# Ebola Facts - Data Sheet



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Ebola virus - Pathogen Safety Data Sheets

If you read through this data sheet, you will see that Ebola has already been in the U.S. - two outbreaks from infected monkeys from the Phillipines. And yes, your alcohol based hand gel will kill it, as will bleach and a variety of other disinfectants.

Personally, I am much more comfortable with a known human case being transported and treated in isolated containment, rather than infected monkeys coming in which could be transported to who knows where - maybe to your local zoo, pet shop, or black market dealer.


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## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> Ebola virus - Pathogen Safety Data Sheets
> 
> If you read through this data sheet, you will see that Ebola has already been in the U.S. - two outbreaks from infected monkeys from the Phillipines. And yes, your alcohol based hand gel will kill it, as will bleach and a variety of other disinfectants.
> 
> Personally, I am much more comfortable with a known human case being transported and treated in isolated containment, rather than infected monkeys coming in which could be transported to who knows where - maybe to your local zoo, pet shop, or black market dealer.


What is your thoughts on this particular strain,seeing that it is not the Zaire strain?This strain has been reported (I forget where,as i've read up so much on ebola in the last couple days on so many different sites that my head is spinning,lol) to be only 97% of a strain that we are familiar with,but the medical professionals don't know what is different about the "other 3%" mutation.

I value your expertise on this,however,several statements you've made are contradicted more than once though.Two of them being the direct contact-i've read from several sources saying that a sneeze can "atomize" and travel quite far,keeping the particals/droplets suspended for a good while (I do understand that larger droplets will fall out of the air faster than smaller atomized ones).

And second-contact time.I've also read that contaminated fluids can stay infectious on surfaces even long after they have dried (i've read everywhere from a short time frame of an hour or two to staying active for days,including up to a couple weeks.

Just this morning Dr.Sanjay Gupta has announced that he believes this will go "world wide".

Oh yeah,I almost forgot,it's also been posted on several sites that this strain is or can be resistant to alcohol based sanitizers and that bleach and chlorine are the the preferred methods for sterilizing.

I too am less concerned overall with these cases being isolated and in a controlled enviroment,but as long a the human factor is still involved,I can also see where errors and misjudgments can be the most concerning issues that I personally fear.I guess i'm saying that the Drs. over there (the two dead ones and the two sick ones) used all precautions as well,but they still contracted it.However,I do agree that their risk was much higher since they dealt with it on a daily basis and in under less than ideal conditions.

Can you shed some light on these issues?Do you think we are getting worked up over nothing really,or is there a major concern for staying up to date and staying on the side of caution?


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

I would like to point out that a Doctor, who is an expert on treating the virus, is the one who was flown into Atlanta to be treated from catching the disease. It would seem that either he failed to take proper precautions, or just maybe it is easier to catch then many have thought.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

Sharkbait said:


> What is your thoughts on this particular strain,seeing that it is not the Zaire strain?This strain has been reported (I forget where,as i've read up so much on ebola in the last couple days on so many different sites that my head is spinning,lol) to be only 97% of a strain that we are familiar with,but the medical professionals don't know what is different about the "other 3%" mutation.
> 
> I value your expertise on this,however,several statements you've made are contradicted more than once though.Two of them being the direct contact-i've read from several sources saying that a sneeze can "atomize" and travel quite far,keeping the particals/droplets suspended for a good while (I do understand that larger droplets will fall out of the air faster than smaller atomized ones).
> 
> ...


Hand santizers do not kill this or many other viruses. they may reduce the number of them left on your hands but they are not killed. only soap and water hand washing or bleach will kill them.

this is the same thing I posted a few days ago that shows the disease lasts several days on surfaces and can still be a viable threat. Sneezing does cause the disease to spread due to droplets. 
As I keep saying, this is nothing to take lightly. Not to make people panic and be paranoid about it, but the time to make changes and prevent the spread is now.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

I admit that I am not researching this particular strain, just commenting on Ebola in general. I am not going to panic. As a working nurse, I may eventually have to care for patients with Ebola. I will take all precautions that are recommended and required. I do believe that there was obviously some breech in the isolation precautions that enabled the health care workers to become infected. But it still must be put in perspective that they were caring for highly infective patients, 24/7.

This huge outbreak has made all the headlines, for sure, and creates a lot of fear because it is something new to us. There was just as much hoopla about West Nile Virus when it hit the shores of North America. People still die from WNV but no one seems to be in a panic like they were initially. Like I've said before, influenza kills about 40,000 in the US alone each year, but many people don't even take the precaution of vaccination. Hepatitis C is epidemic in the US, and can remain viable in a dried state for days. There is no vaccine, is highly virulent (much more than Hep B or HIV) and is the etiology for most liver transplants. But who is talking about it? Familiarity breeds ambivalence.

Hand washing is the single most important measure for preventing just about any type of communicable disease. I believe 100% that handwashing is a survival skill in any situation. Social isolation is also an importtant measure. Airborne droplets cannot be underestimated, and I would be very concerned if an Ebola patient was coughing, regardless of what anyone says. That is just plain common sense, but we should be equally cautious about being around anyone who is infected with anything and coughing. How will you know when the avian flu mutates to human-human transmission until people start dying? (Mutated avian or any highly virulent flu strain are my biggest concerns.)

I do not want to give the impression that I am minimizing the horror of Ebola. It is terrible. But.... I do not believe the controlled evacuation of the healthcare workers poses a threat to the public. If I was that worried, I would never go outside my house and certainly would not be a nurse. We may indeed see an Ebola outbreak in the US, but I think it will be from infected people coming here in_ uncontrolled _ways and then coming down with symptoms. The symptoms could look like any number of diseases at first, and this is also a big concern - a lot of exposure before diagnosis. They will show up at a busy ER, have Xrays done, have blood drawn, be examined, and sent home with a prescription, all before anyone really knows what is going on. Our hospital is now asking patients about recent travel history, so that is at least a step in the right direction.

Bottom line - am I going to stay in my house because of this? No. Do I stay away from public malls, crowded areas, and daytime WalMart between Thanksgiving and NewYears - YES. But I do that anyway, just because I know that so many people are congregating during those months, and many of them are incubating colds and flu. (I also think that would be a likely time and location for a terrorist attack - whether a dirty bomb or a wacko with gun). I will continue washing my hands and using standard precautions for infections of any sort.

I hope that answers some of your questions, Sharkbait. I am not trying to minimize or give any kind of false information. I just don't think there is a need for panic over this at this time. If anything, use it as a wakeup call to reactivate good hygiene measures. There will most likely be other, severe pandemics in our future, and this is a good time to think through our processes and procedures for protecting ourselves.


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## Prepper Nurse (Jul 26, 2014)

RNPrepper, I really how you presented the big picture, and your example of West Nile Virus is an excellent one. I think there's a lot of shock factor happening. For so long we've heard about the horror stories of Ebola that we confined to a 3rd world continent. It shakes our core feelings of security. I remember SARS having a similar impact in Ontario. We had MANY health care provider deaths in Toronto due to the increased communicability of the airborne SARS virus, resulting from people travelling to Asia and returning to Canada. It created resilience in our public health system though. Because of SARS, public health units focused a lot of time and energy on pandemic preparedness. I would think the same thing happened in the US. This may also give the same kind of shock to the system, wake it up so to speak. SARS was almost a decade ago, and we've got a bit complacent here in Canada, so I think this will have people taking notice.


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## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)

Wow,I asked one RN and got three to reply,lol.Thank you ladies.I appreciate the feedback.While my concern is still somewhat low,I am in agreement that this is definitely something that needs a watchful eye for the time being.


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## preppermama (Aug 8, 2012)

I think it's important that people have accurate info, so I appreciate the nurses sharing their opinions and knowledge with us. Honestly, I don't have a lot of respect for doctors, but I hold nurses on the highest of pedestals. Nurses are the backbone of the medical profession <3 Bless you all. 

I don't think this issue is at a place where people should be bugging out and quarantining; however, it's definitely a time where people should be taking extra health precautions like thorough handwashing, avoiding places where they could be exposed to bodily fluids (ie public bathrooms), etc. 

I always think of events like this as a good opportunity to review my preps and take stock of our preparedness...even if the chance of an actual pandemic is small. I went shopping earlier this week and refilled out first aid kits, bought some bleach, and added to our food supply. I'm actually a little surprised that so many people are just blowing this off and are not reviewing their preps at all. Seems like a missed opportunity.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

SARS is the perfect example of how concentric quarantine was used to contain the epidemic. Toronto was virtually isolated from the rest of the world. Hospitals were put on lock down with no one going in or out, and this is where some healthcare workers died. In all, over 8000 people were quarantined to stop the infection - all from one infected person on an airliner. 

This type of quarantine is exactly what must be done in the event of any highly virulent epidemic. Families who do this have a much higher chance of surviving. You have to hunker down and let it pass - maybe months. As an RN who works in a hospital, I have asked myself the question many times - if and when the avian flu goes pandemic, will I go to work or will that be the first day of my retirement? The fact of the matter is that once it hits a city, every hospital will be overwhelmed within a few days. Every ventilator will be used. People will start dying in the ER lobbies. Morgues will be overwhelmed and bodies will pile up in the streets just like they did in the 1918 pandemic. Hospitals will be quarantined like they were in Toronto and there is not going to be a thing anyone can do about it because every city is going to be looking out for itself. Am I willing to be locked up in a hospital where my realistic usefulness will be negligible after 48 hours or will I stay with my family and protect them through it? This was the same dilemma the firemen and police officers faced in Katrina. Many of them went to their families rather than to their posts. They were despised by their co-workers afterward.


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## Prepper Nurse (Jul 26, 2014)

Sharkbait said:


> Wow,I asked one RN and got three to reply,lol.Thank you ladies.I appreciate the feedback.While my concern is still somewhat low,I am in agreement that this is definitely something that needs a watchful eye for the time being.


You are most welcome Sharkbait


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## Prepper Nurse (Jul 26, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> SARS is the perfect example of how concentric quarantine was used to contain the epidemic. Toronto was virtually isolated from the rest of the world. Hospitals were put on lock down with no one going in or out, and this is where some healthcare workers died. In all, over 8000 people were quarantined to stop the infection - all from one infected person on an airliner.
> 
> This type of quarantine is exactly what must be done in the event of any highly virulent epidemic. Families who do this have a much higher chance of surviving. You have to hunker down and let it pass - maybe months. As an RN who works in a hospital, I have asked myself the question many times - if and when the avian flu goes pandemic, will I go to work or will that be the first day of my retirement? The fact of the matter is that once it hits a city, every hospital will be overwhelmed within a few days. Every ventilator will be used. People will start dying in the ER lobbies. Morgues will be overwhelmed and bodies will pile up in the streets just like they did in the 1918 pandemic. Hospitals will be quarantined like they were in Toronto and there is not going to be a thing anyone can do about it because every city is going to be looking out for itself. Am I willing to be locked up in a hospital where my realistic usefulness will be negligible after 48 hours or will I stay with my family and protect them through it? This was the same dilemma the firemen and police officers faced in Katrina. Many of them went to their families rather than to their posts. They were despised by their co-workers afterward.


RNPrepper, so eloquently & accurately stated. One of my friends was involved in the local post SARS pandemic planning, and they were trying to figure out what to do with the dead bodies. Local refrigerated trucks used for transporting food products to grocery stores were on the table as an option, because you're absolutely right, those morgues will be overwhelmed. They are planning for 1/3 of the labour force being out of commission, including health care staff, and that's not factoring in who will stay home with their families. What happens then to essential services when a huge proportion of their workforce is not available? Hunker down will be the smartest thing to do. Staying away from high traffic areas like grocery stores, malls, theatres will be prudent. In fact in a pandemic situation, some may be temporarily shut down. They are planning for 3 waves of infection spread out over 2 years, each wave lasting several months. I believe the theory is that it takes that long for the virus to burn out in a community. And each wave may have a virus that has mutated from the one before, either weaker or stronger.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Nigeria confirms 2nd Ebola case; doctor sick after treating man who flew by plane | CTV News

Ebola case in Nigeria


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## Charles Martel (Mar 10, 2014)

It's a little troubling that so many health care professionals are contracting the disease. One would like to believe that they are taking the necessary precautions to prevent infection. I'm beginning to wonder if we're dealing with a significantly mutated new strain. I'm also beginning to wonder if this is why the CDC was willing to take the risk of bringing the two infected Americans back to the US...to study this more virulent strain here in a more controlled environment. 

I'm definitely watching this one with both eyes.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Testing someone for Ebola at Mount Sinai in New York... Aid workers returning from Liberia


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## Sharkbait (Feb 9, 2014)

TorontoGal said:


> Testing someone for Ebola at Mount Sinai in New York... Aid workers returning from Liberia


Just read both of those headlines myself.Looks like my concerns might be valid.


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## SARGE7402 (Nov 18, 2012)

Mount Sinai patient who traveled to West Africa tested for Ebola virus | 7online.com

Twenty one or so days for the symptoms to materialize. Wonder how many folks will have to be tracked down in New York. Wonder how many made it to where you live.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

SARGE7402 said:


> Mount Sinai patient who traveled to West Africa tested for Ebola virus | 7online.com
> 
> Twenty one or so days for the symptoms to materialize. Wonder how many folks will have to be tracked down in New York. Wonder how many made it to where you live.


Could be bad food on the plane


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

This isn't rocket science, and it doesn't take a nurse or a doctor to understand.

It is a virus that is transmitted by bodily fluids. That includes sneezing, coughing and direct contact.

Hand sanitizers are good, but nothing is as good as washing your hands while singing "Happy Birthday" - not aloud.

You can trust the people at Emory, but that doesn't mean us tinfoil hattters aren't wrong in thinking that there is more to the scene than we are being told.

The first round of a virus is the worst. Afterward, it chills out and stops killing its host so quickly. If the crap hits the fan in your country, be ready and prepared to stay away from people for a couple months.

Be aware, but keep your wits about you.


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