Ebola is the new AIDs

[H20nly]

The media coverage has not been as hysterical as in the USA. So the debate is not as polarized as it is there. At the moment, Ebola is way down in the list of what people are worried / thinking about in South Africa.

In North Korea on the other hand it's the main worry in the media right now.

No, I'm not joking!

i was just going to reply to re:dream and say this doesn't surprise me at all... since your comment doesn't either Tom, it's a two for one.

@ re:dream what i was wondering about is the [roughly] general [public] consensus on the ACAS more so than the media.
in the states we have a lot of groups that like to speak up and talk at people when there is a problem. some of those groups have lost credibility due to the 'always there, always in your face' approach they take... i think it's a talking vs. doing mentality that begins to creep in as people recognize shit stirring eventually. so i was wondering if this group carries weight in your area.

[re:dream]

It's an American group of mostly American academics. So, no weight. Not here.

Posted it because I thought it was a sensible post.

[H20nly]

i agree with the sentiment of the statement. it's just kind of harsh (and i still agree) so i was wondering what/who is the ACAS from a relative perspective.

(i think) essentially you're saying it's just another group of disgruntled Americans on the subject of Africa. bummer. it would have been nice to think that they might sway someone and not be so easily tossed to the side by the powers that be.

the whole Ebola scare and the way the media treats it [in the states] is tragic. it puts emphasis on the reactive vs. proactive measures. i only use Facebook to talk to people back where i grew up... but just using that as a gauge it's easy to see how the fear mongering works. the fact that you have more chance of dying [instantly] on your commute to work doesn't worry anyone (they keep starting those engines up, texting, and applying make up), but you mention an infectious disease that 3 people in over 300 billion get and suddenly all these flapping heads are in an uproar scared for their lives.

[TomViolenz]

Yip. Odd.

The main strategy seems to be to place *all* foreign visitors under quarantine.

Both of them?!

[TomViolenz]

but you mention an infectious disease that 3 people in over 300 billion get and suddenly all these flapping heads are in an uproar scared for their lives.

Re: my post in the "Greatest Americans of our times" thread.
This up there on the other hand just lets me chuckle in disgust at "Home of the Brave"

[re:dream]

Yip. Odd.

The main strategy seems to be to place *all* foreign visitors under quarantine.

Both of them?!

[re:dream]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/21/world ... -says.html?

[perez.5]

Yes dear “dream” you are right that Ebola kills people too quickly. It is most deadly viruses of all time. I think poor public health systems are also responsible for its spread. We should take the precautions and follow all the rules to stay away from it.

[eyeknow]

AIDS is responsible for QUITE a few deaths in Africa alone. I'm willing to bet 10 bucks that AIDS has killed way more people in Africa alone than Ebola.

That said, we're all doomed!

[re:dream]

Ebola has killed just short of 10 000 peoplein Africa in the last year. HIV/Aids killed 1.1 million in the same period. That's one hundred people dead of HIV/AIDS for every 1 dead of Ebola.

That's the difference between a slow virus that spreads invisibly and takes years to manifest, versus a fast one that is not very contagious and kills within weeks.


HIV/AIDS death toll is dropping slowly but steadily. Ebola death toll is still rising alarmingly, though there is a flattening out in the number of new cases

Both dangerous, both stigmatized, both reported in the media in a very ignorant, fear-based way.

[TomViolenz]

versus a fast one that is not very contagious

I think Ebola is a lot more contagious than HIV.
With Ebola doctors and nurses have to wear hazmat suits and still often get infected because they touched a door knob or something.
While the whole : "You should't shake an AIDS patients hand" scare, is just bullshit

Both dangerous, both stigmatized, both reported in the media in a very ignorant, fear-based way.

well profit based media tends to do that, because fear is good for business

[re:dream]

True.

[re:dream]

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/sta ... -ebola/en/

http://apps.who.int/ebola/en/current-si ... 6-may-2015

So the outbreak has stopped in Liberia, new cases are steadily going down in Guinea and SL. No new health worker infections for almost a month.

It's not over yet, but we appear to be winning the battle. Despite hysterical fear mongering from Western media at first... And then simple apathy when it turned out it was not going to spread.

I wonder whether anyone will even take any notice when it is finally eradicated. I expect that it won't even be a story in European or American media.

[TomViolenz]

I wonder whether anyone will even take any notice when it is finally eradicated. I expect that it won't even be a story in European or American media.

What's that ebola thing you keep on mentioning here? I know Ricola, but ebola....musta slipped my attention

But then that's only fair, these uncaring Africans don't care about the German train company striking here yet again either

/s
(in case I need to spell that out )

[re:dream]

But then that's only fair, these uncaring Africans don't care about the German train company striking here yet again either

I dunno. Solidarität mit der GDL? any time.