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Ebola Virus

For anyone who might want to have a side conversation...you're welcome here!
Re: Ebola Virus
Post by Daryl   » Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:20 pm

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My solar electricity panels have a 25 yr guarantee that they will still be producing 90% of their initial power. Cost is about $1 a watt, plus about $1000 for an inverter. There are many home wind electricity generators as well.
The big problem is storage as batteries are expensive and even the best only last 5 to 10 years. I'd set things up with enough capacity to freeze ice and pump water during the day, then use your refrigerators as iceboxes during the night, oil lamps and go to bed early if no wind.

Lots of non refrigerated ways to store food, and many of our tastiest foods originated as storage methods. Jam, ham, corn beef, beer, wine, spirits, salami/wust, cheese, butter, large pies, grains, jerky; fruit trees and vege gardens to prevent scurvy.
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by namelessfly   » Sun Aug 17, 2014 10:42 am

namelessfly

Here is a development that illustrates why Ebola could become pandemic.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28827091

Panicked people will enable the disease to spread. If the disease becomes rampant, society will collapse and the disease will ravage humanity.
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by Arol   » Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:19 am

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Anyone here know enough about virology to be able to explain; in layman’s terms please, the factors that has to exist for the Ebola strain to mutate from a fluid born infection to an airborne one? :?
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by smr   » Mon Aug 18, 2014 6:15 am

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I smell a snake within the woods. That's all I have to say about this incident.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/08/17/theres-no-ebola-in-liberia-looters-chant-as-they-steal-infected-items-from-health-clinic/
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by Arol   » Mon Aug 18, 2014 7:44 am

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smr wrote:I smell a snake within the woods. That's all I have to say about this incident.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/08/17/theres-no-ebola-in-liberia-looters-chant-as-they-steal-infected-items-from-health-clinic/

Looters and bandits in are endemic in the area, especially now with tensions running high because of the Ebola outbreak.
What is more worrying is the flight of the 2 dozen infected patients, who are still in the wind!
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by The E   » Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:04 am

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Arol wrote:Anyone here know enough about virology to be able to explain; in layman’s terms please, the factors that has to exist for the Ebola strain to mutate from a fluid born infection to an airborne one? :?


The only factor that has to exist for that to happen is time. There are several mutations that have to happen here, which need to result in an Ebola variant of undiminished lethality, but with a new structure that is resilient to UV light. The risk of exactly the right mutations happening to make this a reality is slim.

Basically, Ebola has no defences against UV light at the moment; virus particles left in the open air will be destroyed in a matter of hours. Now, Ebola can and does spread via droplet infection (virus particles embedded in sweat or breath), but this requires that you breathe the same air as an infected person for some time.
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by Arol   » Mon Aug 18, 2014 11:09 am

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The E wrote:
Arol wrote:Anyone here know enough about virology to be able to explain; in layman’s terms please, the factors that has to exist for the Ebola strain to mutate from a fluid born infection to an airborne one? :?


The only factor that has to exist for that to happen is time. There are several mutations that have to happen here, which need to result in an Ebola variant of undiminished lethality, but with a new structure that is resilient to UV light. The risk of exactly the right mutations happening to make this a reality is slim.

Basically, Ebola has no defences against UV light at the moment; virus particles left in the open air will be destroyed in a matter of hours. Now, Ebola can and does spread via droplet infection (virus particles embedded in sweat or breath), but this requires that you breathe the same air as an infected person for some time.


Thanks!
Just the sort of answer I was hoping for. :)
My chief worry (as many others I wager!) was the chance of mutation from droplet to aerosol. That the odds of such a mutation would increase with the number of infected victims.
The droplet infection, while horrific for those infected and those tending them, should be containable, at least in countries with a reasonable established health care system.
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by Northstar   » Mon Aug 18, 2014 2:47 pm

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The E wrote:
Arol wrote:Anyone here know enough about virology to be able to explain; in layman’s terms please, the factors that has to exist for the Ebola strain to mutate from a fluid born infection to an airborne one? :?


The only factor that has to exist for that to happen is time. There are several mutations that have to happen here, which need to result in an Ebola variant of undiminished lethality, but with a new structure that is resilient to UV light. The risk of exactly the right mutations happening to make this a reality is slim.

Basically, Ebola has no defences against UV light at the moment; virus particles left in the open air will be destroyed in a matter of hours. Now, Ebola can and does spread via droplet infection (virus particles embedded in sweat or breath), but this requires that you breathe the same air as an infected person for some time.


Besides time and random mutations... and viruses mutate faster than any other organism ... is Ebola meeting an airborne virus in the same person, say the common cold or influenza, and exchanging genes and bits of genes with it. This is called a mosaic virus ... a sort of hybrid. Well, a mosaic is exchanging full genes and the other, exchanging bits, is recombinant. whatever you call it you have two viruses exchanging data and genetic bits. Hit the magic combination and ohoh for us.

Another ohoh waiting to happen is H1N1 flu meeting with H5N1 flu. H1N1, aka 'swine' flu is very good at spreading itself but not very lethal -just awful to deal with - H5N1 aka 'bird' flu is 60% lethal but not very good at getting around. The wrong combination mosaic or recombinant... You get spread like a cold and 60% lethality. Dumdedumdum.
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by The E   » Mon Aug 18, 2014 3:18 pm

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Northstar wrote: This is called a mosaic virus ... a sort of hybrid.


No. Mosaic virii are a very different breed. It's a family of plant virii.

Secondly, recombinant virii require that both are active in the same cell, and most importantly, are somewhat compatible so that the end result is still a functioning virus; Mashing together Ebola and the common cold (or any of the multitude of infections dormant in the average person) isn't likely to produce some horrifying monster virus.
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Re: Ebola Virus
Post by Arol   » Mon Aug 18, 2014 3:36 pm

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This thread is pretty good if one wants to set up a personal trip wire, (a get-out-of-Dodge scenario!) ;)
Living in a heavily urbanized country with 5,5 million people in a country smaller then the state of Rhode Island, it would be nice with a head start if things go south. :(
So any info of what to look out for in the media and on the net can only be beneficial.
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