Anyone else nervous about flying? - Ebola

The difference between being in a theme park and being on a plane is substantial. On a plane, you're stuck for however long that flight last while the air is being re-circulated. In a theme park, the mall, a movie theater, etc. I have the option of walking away.

I seriously do not understand why that second nurse was authorized to travel. I feel the CDC's and our government's overconfidence and lack of urgency gave everyone a false sense of security. You may have already read or heard this discussion, but look at the protective gear we were using verses those in Africa. :confused:

magicofdisney;2437750 wrote: The difference between being in a theme park and being on a plane is substantial. On a plane, you're stuck for however long that flight last while the air is being re-circulated. In a theme park, the mall, a movie theater, etc. I have the option of walking away.

That's true for an airborne virus, but Ebola is not communicable except by direct contact/transfer of bodily fluids. In a theme park you are much more likely to touch surfaces that many other people have touched, i.e. handrails in queues, etc. Then, you touch your fingers to your mouth and well, transfer happens. You can avoid much of that "touching" on a plane.

MNNHFLTX;2437679 wrote: No, I'm not worried--yet.

Beth, don't you work in a hospital? Have policies changed?

joonyer;2437797 wrote: That's true for an airborne virus, but Ebola is not communicable except by direct contact/transfer of bodily fluids. In a theme park you are much more likely to touch surfaces that many other people have touched, i.e. handrails in queues, etc. Then, you touch your fingers to your mouth and well, transfer happens. You can avoid much of that "touching" on a plane.

I do avoid touching handrails in queues as much as possible. As much as possible I do not touch my face without previously cleaning my hands. I do this whenever I'm traveling, tho.

The thing I read about Ebola some years ago was that it spread so quickly it usually ran out of hosts before it could spread from village to village. Apparently this is not the case any more.

Jan

magicofdisney;2437100 wrote: Despite the requisite condescending response in this thread, this ^ is what I find alarming. And considering the mortality rate of Ebola, I'll take my chances with the flu.

Genna, I got curious so I did some looking around on the internet.

We've heard about the mortality rate of Ebola, up to 90% when untreated. With treatment that percent drops considerably.

Another rate to be aware of is the R0 value, which is the number of people infected by a person. Or how contagious is the disease. With Ebola, this is 2. With SARS the number is 5, mumps is 10 and measles is 18. One person with measles infects 18 other people. Polio has an R0 value of 5 - 6. I remember how thankful people were when that vaccine became available. Smallpox had a value of 2 - 4.

Another problem is that with flu, a person can be infectious and still feel well enough to go to work and help infect those other 4 or 5 or 18 people. Apparently this is not the case with Ebola.

Also apparently, with the decrease in parents wishing to vaccinate their kids, and the lack of a cure for measles, we are poised for a measles epidemic. I remember having measles. I didn't even feel sick when the rash appeared but wow, I did get very sick before I got better. The too pale complexion, weak shaky legs, kind of sick and that was after I was getting better.

I'm unclear about posting links here on Intercot. If you'd like the links of the articles I read, pm me and I'll send them to you.

Jan

I realize this isn't airborne. After re-reading my posts it seems that's the impression I'm giving. However, I can say I would not willingly go on a flight with someone who had been caring for an Ebola patient. I was simply wondering if anyone else had those concerns. I think it's a legitimate question. Obviously not everyone agrees.

There is a reason a strain of this contagion is stored under lock and key. And now that it's crossing boarders, there's nothing wrong with taking extra precautions.

Additionally, I'm extremely grateful to be living in a country with top-notch medical care facilities. I know the advantage we have in that and I think the success rate of survival is stronger. That doesn't negate my concerns for the potential spread of this disease.

From what I have researched. You have a better chance of getting the flu, cancer, or a date with Kate Upton than catching Ebola

Ebola is a level 4 pathogen on a scale of 1, 2,3 or 4: along with polio, Lassa virus, some other hemorrhagic illnesses or the VERY DANGEROUS STUFF. Influenza is not ranked all that dangerous, but it kills a lot of people because it is so widespread. I am damaged from measles and my sister-in-law had polio. How many younger people know the deadliness of various diseases via personnel contacts.

I fly quite a lot and my husband flies weekly. Domestic travel. I've seen more people wearing masks. There's some obvious increased concern, but I'm not all that concerned with Ebola when I travel domestically. I can definitely understand why media coverage would frighten people. But if you study how it spreads and learn the facts, you know there's really not much cause for concern at this time.