Health Briefs is watching as the world holds its
collective breath to see if Ebola is going to become the next deadly
epidemic. According to the World Health
Organization, over 700 have already been killed by the disease and another
1,300 are known to be infected by this deadly scourge, more properly known as
hemorrhagic fever. The scariest factor
is that medical science has no cure for this virus. When two missionary doctors were recently medevaced
from Africa back to the USA,
they were given an experimental treatment, and thankfully, that seemed to
help. But for now, all American
authorities can do is carefully monitor the flights coming in from African
destinations. While it is common
practice not to allow people with an active illness on board international
flights, those with the disease might try very hard to cover up that fact in
order to flee the source of the epidemic and find a better level of care
elsewhere.
Health Briefs wonders how we can protect ourselves from the most frightening epidemic in decades.
The Health Briefs TV show has learned that the major
airports that routinely handle inbound flights from Africa
have set up quarantine facilities so that suspected carriers would not be
immediately admitted into the US. Of course, a sufferer on an international
plane can be extremely problematic, as it has been shown that passengers aboard
today's airliners end up breathing the same air as everyone else for the entire
flight, which would mean 5-7 hours for a trip from Africa. While it is not believed that ebola is an
airborne disease -- that is, it doesn't travel through the air -- all it would
take is some well-timed sneezes or other regurgitation to present a serious
hazard to every person aboard that aircraft.
Perhaps the place for proper screening is at the departure end, not
after a flight has been completed.
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