPPEN NEXT! That’s how human brains work.

The best thing to do is ONLY get information from trusted sources. The WHO is one. There are several science websites that have been doing a good job reporting facts and experts ONLY, although their not updating as often as the news sites (of course). Doctor Mike on YouTube has made a couple good videos so far, several days apart, covering facts and information you should know and explaining about being Alert and Not Anxious. As I’m typing this, he’s currently filming the newest coronavirus video, which I’m guessing will be up today or tomorrow? It’s been several days since his last one, so I’m glad he’s updating again, because his videos are such a good one-stop-shop for verified and sourced information.

This virus is not world-ending. It’s mostly only truly dangerous to certain sub-populations, like the elderly and immunocompromised. (Babies, however, are apparently not often doing badly when they catch it, so that’s a win!) At its very worst, it appears to be a SARS-like illness, but most of the time it’s not that bad. And we don’t even have numbers in on how many people catch it and either never get symptoms or only experience a mild enough illness they don’t seek treatment. While trends do matter, the numbers we’re seeing are a) changing every day, and b) not very reliable. Different places track numbers at different intervals, using different methods. An average death rate that is high in one place will skew the entire global average when things are tallied together. Populations aren’t being separated when we talk about survivors and deceased—a situation where, say, 70% of the elderly and already ill who catch it die, but only 0.027% of the general healthy population does??? That’s a HUGE DIFFERENCE. But if they’re all tallied together, numbers get thrown off and we don’t see the picture clearly. Also, in places like China, where the health system is overwhelmed with people right now, care isn’t going to be the same quality that it is in a place like the US, where there are under 100 cases still and we have So Many hospitals all over.

So there’s a lot going into this situation, and things are changing every day. We’re definitely going to keep seeing an increasing number of cases outside of China, and we’re going to see more cases crop up where it’s difficult or impossible to determine where someone caught it. For every person who comes down with it like that, we have to assume an R0 of some number that this epidemic’s math modelers are guessing for now. R0 is the number of people that person will infect, essentially, assuming that everyone around them IS infect-able (which all humans are, right now—no one has natural immunity to this specific virus). 

But this is not going to be the end of the world, even if it becomes a full-blown pandemic, which it very well might. Most people who get it will be fine. Some won’t, but they’ll be a minority, and if you’re generally healthy and catch it, you don’t need to panic. In general, for both COVID-19 and the usual cold and flu season going on, don’t share food or drinks, wash your hands well, use hand sanitizer, don’t touch around your mouth, nose, or eyes, get enough sleep, stay hydrated and fed, and if you’re sick, stay home! Rest so you can get better faster and so that you don’t infect others.

The fear is very overblown. COVID-19 is a threat, but it’s a threat the world is going to handle just fine when all is said and done. If things do go the pandemic-declaration route, there will be some disruptions and lifestyle changes in some areas, and business will be affected for sure, but we’re not going to all die and the world is not going to fall apart. It’s okay. It’s best if everyone just stops checking news sites and hashtags at all and only gets information from the actual sources, rather than from an emotional filter that wants your attention more than it wants to keep you calmly informed and aware.

I hope this helps, anon! Don’t worry much. Just keep practicing good hygiene, be mindful of people around you, look out for friends and family who have crappy immune systems, and keep living your life just fine! Things are going to be okay in the end.