• Question: ebola: what do you think we should be doing?

    Asked by Ems to Ceri, Marikka, Matt, Rob, Sally on 13 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by SKFPaddy.
    • Photo: Robert Hampson

      Robert Hampson answered on 13 Nov 2014:


      Education programmes for primary healthcare providers on how to spot Ebola (i.e. teach GPs, doctors and nurses the newest techniques on spotting and diagnosing a person who is infected with ebola). This is to primarily make sure Ebola cannot spread well in the UK.

      We should also send trained doctors and public health officials to the African nations effected to help organising the response. The most effective strategy is education (how to avoid catching Ebola, how to avoid infecting others if you are infected), however, this is difficult in very remote areas. Its not like they all sit around watching TV in the evening like lazy British people. Having more beds, more simple treatments, and more medical personnel could also help slow the spread of Ebola and prevent it killing some people who get infected.

    • Photo: Matt Bilton

      Matt Bilton answered on 13 Nov 2014:


      The word’s ‘don’t panic’ spring to mind! Much of the west has very little to worry about, although health professionals in the UK and elsewhere should remain vigilant to those who have recently been to ‘at risk’ areas.

      On the other hand, the few West African countries afflicted with Ebola need as much help and support as other unaffected countries can give them. Ebola doesn’t just kill people but it terrifies them and stops them living normal lives, especially in countries where containment is difficult. So we should be supporting charities like Doctors’ Without Borders (http://www.msf.org.uk) who do amazing work in Ebola stricken areas.

      We should also continue to research new treatments and vaccines – indeed there are several undergoing trials at the moment. Together with continuing education on how to avoid passing on Ebola to relatives and in understanding the symptoms, hopefully these measures can help the affected countries get Ebola under control.

    • Photo: Sally Cutler

      Sally Cutler answered on 13 Nov 2014:


      At present any support we can offer to diagnose and manage the situation is really important. Indeed I am considering going to help, but need to seek all kinds of approvals from work. In those countries affected the resources they have are minimal, so they need diagnostic facilities and supportive medical help. On the longer term, they need education to prevent exposure and vaccines/antiviral therapy might be more distant tools to help against this horrible infection.

    • Photo: Ceri Dare

      Ceri Dare answered on 13 Nov 2014:


      Right now, we need to provide a lot of money and practical support to Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries, so they can treat Ebola victims safely and effectively, and keep the rest of the country running so things like food deliveries and other medical care keep going. People need understanding and practical help to know how Ebola is passed on, and how to avoid catching it themselves.

      In the longer term, an immunisation so that people couldn’t catch Ebola in the first place would be good. We also need Sierra Leone and other places to have better hospitals with more well-trained staff, free for everybody to use, so that when someone has Ebola they can be quickly taken to a hospital and safely looked after there.

    • Photo: Marikka Beecroft

      Marikka Beecroft answered on 14 Nov 2014:


      I think we should:
      A) DO NOT Panic. The disease has been relatively contained, drugs are being fast tracked and also we know how it is spread so we can help stop transmission.

      B) Educate people. Some people on the internet believe Ebola is a zombie virus that can raise the dead (Err… NO) and that Ebola isn’t real and really it is a cover up for an invasion by America. There needs to be education to teach people around the world about the facts of Ebola. Also they can help out by transporting people they think are infected to nearby hospitals helping contain the disease!

      C) Improve the healthcare, hospitals and facilities that are treating Ebola right now. We need to give people infected the best chance of survival, at the moment the people infected aren’t getting that and long term it’ll be better as the healthcare system will have been improved to handle other potential epidemics in the future.

      We can’t do all these things right away, it’s a gradual process but hopefully it’ll help with the problem.

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